When the session is titled "the Civil Society in the 21 st Century," it will be more relevant to discuss the subject in this context. It can be assumed that what has to be debated in Japan and elsewhere is how to respond to the impact of globalization on society where governments cannot cope with increasingly complex socioeconomic issues by themselves, leaving a growing space for nongovernmental organizations to fill. In this sense, "the Civil Society in the 21st Century" suggests that we are seeking a better system of governance where the role of government will be limited and there will be a greater participation of citizens particularly through civil society organizations.
II. Civil Society―A System of Better Governance
As indicated above, the meaning of civil society as a description of the way society is organized becomes clearer when juxtaposed against state-centric society. This contrast is particularly stark in the case of Japan, and there has been a growing sentiment that Japan has to undergo substantial change in the system of governance. In the Prime Minister's Commission on Japan's Goals in the 21st Century (for which this author acted as its member and executive secretary), the central thrust of its recommendations was that in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century brought about by formidable forces of globalization, advancement of the information-technology, advances in sciences, and falling birthrates and aging population, Japanese society has to undergo fundamental reform from "governing" to "governance." A basic premise behind this argument is that the very successful model of "catch-up and overtake" that served Japan so well in the modernization process since the Meiji Restoration and during the reconstruction process since the end of the World War II can no longer function well. Moreover, this successful model of the past or more precisely, the unquestioning belief in this model has now sapped Japan's vitality. The past model of catch-up and overtake was a very efficient model in which a small group of bureaucrats, the best and brightest, with commitment and dedication to the national interest acted as the sole arbiter of public interest. Citizens have accepted this "public" equals "official" formulation, and have indeed relied on it. When we had a clear national goal of catch up to the West, with a strong national consensus behind it, this model functioned very well. It has become clear in recent years, however, that the government bureaucrats alone cannot deal with the complex and pluralistic issues that we have come to face. A top-down image of governance exalting the bureaucracy and looking down on citizens has long prevailed in Japan. It has been hard for the Japanese people to interpret governance as a kind of contractual relationship between the people, who entrust government with authority, and the government, which is so entrusted. Nevertheless, there has been a growing sense, as exemplified in the report of the Prime Minister's Commission, that we have to redefine the way individuals interact with the state. and that we have to envision governance in terms of individuals acting on the basis of self responsibility and various actors jointly creating a new public space in the context of a pluralistic society led by empowered individuals.
Then, what are the attributes of "civil society" where there is a functioning system of governance that can respond more effectively to the complex and difficult social needs that we will be facing as we move into the 21st century? Above all, "civil society" in the sense of how society is organized, is a society where diversity and pluralism are fully recognized, as contrasted to Japan of the past where primacy was placed on ethical norms extolling social and organizational harmony. Civil society is a society where individual freedom is assured, though freedom entails responsibility as well. In civil society, individualism is assured and individual creativity and dynamism are valued.
