News May 2003

[ Research Trends ]

[ New Research Projects ]

Research on the Future Image of East Asia: With the Preconditions of Economic Integration and Cooperation

The impact on the East Asian economy of the accession of Mainland China and Taiwan to the WTO, and the effectuation of the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement (JESPA) will be analyzed in this research project together with the problems that may arise. In addition, the trend towards free trade agreements (FTA) of the respective nations and the region as a whole will be analyzed. On the basis of these analyses, the future course of the nations as well as the East Asian region itself will be examined with special emphasis on economic integration and cooperation. Specifically, issues such as each nation's respective role, the way forward, and East Asia's future image will be explored.

As part of this project, an international conference participated in by prominent researchers and specialists will be held. It is expected that a wide range of discussions will be developed with a focus on the role of South China, and future problems and perspectives of regional cooperation in East Asia.

Basic Research on India's Economy as a New Frontier of the World Economy

India, a nation with a huge population similar to that of China, has achieved rapid modernization and economic development since the 1990s. In addition, the nation's social structure is also changing as seen in the progress of urbanization and the increasing size of the middle class. Up to now, Japan's trade with and investment in Asian nations has been centered on China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN nations. However, it is expected that Japan's relationship with India and other Southern Asian nations will deepen particularly in the field of information technology (IT).

Up to the present, the relationship between Japan and India has been restricted. However, given India's immense potential, the establishment of a cooperative relationship with India is considered crucial for Japan's economy to further enhance development, particularly in the IT and other knowledge-concentrated fields. In consideration of India's potential as the new frontier of the world economy, it is important to conduct basic research on the Indian economy and Japan-Indian relations.

Therefore, it is important to clarify the present economic status of the Indian economy and its problems, the field(s) that need to be emphasized in the economic relationship between the two nations and the problems that must be resolved in order to deepen Japan-Indian relations. In order to implement these goals, NIRA will hold lecture meetings by inviting researchers who specialize in Indian economy and conduct various surveys.

[ Completed Research Projects ]

A Study of Bioethics Law

The "Tentative Bioethics Law," which deals comprehensively with issues such as assisted reproductive medicine, human cloning and parent-child relations, was established in order to propose the optimal legal system for Japan in the field of assisted reproductive medicine.

The "Tentative Bioethics Law" proposed in March 2001 was revised in accordance with the discussions that developed afterwards. In addition, the discussions held at the meeting of the Japan Association of Private Law were taken into account in the revision.

Research on the Introduction of the NPM (New Public Management) Approach into Local Governments

With a basic understanding that the introduction of the NPM approach will contribute to improving the administrative and financial efficiency of local governments, theoretical and empirical research was conducted in pursuit of the most appropriate NPM for Japan by conducting interviews with the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in the United States, as well as domestic research institutions.

The research report identified problems particular to Japanese systems and laws, and presented policy issues and proposals necessary for Japan to introduce a Japanese-style NPM system capable of contributing to overcoming these problems.

Although local governments are currently making efforts to introduce administrative evaluation, one of the NPM methods, these efforts have not been very successful. In response, it is suggested that the benchmarking method should be introduced. With this method, it will become possible to compare the output (results), outcome (achievements) and input (cost) of the administrative services provided by the local governments. This in turn will contribute to clarifying the problems facing the respective local governments and the necessary solution. Based on this understanding and with the cooperation of the four local governments including Odawara City, the NIRA Benchmarking Model was proposed.

Establishment of a Financial Circulation System Contributing to Fostering an Independent Civil Society and Measures to Improve Its Foundations

As citizens become increasingly aware of the roles they should perform in society, there is growing expectations of social contributions made by new social actors, such as NPOs.

In response to the effectuation of the "Law to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities" (the NPO Act), and taxation reforms, some NPOs are making pioneering attempts and their financial demands are becoming increasingly diverse. The supply of funds, however, is yet in a vulnerable condition.

In this research project, a survey was conducted to analyze the current situation surrounding the supply of funds for domestic NGOs, while on the other hand, data on pioneering NGOs from the U.S. were collected and analyzed. On the basis of these data, various proposals concerning the promotion of financial circulation of NPO funds were presented.

The proposals include multi-faceted and detailed measures to enhance the circulation of funds, and a bold project to enhance social investment from financial institutions by introducing the "Community Reinvestment Act" (CRA). The CRA is a strategic project implemented by taking comprehensive measures such as the improvement of NPOs' information and management abilities.

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