Published: 2004
Key Benefits:
Enforcement Order of the Limited Partnership Act
for Investment
(Cabinet Order No. 235 of June 24, 1998)
(Bonds Equivalent to Bond with Share Options)
Article 1 The bonds to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to Article 3
(1)(ii) of the Limited Partnership Act for Investment (Act No. 90 of 1998.
Hereinafter the "Investment LPS Act") shall be those that a person, who issues
share options, offers and allocates together with said share options.
(Designated Securities)
Article 2 The securities to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to Article 3
(1)(iii) of the Investment LPS Act as contributing to the procuring of capital by
an Enterprise shall be the following:
(i) The bonds prescribed in the Securities and Exchange Act (Act No. 25 of
1948) Article 2 (1)(iv) (excluding bond with share options, etc., as prescribed
in the Investment LPS Act Article 3 (1)(ii) (hereinafter simply "Bond with
Share Options, Etc."));
(ii) Promissory notes as set forth in the Securities and Exchange Act Article 2
(1)(viii); and
(iii) Rights that are to be represented in securities as prescribed in the
preceding two clauses, that are deemed to be securities pursuant to
Securities and Exchange Act Article 2 (2).
(Period of Holding of Specified Designated Securities)
Article 3 The period to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to Article 3
(1)(iii) of the Investment LPS Act shall be six months.
(Period of Holding of Specified Monetary Claims)
Article 4 The period to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to Article 3
(1)(iv) of the Investment LPS Act shall be six months.
(Specified Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, Etc.)
Article 5 A person to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to Article 3
(1)(vii) of the Investment LPS Act shall be any of the following persons:
(i) A business corporation which is a Small or Medium Sized Enterprise
(meaning a person as set forth in each item of Article 2 (1) of the Small and
Medium Sized Enterprise Basic Act (Act No. 154 of 1963). The same shall
apply in (ii) below) or other business corporation that is covered by any of the
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following, which is not listed on a securities exchange as prescribed in the
Securities Exchange Act Article 2 (16), and is a business corporation which
issues share that are not registered in the registry of OTC traded securities
as prescribed in Article 75 (1) of said act:
(a) The amount of capital is not more than 500 million yen;
(b) The number of employees serving full time is not more than 1,000;
(c) The total amount stated in the liabilities section of its final balance sheet
is not more than 20 billion yen;
(d) If the ratio of the amount set forth in (1) below to the amount set forth in
(2) below exceeds three percent in the previous business year:
1. the total of the testing and research expenses as well as the development
expenses set forth in Article 14 (1)(v) of the Juridical Person Tax Act
Enforcement Order (Order No. 97 of 1965); and
2. the balance of total income minus income from transfer of fixed assets,
or securities as prescribed in Article 2 (xxi) of the Juridical Person Tax
Act (Act No. 34 of 1965).
(e) An entity (i) of which less than one year has passed since its incorporation,
(ii) which has at least two full time researchers, and (iii) of which the
number of full time researchers is at least 10 percent of the total of full
time officers and employees thereof.
(ii) A incorporated general partnership (gomei kaisha), incorporated limited
partnership (goshi kaisha), a limited liability company (yugen kaisha) or an
individual which constitutes a small or medium sized enterprise; or
(iii) a company partnership (kigyo kumiai) or a cooperative partnership (kyogyo
kumiai).
(Ratio of Capital Investment for Investment Partnership Into One Investment
Partnership, Etc. or Investment Manager)
Article 6 The ratio to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to Investment
LPS Act Article 3 (1)(ix) shall be 50/100.
(Person Who Is in the Position of Having Substantial Control Over the
Execution of the Business of an Investment LPS)
Article 7 (1) An Investment Partnership, Etc., to be prescribed by Cabinet Order
pursuant to Investment LPS Act Article 3 (1)(ix)(a) shall be any of the
following:
(i) An Investment Partnership, Etc., in which a person who holds a majority of
the votes of all shareholders in a business corporation that is the general
partner in an Investment LPS (or one of the general partners if there is more
than one general partner. The same shall apply hereinafter) executes the
business thereof; or
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(ii) An Investment Partnership, Etc., in which a person who holds the majority
of the votes of all equity members of a limited liability company that is the
general partner in an Investment LPS executes the business thereof.
(2) The persons to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to Investment LPS
Act Article 3 (1)(ix)(b) shall be a person prescribed below:
(i) a person who holds a majority of the votes of all shareholders in a business
corporation that is the general partner in an Investment LPS; or
(ii) a person who holds a majority of the votes of all equity members of a
limited liability company that is a general partner in an Investment LPS.
(Ancillary Business)
Article 8 The business activities to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to
Investment LPS Act Article 3 (1)(x) shall be the business of engaging in the
purchase, sale, exchange or lease, or broking or mediation of, real estate or
movable property in which a security interest is created in respect of rights
that are represented by Designated Securities as prescribed in Article 3 (1)(ii)
thereof or monetary claims as prescribed in Article 3 (1)(iv) thereof (which in
the case that the objective of the security interest is land shall include
neighboring land to said land, and in the event that the object of the security
interest is a building shall include the land and neighboring land on which said
building is located).
(Acquiring Shares Issued by a Foreign Juridical Person, Etc.)
Article 9 The business activities set forth in the Investment LPS Act Article 3
(1)(xi) shall be conducted as set forth in the Partnership Agreement, limited to
an extent in which the total of the price of the investment pursuant to Article 3
(1)(ix) thereof plus the price of the acquisition set forth in Article 3 (1)(xi)(a)
thereof as well as the investment pursuant to Article 3 (1)(xi)(b) thereof does
not exceed 50/100 of the total capital contribution of all partners.
(Manner of Investment of Surplus Cash)
Article 10 The manner to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to
Investment LPS Act Article 3 (1)(xii) shall be the following:
(i) Deposits with banks or other financial institutions, or postal savings;
(ii) Acquisition of Japanese government bonds, municipal bonds or bonds
guaranteed by the government (meaning bonds for which the government
guarantees payment of the principal and interest) or issued by a bank or
other financial institution;
(iii) Acquisition of bonds issued by a juridical person that is incorporated under
a special act (excluding those bonds set forth in the preceding clause);
(iv) Monetary trusts in a bank that engages in the trust business, or a trust
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company;
(v) Acquiring beneficiary certificates in investment trusts or loan trusts;
(vi) Acquiring monetary claims that are represented by any of the following
documents:
(a) Negotiable certificates of deposit; and
(b) Promissory notes as set forth in Securities and Exchange Act Article 2
(1)(viii) (limited to those that are Specified Designated Securities as set
forth in Investment LPS Act Article 3 (1)(iii)).
(vii) Acquiring bonds that a foreign government, local government,
international institution, foreign government affiliated institution (meaning
an institution in which the main equity investor is the government of the
country in which the head office or principle office of the institution is
located), a juridical person in which a local government of a foreign country
is the main equity investor, or a foreign bank or other financial institution
issues or guarantees the debts thereof.
(Total Number of Partners)
Article 11 The number to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to
Investment LPS Act Article 3 (4) shall be 100 individuals; provided, however,
that in a specified partnership as prescribed in Investment LPS Act Article 6-2
(1) (which in Article 13 is referred to simply as a "Specified Partnership") the
number of partners other than qualified institutional investors (meaning
qualified institutional investors as set forth in Article 2 (3)(i) of the Securities
and Exchange Act. The same shall apply to Article 13 (i) hereof) shall not
exceed 49 individuals.
(Business of Acquiring Shares, Etc. of Unlisted Small or Medium Sized
Enterprises)
Article 12 The business to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to
Investment LPS Act Article 6-2 (1) shall be the following:
(i) Acquiring and holding of shares issued by joint share companies (limited to
a specified small and medium sized enterprise, etc., as prescribed in
Investment LPS Act Article 3 (1)(vii) (hereinafter "Specified SME, Etc. " The
same shall apply to the following clause)) upon their establishment as well as
acquiring and holding of equity shares of a limited liability company (limited
to a Specified SME, Etc. The same shall apply to the following clause) or a
company partnership upon their establishment;
(ii) Acquiring and holding of shares, share options or Bond with Share Options,
Etc., issued by a business corporation, or equity shares issued by a limited
liability company or a company partnership;
(iii) Acquiring and holding of shares, share options, and Bond with Share
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Options, Etc. issued by a business corporation (excluding a Specified SME,
Etc. The same shall apply to clause (ix)) in which the Investment LPS
(hereinafter referred to in this Article (excluding clause (xii)) as
"Partnership") holds shares, share options, and Bond with Share Options,
Etc. of the business corporation or an equity interest in a limited liability
company (excluding a Specified SME, Etc. The same shall apply to clause
(ix)) in which the Partnership holds an equity interest, pursuant to the
preceding two clauses;
(iv) In the event that a Share Held Company (meaning a business corporation,
etc. (meaning a business corporation or a limited liability company. The same
shall apply hereinafter in this clause, the following clause and clause (viii))
in which the Partnership holds shares, share options or Bond with Share
Options, Etc., or an equity share pursuant to the three preceding clauses.
The same shall apply hereafter.) ceases to exist as a result of a merger-
acquiring and holding shares or equity shares allocated by the surviving
company (meaning a business corporation, etc., that survives after the
merger or a business corporation, etc., that is incorporated as a result of the
merger, and is neither a Specified SME, Etc., nor a Share Held Company.
The same shall apply in the following clause) or share options or Bond with
Share Options, Etc., in respect of which the surviving company (limited to a
business corporation) has assumed the obligation thereof;
(v) If a Share Held Company transfers its business to a successor company
(meaning a business corporation, etc., incorporated as a result of an
incorporation-type split, or a business corporation, etc., that assumes the
business as a result of an absorption-type corporate Split, and is neither a
Specified SME, Etc. nor a Share Held Company. The same to apply in the
following clause) as a result of a corporate separation -acquiring and holding
of shares or equity shares that the successor company allocates to
shareholders of the Share Held Company at the time of the corporate
separation, or share options or Bond with Share Options, Etc. in respect of
which the successor company (limited to a business corporation) has assumed
the obligation thereof;
(vi) If a Share Held Company (limited to a business corporation. The same
shall apply to the following clause) becomes a Wholly Owned Subsidiary
(meaning a wholly owned subsidiary as set forth in Commercial Code (Act No.
48 of 1899) Article 352 (1). The same shall apply in clause (viii)) as a result of
a share-for-share exchange or a share transfer-the acquiring and holding of
shares that the Specified Wholly Owning Parent Company (meaning the
business corporation that becomes a wholly owning parent company
(meaning a wholly owning parent company as set forth in said paragraph.
The same shall apply hereinafter in this clause) through the exchange of
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shares or the wholly owning parent company incorporated through the
transfer of shares and which is a business corporation other than a Specified
SME, Etc. or a Share Held Company. The same shall hereinafter apply in
this clause) allocates as a result of the exchange of shares or the transfer of
shares, or the share options in respect of which the Specified Wholly Owning
Parent Company has assumed the obligation thereof;
(vii) Making of new cash loans to a Share Held Company, Etc. (meaning a
Share Held Company or a company partnership in which the Partnership
holds an equity interest. The same shall apply hereinafter in this clause) and
the holding of monetary claims in connection with said loans;
(viii) In the event of monetary claims that the Partnership holds pursuant to
the preceding clause, the holding of monetary claims, the obligations of
which, in the event the Share Held Company disappears as a result of a
merger, the surviving company (meaning a business corporation, etc., that
survives after the merger, or a business corporation, etc., incorporated as a
result of the merger, that is other than a Share Held Company) assumes, or
in the event a successor company (meaning a business corporation, etc. that
is incorporated as a result of an incorporation-type split or a business
corporation, etc. that assumes the business as a result of an absorption-type
corporate Split, that is other than a Share Held Company. The same shall
apply hereinafter in this clause) assumes the business pursuant to a
corporate separation, the successor company assumes, or those against a
Wholly Owned Subsidiary in the event that the Share Held Company (limited
to a business corporation) becomes the Wholly Owned Subsidiary as a result
of an exchange of share or a transfer of share;
(ix) Acquiring and holding of industrial property rights or copyrights held by a
Specified SME, Etc. or a business corporation or a limited liability company
as prescribed in clause (iii) (including granting a license to use the rights
relating thereto);
(x) Acquiring and holding of equity investment in an Anonymous Partnership
(tokumei kumiai) Agreement (meaning an anonymous partnership agreement
under Article 535 of the Commercial Code. The same shall apply hereinafter)
of which a party is a Specified SME, Etc. (other than a person who engages
in the investment business) or trust beneficial rights (limited to rights to
receive distributions of earnings or profits arising from a business carried on
by a Specified SME, Etc.);
(xi) Provision of management-related advice or technical guidance to a
Specified SME, Etc. in which the Partnership owns shares, equity interest,
share options, Bond with Share Options, Etc., monetary claims, industrial
property, copyrights or trust beneficial rights pursuant to any of the
preceding clauses;
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(xii) The following business activities conducted in the manner set forth in the
partnership agreement, to the extent that there is no hindrance to the
conduct of business activities set forth in each of the preceding clauses, and
limited to an extent in which the total of the price of acquisition as set forth
in (a) below and the capital investment as set forth in (b) below is less than
50/100 of the total capital contribution of all partners:
(a) Acquiring and holding of shares, share options, Bond with Share Options,
Etc., and similar instruments that are issued by a foreign juridical person
whose share that it issues is not listed on a share exchange as set forth in
Securities and Exchange Act Article 2 (16) or a similar exchange located in
a foreign country, and is not registered in the OTC traded securities
registry as prescribed in Article 75 (1) of said act or a similar registry
located in a foreign country.
(b) Investment in an Investment LPS or a partnership formed by a
partnership agreement as set forth in Civil Code (Act No. 89 of 1896)
Article 667 (1) that promises to carry on the investment business or similar
organization located in a foreign country that is similar to one of these
partnerships, or equity investment pursuant to an anonymous partnership
in which the other party is a person carrying on the investment business.
(xiii) Investment of surplus cash to be made in a manner listed below in order
to accomplish the purposes of the Partnership Agreement:
(a) deposits with banks or other financial institutions, or postal savings;
(b) Acquisition of Japanese government bonds, municipal bonds or bonds
guaranteed by the government (meaning bonds for which the government
guarantees payment of the principal and interest) or issued by a bank or
other financial institution;
(c) Acquisition of bonds issued by a juridical person that is incorporated
under a special act (excluding those bonds set forth in the preceding
clause);
(d) Monetary trusts in a bank that engages in the trust business, or a trust
company;
(e) Acquiring beneficiary certificates in investment trusts or loan trusts;
(f) Acquiring monetary claims that are represented by negotiable certificates
of deposit as well as promissory notes set forth in Securities Exchange Act
Article 2 (1)(viii); and/or
(g) Acquiring bonds that a foreign government, local government,
international institution, foreign government affiliated institution
(meaning an institution in which the main equity investor is the
government of the country in which the head office or principle office of the
institution is located), a juridical person in which a local government of a
foreign country is the main equity investor, or a foreign bank or other
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financial institution issues or guarantees the debts thereof.
(Persons Qualified to Be a Partner of a Specified Partnership)
Article 13 The persons to be prescribed by Cabinet Order pursuant to
Investment LPS Act Article 6-2 (1) shall be persons covered by the following:
(i) Qualified institutional investors;
(ii) Companies with a total capital or contribution investment of at least 100
million yen;
(iii) Partnerships formed by a partnership agreement as prescribed in Civil
Code Article 667 (1) that promises to carry on the investment business
(limited to partnerships in which all of the partners are persons as set forth
in the preceding clauses or the following clause through clause (vii)) as well
as proprietors in connection with an anonymous partnership agreement
(limited to persons who carry on the investment business and for whom all
persons who make equity investments pursuant to an anonymous
partnership for the purpose of the investment business with the other party
as the proprietor are listed in the preceding two clauses as well as the next
clause through clause (vii));
(iv) An educational institution set forth in Article 4 (iii) and (v) of the Private
Educational Institutions Act (Act No. 270 of 1949);
(v) A person who is equivalent to a person set forth in any of the preceding
clauses under an act or regulation of a foreign country;
(vi) An association in a foreign country that is similar to an Investment LPS;
(vii) The Japan Small and Medium Enterprise Corporation; or
(viii) An officer or employee of the juridical person in the event that such
juridical person is a general partner of the Specified Partnership.
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