ABSTRACT
Many of the social problems that beset Japan before World War II were alleviated by the reforms introduced by the US occupation authorities and subsequent policies of the Japanese government, by growing social consciousness, and by economic developments in the postwar years. By 1992, the Japanese population had risen to 124.450 million, and it is expected to peak at 130.44 million in the year 2011. The concentration of the population in a few urban centers has resulted in serious housing problems. Social welfare benefits cover the elderly, the physically or mentally handicapped, single mothers and their dependents, and those suffering from diseases difficult to cure. In the post-World War II years, a movement among the Ainu to preserve their culture, language, and way of life emerged. The leadership of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido has requested the Japanese government to guarantee the basic rights of the Ainu people and respect their cultural and ethnic identity.
