Citizens Promoting Change in Regional Economic Society

ABSTRACT

Citizens in Japan have recently become more active in using economic means to makes changes in their regional communities. There are now many movements in which citizens are redirecting their own capital through various financial tools into more meaningful social projects or, in some cases, offering public financing services through capital funds that they have created on their own. Such movements demonstrate that citizens are that much dissatisfied with the current state of corporations and administrations and that they desire to contribute to their regional societies by putting together funds and starting up new businesses.

Citizen movements advocating changes in the private sector include the promotion of socially responsible investing (SRI), the purchase of social contribution type products, and the establishment of financial non-profits and social corporations. Movements advocating changes in the public sector include investment into the operations of the local government (mini loan raisers) and the setting up of more democratic mechanisms that, for instance, would allow citizens to vote for the allocation of tax revenue or enable donors to specify the destination of their donations.

These movements represent an effort to overcome the problems inherent in the economic system through the spirit of symbiosis and mutual aid. Such movements are not unique to Japan but can be seen emerging worldwide, particularly in the US and Europe.

In Japan, there are still many infrastructural obstacles that impede the progress of these movements. Promoting the freedom of these citizens' activities by dismantling, one by one, each of these obstacles will lead to the realization of a better economic system.