Educational Functions of Community-Based NPOs: A Focus on Child-Focused NPOs Operating in Nagoya, Japan

This study aims to examine child-focused non-profit organizations (NPOs) in Nagoya, Japan to clarify their educational functions for members and various sectors of the local community by developing practices and positioning them within the framework of local governance. A child-focused NPO refers to an organization whose mission is to directly contribute to the healthy upbringing of children and youth, support families, and improve the local communities where children are raised. Since the 1970s, Japanese voluntary groups have created opportunities for mothers and adolescents within communities to engage in activities outside of school, initially centering on initiatives such as parent-child theaters and play parks. In 1998, NPOs were finally recognized as legal entities in Japan; thus, these groups began to organize themselves as non-profits. After becoming NPOs, they expanded their educational and cultural activities for children in the community by collecting donations and obtaining government subsidies. Many of Japan's child-focused NPOs prioritized staying rooted in the communities where they began their activities rather than expanding to other countries or regions to solve specific social problems, similar to major NPOs in the United States. However, since the 1990s, Japan has seen a growing tide of neoliberal institutional reform that has led to the downsizing and privatization of public services. As part of this trend, Japan's local governments began outsourcing certain public child care services, such as child centers and parenting support facilities, to child-focused NPOs. This has led to fears that these NPOs have become ‘subcontractors’ of local governments, losing their autonomy. Despite this duality in the relationship between child-focused NPOs and local governments, NPOs are attempting to continue to prioritize protecting children’s rights in the community. Sato (2004) indicated the educational power of NPOs using the concepts of 'learning organization' and 'empowerment'. In this context, it is theorized that collaboration and dialogue between supporters and parties of social issues in NPOs promotes 'empowerment' through the shared aspirations and knowledge of the 'learning organization' and the mutual integration of supporters and parties to form problem-solving competencies. This is then described as a qualitative development process of the educational capacity of NPOs. However, given the characteristics Japanese style NPOs, it is necessary to indicate their educational function in relation to their relationship with the 'community', the space in which they operate. In a study of the relationship between NPOs and local communities, Aoto (2024) found that many community-based NPOs aim to create inclusive local communities ("local commons"), and that these NPOs create new services, values, and policies that implement local needs. The report also points out that collaboration is key to these activities and that they are carried out with democratic values. Even before the emergence of NPOs in Japan, these local commons were an important foundation of democracy. Since World War II, self-governing bodies organized locally in Japan have worked to solve problems in various fields such as welfare, environment, and education. Miyazaki (2017) explains these East Asian-specific adult and community transformations based on Paulo Freire's ‘pedagogy of liberation’ theory, pointing out the commonalities. In line with this framework, we believe that there is a need to empirically clarify the educational function of NPOs in Japan in the 21st century. An empirical study focusing on community-based associations in East Asia can provide implications for the international community, where individualism has accelerated, and solidarity and collaboration in the region has been lost. Based on this framework, what kind of empowerment do child-focused NPOs provide to those currently participating (working) in their activities? Also, what kind of educational power do these NPOs have on local communities? This study will examine the educational functions of NPOs in Japan and the issues that must be addressed to fulfill these functions in the future. The research methods center on organizing the literature on child-focused NPOs in Japan, focusing on examples of NPOs active in urban areas and summarizing the evolution of their activities. In addition, we will conduct interviews with existing child-focused NPOs. Through child-focused NPO activities, we hypothesize that activists increase their awareness of cultural and political issues in their communities and thus become agents of solutions. Furthermore, child-focused NPOs face financial difficulties due to tensions with local governments. However, in organizing activities for children, we hypothesize that NPOs promote relationship-building with other sectors and a society where local children are supported, not only by the NPO but also by the local administration and other groups operating in the community. Reference Yasushi Aoto (2024) "From Poverty & Isolation to the Commons : Thinking about the Future of Children" ("Hinkon koritsu kara Komonzu e : Kodomo no mirai wo kangaeru"), Tokyo: TaroJiro-Sha Editus. [In Japanese] Katsuko Sato (2004) "The Educational Power of the NPO : Civic Activism and Lifelong Learning" ("NPO no kyouiku-ryoku : Syougai-gakusyu to shiminteki-kokyosei"), Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press. [In Japanese] Takashi Miyazaki (2017) Developing Critical education thought in community development the Freirean approach in Japan, "Asia Pacific Education Review", Seoul,18(2), 1-8.