株主

• Reading: かぶぬし
• Romaji: kabunushi
• Kanji breakdown: 株 (kabu) — share, stock; 主 (nushi/shu) — owner, master
• Pronunciation: /ka.bɯ.nɯ.ɕi/

Meaning

Shareholder; stockholder. A person or entity that owns shares in a company, and thereby holds partial ownership and certain rights.

Shareholders have rights including voting at general meetings (株主総会), receiving dividends (配当), and being entitled to residual assets on liquidation. Japanese corporate governance debates frequently concern the balance between 株主 interests and those of employees or society. 大株主 (major shareholder) and 少数株主 (minority shareholder) are important variants.

Examples

1. 株主総会で経営陣の報酬案に対して反対票が過半数を超えた。 At the general shareholders' meeting, more than half of the votes cast were against the executive remuneration proposal.
2. 機関投資家が大株主として経営に影響を与えるケースが増えている。 There is a growing trend of institutional investors, as major shareholders, exerting influence over management.
3. 株主への利益還元を優先する方針を、社長が決算説明会で明言した。 The president stated explicitly at the earnings briefing that returning profits to shareholders would be the company's top priority.

Usage Guide

Context: corporate governance, investing, company law, business news

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 株 (share) and 主 (owner, master). Directly parallels the English 'shareholder' in concept. The term became standardised as joint-stock companies proliferated in the Meiji era.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Business/Finance