The Comparateive, Theoretical, and Practical Study of Local Government Charters : From the Historical Expeciences of Okinawa's Local Autonomy to its Future

本研究的共同课题是“地方政府章程的比较、理论和实践研究：从冲绳地方自治的历史经验到未来”，于2002年4月在琉球大学进行。日本政治学学会会长卡莫雄教授、ICU的西尾教授、法政大学的松下庆一教授、庆应义塾大学经济系的兼子正教授、大沼公共管理学院的北川正康教授、早稻田大学。这是一次由来自不同领域、不同背景的学者组成的研讨会，为推进对新时代日本地方治理的理解，取得了丰硕的成果。不仅来自冲绳，而且来自其他地区的学者和市民也对冲绳的共同问题和挑战进行了热烈的讨论，促进了对地方政府宪章未来的理解。当前的结构改革对我们提出的挑战部分是地方政府制度建设的未竟事业。日本尚未建立新的治理体系，这种不确定性影响了本联合研究所揭示的治理的各个阶段。

This joint research was named "The Comparateive, Theoretical, and Practical Study of Local Government Charters : From the Historical Expeciences of Okinawa's Local Autonomy to its Future", which has been conducted at the University of Ryukyus since April,2002.The workshop of this research invited four distinguished scholars from Japanese main land : Prof.Toshio Kamo, Head of the Japanese Political Science Association, Prof.Masaru Nishio of ICU, Prof.Keiichi Matsushita of Hosei University, Prof Masaru Kaneco of Faculty of Economics, Keio University, Prof.Masayasu Kitagawa of the Okuma School of Public Management, Waseda University.With this diverse group of scholars from various areas and backgrounds, it was a very fruitful occasion to advance the understanding of governance in the new era of Japanese local governance.Overall this joint research turned out to be as successful as the organizers could have imagined. Lively discussions among scholars and citizens from not only Okinawa but also other regions that share the common problems and challenges of Okinawa facilitated the understanding the future of Regional and local government charter.The challenge that the current structural reform presents to us is partially the unfinished business of the building of regional and local government system. Japan has not yet established a new system of governance and this uncertainty affects the various stages of governance that this joint research has revealed.