Discussion
On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, the 300th Japan Specialist Seminar was held from 12:30 to 14:00 in hybrid format at the GS Room in GSIS Building 140-1, Seoul National University, and online via Zoom. At this seminar, PARK Kyung-min, Researcher at the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies, Seoul National University, delivered a presentation titled “Constructing ‘Citizenship’ in Japan: Managing ‘Good Will’ and Institutionalizing ‘Spontaneity.’”
The presenter, an anthropologist examining how state policies operate in everyday settings, explored how “citizenship” is contextually constructed within Japanese civil society by focusing on rural and fishing communities in southern Osaka and their international exchange associations. These associations initially maintained distance from government by operating without subsidies and under civilian leadership. The presenter continued to argue that Japanese civil society discourse has increasingly emphasized “spontaneity” over “autonomy.” Tracing the historical tension between state-led initiatives such as the Good Will Bank (善意銀行, 1962) and citizen-driven efforts like the Osaka Bureau (1965), as well as the institutionalization of volunteer (ボランティア) culture, the study showed how the state gradually formalized notions of good will, governance, and social service, particularly after the Hanshin–Awaji Earthquake (1995) and the enactment of the NPO Law. As a result, while civic activity in Japan continues to rely on spontaneity and local associations, the boundaries of autonomy have become increasingly blurred, and civil society activity has grown more confined to community-centered frameworks.
During the discussion, participants asked about local notions of community, Osaka’s distinct civic landscape, general volunteer practices, and the meaning of autonomy, and the presenter emphasized emerging civic spaces beyond ibasho (居場所), recent generational shifts, and the need to maintain balance between state and civil society.
