ABSTRACT
Fiscal pressures have made it increasingly difficult for the Japanese government to provide social service. At the same time, Japan’s aging population put pressure on the state to provide ever-greater levels of elder care services. Nor have other demands on the state lessened. If anything, the poor economic situation and popular perceptions of worsening public safety put additional demands on the state. As in other countries, the state sees the civil society sector as a potential problem solver, or at least as another set of hands to pick up some of the burden the state finds itself increasingly unable to shoulder.
