Deferred compensation plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Deferred compensation plans

SAR Plan A, Weighted-average assumptions

	Year ended March 31
	2014			2015			2016
Expected volatility		45.97	%		45.26	%		40.87	%
Expected dividends yield		1.00	%		2.39	%		2.99	%
Expected lives (in years)		7			7			7
Risk-free interest rate		0.51	%		0.43	%		0.27	%

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, 2015		15,649,400		¥	683		3.8
Granted		2,597,000			809
Exercised		(1,219,300	)		442
Forfeited		(70,000	)		767
Expired		(1,966,000	)		1,274
Outstanding as of March 31, 2016		14,991,100		¥	640		3.6
Exercisable as of March 31, 2016		9,697,800		¥	566		2.7

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, 2015		100,389,000		¥	478		5.4
Granted		25,581,300			759
Exercised		(32,620,800	)		503
Forfeited		(1,332,500	)		618
Expired		(40,800	)		1,611
Outstanding as of March 31, 2016		91,976,200		¥	545		5.1
Exercisable as of March 31, 2016		23,010,400		¥	498		3.2

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, 2015		48,119,533		¥	693			41,181,078		¥	524
Granted		19,285,618			779	(1)		20,691,298			826	(1)
Vested		(25,903,638	)		767	(2)		(30,622,912	)		600	(2)
Forfeited		(2,919,491	)					(1,738,806	)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2016		38,582,022		¥	498	(3)		29,510,658		¥	586	(3)

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

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

(3) The price of the Company’s common stock used to remeasure the fair value of the remaining outstanding unvested awards as of March 31, 2016.

Activity relating to NIUs

	Outstanding (number of  units)			Index  price(1)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015		33,447,242		$	4,650
Granted		16,824,078			4,803	(2)
Vested		(25,429,583	)		4,494	(3)
Forfeited		(1,924,748	)
Outstanding as of March 31, 2016		22,916,989		$	4,439	(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, 2016.