Deferred compensation plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Deferred compensation plans

SAR Plan A, Weighted-average assumptions

	Year ended March 31
	2013			2014			2015
Expected volatility		43.11	%		45.97	%		45.26	%
Expected dividends yield		2.12	%		1.00	%		2.39	%
Expected lives (in years)		7			7			7
Risk-free interest rate		0.45	%		0.51	%		0.43	%

Activity relating to SAR Plan A

	Outstanding (number of Nomura shares)			Weighted-average exercise price		Weighted-average remaining life until expiry (years)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2014		15,959,500		¥	791		3.8
Granted		2,728,500			747
Exercised		(1,073,200	)		328
Forfeited		(59,400	)		883
Expired		(1,906,000	)		1,874
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015		15,649,400		¥	683		3.8
Exercisable as of March 31, 2015		10,223,600		¥	624		2.5

Activity relating to SAR Plan B

	Outstanding (number of Nomura shares)			Weighted-Average grant date fair value per share		Weighted-average remaining life until expiry (years)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2014		92,621,100		¥	474		5.3
Granted(1)		44,339,900			483
Exercised		(35,387,800	)		471
Forfeited		(1,176,500	)		498
Expired		(7,700	)		2,358
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015		100,389,000		¥	478		5.4
Exercisable as of March 31, 2015		22,668,800		¥	453		3.5

(1) SAR Plan B awards granted during the year ended March 31, 2015 include awards granted through MYPD awards. These awards relate to a total of 18,315,000 outstanding Nomura shares with a weighted average grant date fair value of ¥298 per share.

Activity related to NSUs and CSUs

	NSUs						CSUs
	Outstanding (number of units)			Stock price			Outstanding (number of units)			Stock price
Outstanding as of March 31, 2014		51,695,211		¥	652			50,697,928		¥	429
Granted(1)		29,845,622			623	(2)		23,863,468			674	(2)
Vested		(31,829,763	)		632	(3)		(31,863,838	)		495	(3)
Forfeited		(1,591,537	)					(1,516,480	)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015		48,119,533		¥	693	(4)		41,181,078		¥	524	(4)

(1) NSUs granted during the year ended March 31, 2015 include awards granted through MYPD awards. A total of 5,389,800 NSU units were granted with a weighted-average grant date fair value of ¥615 per share.

(2) Weighted-average price of the Company’s common stock used to determine number of awards granted.

(3) Weighted-average price of the Company’s common stock used to determine the final cash settlement amount of the awards.

(4) The price of the Company’s common stock used to remeasure the fair value of the remaining outstanding unvested awards as of March 31, 2015.

Activity related to MYPD awards

	Outstanding (number of shares)			Weighted Average grant date fair value per share
Outstanding as of March 31, 2014(1)		25,766,250		¥	298
Forfeited		(2,061,450	)
Converted to SAR Plan B awards and NSUs(2)		(23,704,800	)		298
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015		—		¥	—

(1) Based on the probable number of SAR Plan B awards and NSUs which were expected to be issued on conversion of notional performance units at the end of the performance period.

(2) Represents the actual number of SAR Plan B awards and NSUs which were granted on conversion of notional performance units during the year.

Activity relating to NIUs

	Outstanding (number of units)			Index  price(1)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2014		37,102,579		$	4,354
Granted		23,536,020			4,501	(2)
Vested		(25,680,065	)		4,601	(3)
Forfeited		(1,511,292	)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015		33,447,242		$	4,650	(4)

(1) The price of each unit is determined using 1/1000th of the index price.

(2) Weighted-average index price used to determine number of awards granted.

(3) Weighted-average index price used to determine the final cash settlement amount of the awards.

(4) Index price used to remeasure the total fair value of the remaining outstanding unvested awards as of March 31, 2015.