Prepared in collaboration with the Japan Association of Charitable Organizations, the report examines Japan’s legal and institutional framework governing nonprofit organizations across legal forms. It analyzes structural challenges, including fragmented regulatory systems, complex administrative procedures, and uneven tax treatment, which disproportionately affect small and community-based organizations. The paper identifies systemic issues that influence organizational effectiveness and long-term sustainability within Japan’s evolving civil society landscape.
The paper proposes reforms in areas such as regulatory integration, proportional oversight for smaller organizations, expansion of charitable giving vehicles, improved transparency and open data, tax policy modernization, and philanthropic education. Collectively, these recommendations aim to modernize Japan’s nonprofit framework and strengthen the conditions for civic participation.
The white paper was supported through USJF’s 2024 grant to ICNL under the project “Promoting Philanthropy and Civic Space through U.S.-Japan Exchange.” The full white paper is available here. It is also featured on the USJF Research page, where research supported by the Foundation is shared to encourage exchange and reflection.