ABSTRACT
Inter-organizational institutions are a significant feature of the fabric of Japan’s political and economic system. There are over 13,400 zaidan hōjin (foundation corporations) and nearly 12,500 shadan hōjin (association corporations) as defined by Article 34 of the Civil Law of 1898.1 Together, zaidan and shadan hōjin account for roughly one-tenth of Japan’s public benefit corporations (kōeki hōjin). Until the passage of the NPO Law in 1998 that broadened the existing legal space for non-profits, they were said to be ‘the nearest equivalent in Japan to a US-style not-for-profit organization’.2
