Over a Century with Our Shareholders
Looking Back on Our Annual Shareholders’ Meetings

In September 1917, Shimadzu held the Inaugural General Meeting, thereby taking our first steps as a corporation. This article reflects on the records from that day, and also describes the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held in June this year.

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for FY 2024 (June 26, 2025)

 

Shimadzu Corporation’s Inaugural General Meeting

On September 1, 1917, Genzo Shimadzu Jr., the proprietor of Shimadzu, held the Inaugural General Meeting on the 3rd floor of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which he had rented for the occasion.

Records from the Inaugural General Meeting (from in-house documents)

At the time, in 1917, Genzo Shimadzu Jr. believed that the development of science and technology was indispensable if Japan were to grow into an internationally leading industrial country. He aimed to expand his business activities and modernize the company through the introduction of external funds.

In addition to Zensuke Fujii, a prominent businessman from the region of Omi (currently Shiga Prefecture) and a promoter, Takeo Kato, then Manager of the Kyoto Branch of Mitsubishi Bank and later its President, provided support for the convening of the Inaugural General Meeting. At the meeting, Fujii, the promoter, served as Chairman. Reports were given regarding the establishment of the company, the articles of incorporation were acknowledged, and Directors and Audit & Supervisory Board Members were appointed, thereby inaugurating Shimadzu Corporation as a joint-stock company.

Layout of the venue of the Inaugural General Meeting in September 1917 (from in-house documents)

According to the records of the Inaugural General Meeting, there were a total of 40,000 shares issued, which were underwritten by 183 people. In the July 16, 1917 edition of the Osaka Asahi Shimbun newspaper, it notes that there were more applicants than the total number of shares, and that Shimadzu had some applicants agree to a reduced allotment. That indicates that in the process of becoming a corporation, many people applied to underwrite the shares.

From September 1917, when it was first established, until March 1975, Shimadzu treated six months as one fiscal year (full term). With the introduction of an interim dividend system due to amendments to the Japanese Commercial Code, starting in April 1975, Shimadzu transitioned to a one-year settlement of accounts. A new term started in April 2025.

The 162nd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

Shimadzu held our Annual Shareholders’ Meeting for FY 2024 at the Kyoto Head Office on June 26. All three matters were agreed upon by the shareholders: the distribution of retained earnings, the appointment of Directors, and the appointment of Audit & Supervisory Board Members.

At the outset of the meeting, Chair and Representative Director Yasunori Yamamoto expressed his gratitude to all the shareholders as Shimadzu celebrated its 150th anniversary. Yamamoto also informed them of the corporate performance and issues that need addressing.

At the Q&A that followed, 16 questions were asked by 7 people present, and the Chair and executives replied to each question in turn. The meeting lasted for approximately an hour and a half.

That day, so as to deepen the knowledge of all the shareholders regarding Shimadzu’s history and business activities, a time-line panel was presented, outlining our 150-year history, as were concept models, which integrated Shimadzu products with Kyoto’s traditional craft techniques, and a special exhibit of machines that appeared on the NHK television show “Night of the Makaizo Society.” In addition, a tour of the showroom was conducted after the meeting.

Support for the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

Shimadzu’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting is prepared for and administered primarily by the Legal Department.

Members of the Corporate Group in the Legal Department

The meeting is a key opportunity that brings Shimadzu face to face with its shareholders. Not simply a legal obligation, it serves as an important venue for clearly expressing Shimadzu’s approach and policies, and for deepening our relationship of trust.

We take care, for example, to carefully express as simply as possible the background to the items on the agenda and information about executive candidates in the Notice of Convocation, which serves as a guide to the meeting. We take similar measures to outline our new products, collaborative research, and corporate initiatives in the Shareholders’ Newsletter, which is delivered following the meeting.

Notice of Convocation and Shareholders’ Newsletter

In recent years, at the Engagement Portal, an online site for Annual Shareholders’ Meetings, we have combined a place for receiving questions in advance with live video streaming. We are thereby promoting the creation of an environment in which even more individuals can participate and express their concerns at the Shimadzu Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

We will continue to strive to provide trustworthy Annual Shareholders’ Meetings that emphasize the importance of dialog with all our shareholders.