Abhandlungen

Revisions of Corporate Law

Hiroko Aoki

I.Introduction

II.Development of Corporate Law

1.The First Period
2.The Second Period
3.The Third Period

III.Achievement of the Year 2000: The New Law on Corporate Divisions (kaisha bunkatsu)

1.Overview
2.  The New Law from the Viewpoint of the Practice.

IV.Prospects for the Year 2001

1.Comprehensive Approach
2.Summary of the Proposal of April 2001

I.       Introduction

Japanese Corporate Law has been frequently revised during the last decade. In the face of such rapid change, a periodical report on substantial changes should be useful. The frequency of recent revisions necessitates an annual report.

This report consist of two parts, one outlining the achievements of the year, and a second part discussing the prospects for the coming year. For introductory purposes, however, the article will begin with a part on the current status of the Corporate Law. This is a historical introduction. Readers who are not interested in the historical background of the current provisions, may immediately proceed to the second part of the article.