株式会社

Alternative forms

 * , often within parentheses as (株)
 * , often within parentheses as (株)
 * , often within parentheses as (株)

Etymology
Compound of.

First cited to 1891 in the novel by.

Noun

 * 1)  a type of corporation under Japanese law, analogous to an American business corporation or British public limited company

Usage notes

 * See: Wikipedia usage notes

The voiced reading kabushiki gaisha is more commonly used in Japanese, while the unvoiced reading kabushiki kaisha is more commonly used for company names and in English-language legal literature.

It can be used both as a prefix or as a suffix.