How should I translate 株式会社 into English?


This is a question that has been very challenging for me.

Why? Well, the Wikipedia article on [kabushiki
gaisha](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabushiki_gaisha) should explain why.

Seriously, the article gives multiple translations, which may or may not be
accurate.

I would greatly appreciate some insight on this matter.




How to translate anything depends on the context.

  * Sometimes this is rendered simply as _`[Company Name]` **, Inc.**_
  * Another option is _`[Company Name]` **Corporation**_
  * Yet another option is _`[Company Name]` **Co., Ltd.**_
  * If the Japanese-ness is important, _`[Company Name]` **, KK**_
  * In isolation, it really depends on what you're trying to convey. If you're trying to talk about the specifics of this kind of joint-stock company in the context of the Japanese financial and legal system, you'd probably start by saying _"we're talking about Japanese joint-stock companies, commonly called_ kabushiki gaisha _in Japanese; for convenience, we will use this term below..."_

What is the objective of your use of this term? Figure that out first, and how
to translate it (if at all) will become clearer.




How to translate anything depends on the context.

  * Sometimes this is rendered simply as _`[Company Name]` **, Inc.**_
  * Another option is _`[Company Name]` **Corporation**_
  * Yet another option is _`[Company Name]` **Co., Ltd.**_
  * If the Japanese-ness is important, _`[Company Name]` **, KK**_
  * In isolation, it really depends on what you're trying to convey. If you're trying to talk about the specifics of this kind of joint-stock company in the context of the Japanese financial and legal system, you'd probably start by saying _"we're talking about Japanese joint-stock companies, commonly called_ kabushiki gaisha _in Japanese; for convenience, we will use this term below..."_

What is the objective of your use of this term? Figure that out first, and how
to translate it (if at all) will become clearer.

