FAQs

What is a special account?

A special account is an account set up by a company to hold its shares owned by shareholders who had not made arrangements to use the book-entry transfer system by the time Japan transitioned from paper to digital stock certificates in January 2009. Special accounts need to be set up to preserve shareholders' rights because shares cannot be held in ordinary transfer accounts.
Shares cannot be traded via special accounts except when selling odd-lot shares back to the company or requesting the sale of shares from the company to cover a round-lot shortfall. If you have shares in a special account, we therefore urge you to open an account with a securities broker and transfer your shares into it as soon as possible.
Odd-lot shares also can be transferred to accounts held with securities brokers.