Government-Nonprofit Organization Cooperation in Japanese Welfare Administration

The post-1980s welfare reform that was oriented to privatization and decentralization and the concurrent development of the “third sector” in Japan have made relations between the government and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) increasingly cooperative. This article demonstrates that the legal status of NPOs is significant in forming NPO relationships with government in several different ways. Governmental support and organizational ties are more visible in incorporated NPOs, while the majority of grassroots NPOs remains detached. Whether government-NPO cooperation in Japan is a mere incorporation by the government or an equal partnership remains to be seen, though most NPOs in the public services sector seem to be the weaker partner vis-a-vis competent authorities.