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Within the overall category of "NPOs", Japan's NPO Law provides for the following category of organizations to be set up:
- Associations and Foundations (Ippan Shadan Houjin and Ippan Zaidan Houjin): Under the Association and Foundation Law of 2008, citizens are permitted to form associations or foundations regardless of whether the organization operates in the public interest.
- Public Interest Associations and Foundations (Koueki Shadan Houjin and Koeki Zaidan Houjin): The Law on Recognizing Organizations as Public Interest details specific requirements for an association or foundation to be recognized as a Public Interest Association or Foundation. These associations and foundations must receive authorization from the Committee for Public Interest Organizations (kouekitou nintei iinkai), which decides whether an organization that is applying for such status satisfies the requirements in the new law (the requirements can be found in Section III.A.2 of this Note).
- Special Nonprofit Corporations (SNCs), (tokutei hieiri katsudo hojin): SNCs were created by the Law to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities (gSNC Lawh) of 1998.
- Other Public Interest Organizations (distinct from Public Interest Legal Persons or PILPs as created under Japan's Civil Code): These include organizations that were authorized after World War II by special laws arising under (or "attached to") Article 34 of Japan's Civil Code, such as Social Welfare Entities, Medical Organizations, Private Schools, Relief and Rehabilitation Enterprises, and Religious Organizations.
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Comments and suggestions:
Hari Srinivas - hsrinivas@gdrc.org