ABSTRACT
Amongthemostconspicuousfeaturesofcommunityactivityin theHieidaira-Yamanakaschooldistrictisthevastamountof organizedeffortthatisdirectedtowardssocialwelfare.Noless thansevenlocalorganizationsandassociationsdeal-whether directlyorindirectly,onadistrictoronanindividualcommunity level-withwelfare-relatedactivities.Thesevoluntarygroups includethesocialwelfarecouncil(shakaifukushikyoogikai),voluntarywelfareworkers(minsei-iin),old-folksclubs(roojinkai), neighbourhoodassociations(jichikai),women'sassociations (fujinkai),afatherlessfamilies'group(boshinonozomikai),and anewanti-delinquencyorganization(seishoonenikukai).Whatis interesting,however,isthatwiththeexceptionofthelattertwo, alltheorganizationsareconcernedtoaverygreatextentwith careforonlyoneportionofthelocalpopulation:theelderly.
