A Study of the Formation of the Social Well-being Capabilities of Local, small Cities in Japan, and a New Standard far Evaluating That Capability

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The aim of our research is to clarify how "the social well-being capability of the community" is formed in local, small-scale cities ; the tasks and possibilities that exist for this ; and the proposal of a new standard for evaluating social well-being capability. Our research centres on the following cities all with a population of approximately 50,000 : Ishikari (Hokkaido), Noshiro (Tohoku), Himi (Hokuriku), Ayabe (Kinki), Kudamatsu (Chugoku), Nangoku (Shikoku), Hitoyoshi (Kyushu) ; with supplementary research on Jonan, Itoman (Okinawa). We studied the policies and activities of various city authorities, their social work departments, district associations (chonaikai), non-profit organizations and other related groups using a quality-oriented method.The results of our research clearly show that, against a backdrop of aging and decreasing populations, all the local authorities investigated are trying to promote social well-being amongst their residents, although their efforts cannot s … More ucceed due to the inadequacy of local public funding. Despite these difficult circumstances, however, various NPO and voluntary activities are organized through which the residents of each city promote social well-being themselves. It is also clear that, in some cities, traditional mutual-help organizations (chonaikai) made up of local residents, as well as district welfare commissioners take on community social work, although we suspect that this kind of activity is limited due to the weakening of solidarity within the community.We found that affection and pride in the local community or district (machi) was a common feature of NPO and residential self-help activity. Such sentiment provides the base for mutual solidarity within the local community, and is central to what is called 'social capital'. The role of local authorities in sustaining this kind of solidarity, and mutual collaboration amongst the various autonomous residential organizations, both in terms of human resources and finance, suggests a new standard by which to evaluate "the social well-being capability of the community" Less