Introduction: Local Government System and the Local Governance in Japan

This book aims to identify key directions for the sustainability of local governments with severely limited policy resources by examining crucial issues faced by local governments in Japan. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, we explore how local governments can efficiently and democratically maintain public services in collaboration with diverse stakeholders. The introduction describes how local governments in Japan are large and suffer from population decline and fiscal difficulties in terms of the amount of spending and the scope of services they provide. It then discusses the organizational structure with a clear chain of command and the local fiscal system controlled by the central government. In order for such large local governments with insufficient fiscal discretion to function effectively for local governance, this chapter indicates the need for research that examines cooperation with the national government, other local governments, citizens, nonprofit organizations, and the private businesses. The final section presents the direction of discussion in the chapters related to collaboration with diverse actors.