Activities of Non-Governmental Organizations in Japan: The Case of the Japan Foundation for Incentive Scholarships for Students, 1992–2006

Abstract

This article provides a brief overview of the non-governmental sector in Japan with a particular focus on the activities of a specific organization — the Japan Foundation for Incentive Scholarships for Students (1992–2006). The article provides a brief overview of the non-governmental sector in Japan, considers general issues of its development, features and legal support for the activities of NGOs, as well as the most common types of NGOs in Japan. As an example of a non-governmental organization, the article presents the Japan Foundation for Incentive Scholarships for Students of the Former Soviet Union, created in 1992 (since 2000 — Japan Foundation for Incentive Scholarships for Russian Students). Its peculiarity is that the object of its activity are citizens of other countries. Fundraising for assistance is carried out on the basis of personal participation of Japanese citizens. The foundation’s activities are illustrated by letters of its fellows, as well as letters from Japanese citizens. In the article, the author uses materials about the work of the Foundation published in the media, as well as personal materials of active participants of the foundation. The mechanisms of perception and understanding of information by the subjects of the fund’s activities and channels of information transmission are considered using the example of two publications of the organization: “Konnitiva” in Russian and “O genki desu ka” in Japanese.

The author concludes that this foundation is an interesting example of amateur civil society organizations in Japan that operate on private donations and funds that come to the foundation in the form of contributions from various public organizations. The foundation belongs to the type of small NGOs created to solve a specific problem and, to do this, it unites around itself those who agree with the goals of the organization, methods of its activities, and are ready for personal participation. Membership in such organizations is usually ensured on the basis of the participation of the whole family or the “inner circle” of activists. At the same time, the leaders are most often authoritative citizens of older ages, who, on the one hand, have a clear desire to be useful to their community, and, on the other hand, have enough time and opportunities for such activities.