Japan's international NGOs: a small but growing presence in Japan-China relations

Although home-grown NGO-type organisations have existed in Japan for a century or more, it has only been in the last two decades that significant numbers of Japanese NGOs have become active internationally, promoting international educational, cultural, scientific, economic and environmental co-operation. This is particularly noticeable in the case of Japanese NGOs’ activities in China. With the growth in China's economy, international trade and other activities, Japanese people have become increasingly sensitive to environmental, political and social problems within China. In addition to this are the perennial problems caused by the troubled history of relations between the two countries. To help address these issues, a large number of Japanese NGOs have been set up in recent years to focus on exchanges of people and ideas between China and Japan. In order to investigate the background and reasons for this situation, this article first charts the development of international NGOs in Japan, considering changes in Japan's civil society and international awareness. It then considers why Japanese NGOs have become active in China and what kinds of activities they are focusing upon in China.