Frequently Asked Questions

SoftBank Corp. (the “Company”), consolidated to SoftBank Group Corp. is a primary operating company in the group of SoftBank Group Corp.

SoftBank Corp. structure

The Company was originally established on December 9, 1986 as Railway Telecommunication Co., Ltd. In 2006, it became a subsidiary of SoftBank Group. In 2015, it is merged with SoftBank BB Corp., SoftBank Telecom Corp. and Ymobile Corporation and its trade name was changed to SoftBank Corp.

History

SoftBank Corp. group is one of the leading platform companies in Japan, holding a nationwide telecommunications network, the Internet media platform Yahoo! JAPAN, the payment platform PayPay, and the social media application LINE.
In the Consumer segment, we provide mobile communications services, including sales of mobile devices and broadband services to consumers. In the Enterprise segment, we provide enterprise customers with mobile communication services, handset rentals, fixed-line phones, and network construction as telecommunication services, as well as a wide range of services and solutions, including cloud computing, security, IoT products and services, and digital marketing. In addition, we are developing the Distribution segment, which is the founding business of the SoftBank Group, and other businesses such as HAPS Mobile (High Latitude Platform Station telecommunication platform located in the stratosphere).
In the Media & EC segment, the Group offers services that center on media and commerce, covering online to offline services in a comprehensive manner. In the media field, the Group provides advertising-related services on the Internet and LINE. In the commerce field, the Group provides e-commerce services such as Yahoo! JAPAN Shopping and ZOZOTOWN, and reuse services such as Yahoo! JAPAN Auction.
On October 1, 2022, the Company made PayPay Corporation a consolidated subsidiary and newly established the Financial segment. In the Financial segment, the Group provides cashless payment services, such as QR code payments and credit card services, as well as smartphone-based securities services mainly for individual customers. We also provide payment processing services, mainly for corporate customers, offering one-stop payment solutions for diversified payment methods including credit cards, electronic money, and QR codes.

Our Business

[Note]

1. *
   From FY2023, segment name of Yahoo! JAPAN/LINE has been changed to Media & EC. Accordingly, the five reportable segments became Consumer segment, Enterprise segment, Distribution segment, Media & EC segment, and Financial segment. This change only pertains to the segment name, and there are no changes to the segment classification, scope, or measurement methods.

In April 2020, based on the concept of “A world where all things, information, and minds are connected”, we have identified six material issues: “Building society and industry through DX”, “Connecting people and information to create new excitement”, “Creating new business through open innovation”, “Contributing to the global environment with the power of technology”, “Building high-quality social infrastructure”, and “Developing a resilient management foundation”. We aim to enhance our corporate value and realize a sustainable society by addressing these issues through our Beyond Carrier strategy. We have also established the ESG Committee, chaired by the CEO, as an advisory body to the Board of Directors to promote an integrated approach to our growth strategy and sustainability.

For more information on our initiatives, please see Sustainability.

We have decided on five areas of focus for social contribution activities: “Promotion of an Information-Oriented Society,” “Development of the Next Generation,” “Support for a Diverse Society,” “Conservation of the Environment and Precious Resources,” and “Disaster Response and Reconstruction Support.” We will work with group companies to bring about a society that enriches the lives of people throughout the world. We have CSR offices in the Tohoku, Tokai, Kansai and Kyushu areas in order to work closely with communities and help them find solutions to social issues. We also enable users to make donations when paying their monthly smartphone bills through optional services such as Charity Smile Donation, TsunagaruBokin, Charity White, etc. and to solve social issues through our business activities such as using ICT to support extracurricular activities.

Social Contribution Activities

We recognize that information is a lifeline and we make emergency preparations daily and work to ensure that our telecommunications facilities can recover as quickly as possible in the unlikely event of a disaster. In order to offer telecommunications services that can act as lifelines by continuing to function in the wake of a disaster, we are building a robust network and are setting up systems capable of responding rapidly when disaster strikes.
Also, in preparation for emergency accidents, disasters, etc., we have concluded a Disaster Response Agreement with the Ministry of Defense and the Maritime Safety Agency to develop an action protocol for smooth cooperation, and set up a scheme to make sure the actions will be taken to rapidly restore telecommunications networks.
We are deploying mobile power supply vehicles, mobile base station vehicles across Japan to retain uninterrupted communication services even during a power outage. In case the base station is unable to operate, we have developed a moored-balloon wireless relay system throughout Japan, that can relay the mobile base stations on the ground, moving with ships or vehicles.

Disaster countermeasures and reconstruction support

With a fundamental concept of “Freedom, Fairness, and Innovation”, guided by a management philosophy of “Information Revolution — Happiness for everyone,” the Company is striving to maximize corporate value based on telecommunications business nationwide in Japan and taking initiatives to provide products and services that utilize cutting-edge technologies. The Group recognizes that it is vital to ensure effective corporate governance in order to realize this vision and continues to strengthen corporate governance.

Corporate Governance

SoftBank Corp. (the “Company”) listed its shares on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2018. Prior to that, the Company was a primary operating company in the telecommunications business field in Japan, as a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp.
There are two main reasons why we became a public company.
First, through the listing of our shares, we expect the respective roles and values of SoftBank Group Corp. and the Company to be clearly defined. SoftBank Group Corp. is a strategic holding company that aims to maximize the corporate value of the entire SoftBank group through global investment activities including the SoftBank Vision Fund. The Company is responsible for business operations in Japan. The two companies also have different business nature. SoftBank Group Corp. focuses on the effect of AI on the creation of new industries and invests in companies around the world that have superior AI business models and services, while the Company operates a relatively stable telecommunications-based various business mainly in Japan. Therefore, the investment results expected to be obtained by investing in each are also different. The Company believes that listing the Company's shares and making it independent will provide investment opportunities that combine stable and high shareholder returns with growth as an operating company that takes advantage of being a member of the SoftBank group. In addition, the Company believes that the possibility of a conflict of interest between the two companies is low, since SoftBank Group Corp. is an investment company and does not have business operation, while the Company is a business operation company.
Second, due to the difference in business nature between SoftBank Group Corp. and the Company, the two companies need different management resources (people, goods, money, and information), and have different management decision points. Through the listing of our shares, we are able to speed up our decision-making process and maximize our corporate value through greater autonomous and transparent management, while receiving direct market evaluation.
With these reasons, the Company believes that aiming to realize our corporate philosophy and maximize our corporate value while listing our shares on the stock exchange contribute to the interest of many of our stakeholders. On the other hand, we recognize that since our parent company SoftBank Group Corp. and the Company as its subsidiary are both listed on the stock exchange, it is vital to establish an effective corporate governance system, taking “Corporate Governance Code” into account, to maintain the Company's independence from SoftBank Group Corp., and to protect the minority shareholders of the Company.

Please refer to Corporate Governance System for our corporate governance system.

As of March 31, 2023, the Company has 239 subsidiaries, including several listed subsidiaries. SoftBank Corp. and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) is engaged in a variety of businesses in the information and technology fields under the shared corporate philosophy of “Information Revolution — Happiness for everyone.” The Group respects the autonomy of its subsidiaries, believing that each listed subsidiary should engage in business while being evaluated in the stock market, and that autonomous management that takes into consideration the interests of minority shareholders will contribute to the growth of each company. While ensuring the independence of its subsidiaries, the Company aims to create synergies and continue to evolve and grow together with them, with a view to maximizing the corporate value of the Group.
The Group originally started as a small venture company, and even today we have an internal entrepreneurship system (“SB Innoventure”) that encourages employees to actively propose new businesses and actively create a venture-like corporate culture that challenges new businesses. We believe that such a culture of encouraging venture spirit is effective in motivating our subsidiaries to grow their businesses to the maximum possible extent. Therefore, we respect the independence of each of our listed subsidiaries and will not take any action that is contrary to the principle of shareholder equality.
In principle, the Company dispatches directors and corporate auditors to each subsidiary (including listed subsidiaries) to establish a group risk management system that includes subsidiaries.
In particular, given the risk of conflicts of interest between the Company and the general shareholders of the relevant listed subsidiary in management decision-making and transactions that fall under the category of transactions with the controlling shareholder, the Company encourages the relevant listed subsidiary to establish an effective governance system that utilizes independent external directors in order to ensure independent decision-making by the relevant listed subsidiary.
The Company has established the Subsidiaries and Affiliates Management Regulations for the purpose of managing the companies in which the Company invests, and requires prior approval of or reporting to the Company regarding important decision-making at subsidiaries. With respect to listed subsidiaries, from the perspective of their independence, the Company limits the items that require such prior approval only to the conclusion of contracts that include clauses that are binding on (including non-compete clauses) non-contracting parties, such as SoftBank Group Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates, so that the Company will not unfairly constrain their decision-making.
Through our holding of the subsidiaries, common to each of the listed subsidiaries includes the improvement of name recognition and credibility, the securing of talented human resources, and the diversification of financing methods for the relevant listed subsidiary. The positioning in the Group's management strategy and the significance of ownership specific to each listed subsidiary are as follows.

• LY Corporation

LY Corporation*1 provides national services such as Yahoo! JAPAN, one of the largest internet services and LINE, a communication app in Japan. In June 2019, Z Holdings Corporation (formerly Yahoo Japan Corporation), the predecessor of LY Corporation, became a consolidated subsidiary of the Company.
Since before making Z Holdings Corporation a consolidated subsidiary, we have deepened our cooperation as we were under the same parent company SoftBank Group Corp. Specifically in addition to executing a business collaboration agreement regarding various telecommunications-related businesses beginning with “Yahoo! BB”, we have expanded our services for smartphone customers with our collaboration mainly in e-commerce, improved the comprehensive value of telecommunications and its related services through the realization of synergy effects, and differentiated ourselves from other carriers. In June 2018, we and Z Holdings Corporation incorporated the joint venture, PayPay Corporation, and embarked on endeavors to expand new businesses such as cashless payment service PayPay. Both the Company and LY Corporation believe that there are a wide range of synergies that can be created by the collaboration between our two companies, and the collaboration will be a key factor in our Beyond Carrier strategy to achieve growth in the non-telecom business fields. On the other hand, LY Corporation operates a highly neutral internet media business and has a broad customer base that is not limited to users of the Company. The Company believes that securing a certain degree of independence of LY Corporation will contribute to the enhancement of its business relationships and ultimately to the increase of its corporate value. The Company believes that maintaining the independence and autonomy of LY Corporation as a listed company, optimally allocating management resources based on an integrated strategy, and maximizing synergies, will contribute to improving the corporate value of the Group as a whole.

[Note]

1. *1
   On October 1, 2023, Z Holdings Corporation, as the surviving company, completed an intra-group reorganization involving mainly itself and two of its core wholly owned subsidiaries, LINE Corporation and Yahoo Japan Corporation, and changed its trade name to LY Corporation.

• SB Technology Corp.

SB Technology Corp. is the core ICT services company of the Group. The Company believes that maintaining the independence and autonomy of SB Technology Corp. as a listed company, while it effectively uses its management resources such as the SoftBank brand and collaborates with other companies in the Group as a member of the Group, will contribute to improving the corporate value of the Group as a whole.

• ITmedia Inc.

ITmedia Inc. specializes in media management that provides IT-related information on the internet. The Company believes that maintaining the independence and autonomy of ITmedia Inc. as a listed company and a media company, while it collaborates with other companies in the Group as a member of the Group, will contribute to improving the corporate value of the Group as a whole.

Common Shares were listed on December 19, 2018.
Series 1 Bond-Type Class Shares were listed on November 2, 2023.

It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market.

Common Shares (TSE code: 9434)
Series 1 Bond-Type Class Shares (TSE code: 94345)

100 shares (share unit number).

Please refer to General Stock Information.

Please refer to Stock Price Chart.

Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.

Your securities company will be the contact for any change of registrations. If you do not have any specific securities company for the transaction, please contact the administrative agent of the list of shareholders (Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.).

Your securities company will be the contact for any change of registrations. If you do not have any specific securities company for the transaction, please contact the administrative agent of the list of shareholders (Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.).

Your securities company will be the contact for any change of registrations. If you do not have any specific securities company for the transaction, please contact the administrative agent of the list of shareholders (Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.).

Your securities company will be the contact for any change of registrations. If you do not have any specific securities company for the transaction, please contact the administrative agent of the list of shareholders (Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.).

Your securities company will be the contact for any purchase claim for fractional shares. If you do not have any specific securities company for the transaction, please contact the administrative agent of the list of shareholders (Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.).

Please refer to Shareholder Returns & Dividends for the policy.

The year-end dividend record date is March 31 and the interim dividend record date is September 30.

Year-end dividends are paid in June. Interim dividends are paid in December.

Please refer to Shareholder Returns & Dividends.

We hold an Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in late June of every year. Schedules are available at IR Calendar.

Please see earnings results briefing materials at Events and Presentations on our website.

Please see Financial Information on our website.

Please see Financial Highlights on our website.

We use International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).

We disclose earnings results quarterly. Earnings results announcement schedules are available at IR Calendar.

Our fiscal year ends on March 31 of every year.