Leases - Schedule of Future Minimum Lease Payments under Non-Cancelable Operating Leases with Remaining Terms Exceeding One Year (Detail) (JPY ¥) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Leases
Total future minimum lease payments	¥ 159,714
Less: Sublease rental income	(8,114)
Net future minimum lease payments	¥ 151,600

Operating Leases Future Minimum Payments Net Minimum Payments

No definition available.

Name:	nmr_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsNetMinimumPayments
Namespace Prefix:	nmr_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeasesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of required minimum rental payments for leases having an initial or remaining non-cancelable letter-terms in excess of one year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6453985&loc=d3e41502-112717

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph (Note 3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6584154&loc=d3e38371-112697

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractually required future rental payments receivable on noncancelable subleasing arrangements.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueFutureMinimumSubleaseRentals
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant