Mochibun kaisha

Mochibun kaisha are a class of corporations under Japanese law. While mochibun kaisha have legal personality as corporations, their internal functions are similar to partnerships, as they are both owned and operated by a single group of members.

Types

There are three types of mochibun kaisha:

Gōmei gaisha, in which all members have unlimited liability for the company's debts
Gōshi gaisha, in which some members have unlimited liability and some have limited liability
Gōdō gaisha, in which all members have limited liability

Mochibun kaisha are formed by preparing articles of incorporation and depositing the articles with a local Legal Affairs Bureau.
The Japanese civil code also provides for partnerships, a different type of business organization. Civil code partnerships lack legal personality and are mainly used for investment funds and professional firms.