ABSTRACT
This chapter gives an overview of the development of civil society in post-World War II Japan by primarily examining two prominent actors: (1) the institutionalization of non-profit organizations (NPOs) established under the 1998 NPO Law; and (2) the dynamism of antinuclear rallies following the Fukushima nuclear disaster of March 2011. The chapter also briefly touches upon another rise of activism in summer 2015 in response to the new security bill legislation being put into effect by Prime Minister Abe’s administration; it was organized by a group of university students who called themselves SEALDs (Students Emergency Action for Liberal Democracy).
