Some 2,100 companies across the country held general shareholders' meetings Thursday following the closing of books in March, making it the peak day for such gatherings for listed and unlisted firms, the National Police Agency said.
The companies included Snow Brand Milk Products Co., which was investigated last year over a food-poisoning scandal; Kokusai Securities Co., whose violation of the Securities and Exchange Law resulted in a suspension order earlier this month; and Maruha Corp., which is facing a charge of evading taxes relating to octopus imports.
Snow Brand President Kohei Nishi apologized for the drastic decline in earnings to some 400 shareholders at the company's meeting in Sapporo, while Kokusai Securities President Nobuo Nakazawa was also apologetic for his firm's scandal.