THE INVOLVEMENT OF ACTIVE CITIZENS INTO THE PUBLIC CONTROL PROCESS IN JAPAN

Abstract

In the twenties of the twentieth century, the Japanese government began to turn its attention to the poor as part of its own political line against radicalism. There are numerous social security groups that are nominally independent, but they are tightly managed by the Ministry of social security, using its powers enshrined in the civil code of 1896. However, the social security policies have been designed to ensure that the awareness of one’s rights is not awakened. Wherever possible, the Japanese government tries to exercise its control over the claims of rights if such claims cannot be completely prevented. There are evidences of an informal screening process and those of the bureaucracy’s struggle to regain control. In the 1990s, Japan demonstrated its increased commitment to the international human rights regime. In the context of broader political changes, it can be argued that by the beginning of the twenty-first century the boundaries between society and the state have become clearer than ever before, closer to the European understanding.