Establishment

At the beginning of a new century, we must ask ourselves what type of social organization and framework should be constructed for building better relations between human beings and with their natural environment. With the entire world share in a complex transition period, what must Japan do to fulfill an integral role in the global adjustment process?

From this perspective, we fell it is necessary to reconsider the value of our own lives and launch a new wave of thinking that reemphasizes the importance of the nation's social fabric as rooted in the experiences of people.

What we aim for is a diverse and independent civil society, a civil society that is transparent and just. For this kind of society to materialize, nonprofit organizations(NPOs), as champions of voluntary activities driven by individual choice, not by business or government, will play a pivotal rule.

With these thoughts in mind, the Japan NPO Center was established on November 22, 1996, to support the abundant and energetic activities of the nation's civil society and to expand Japan's nonprofit sector. As an nonprofit infrastructure, we seeks to strengthen the foundation of NPOs in Japan through a wide range of activities, including exchanging information, nurturing able personnel, conducting surveys and research, and proposing government legislation. In addition, the center aims to establish a new collaborative partnership with business and government for the construction of Japan's civil society.

Today, we are facing a vast number of problems, such as the declining birth rate and the aging of society. However, these problems notwithstanding, we are confident that the future holds great promise for us, our society and the world. By making the development of NPOs a goal for society in the 21st century, we support the challenge of constructing a new civil society.