Since there are no restrictions on the development of sport organizations in Japan, a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations promoting SfA are now working in Japan.

　The main governmental agency which promotes SfA is MEXT.　MEXT's the Sports and Youth Bureau is responsible for the improvement of the health and fitness of the people, and for the promotion of physical education and sport.　In 1988, the Physical Education and Sports Bureau reformed its organizational structures influenced by the worldwide trend in the promotion of sport policies.　Since then, the former Sport Division has been divided into two new divisions: Division of Sport for All and Division of Competitive Sport.

　The Division of Sport for All is responsible for promoting sport and physical recreational activities for the general public.　MEXT annually holds the Sport for All Convention, the National Sports and Recreational Festival, the National Outdoor Sports Fair, and the National Marine Sports Fair.　The objectives of SfA policy are to realize that every person, no matter what their age or level of physical ability, can enjoy participating in sport and physical activities throughout their life.　Therefore, MEXT has focused on four major policies;

(1) providing the facilities for sport activities,

(2) training and qualifying sport leaders and instructors,

(3) hosting sport events and conventions,

(4) supporting sport organizations.

　Sixty-two thousand community sports commissioners were appointed as parttime civil servants in order to work to promote sport and exercise activities for residents in the community.　In 1988 MEXT introduced a new leadership training program for instructors in commercial settings, instructors for competitive sport coaches, and instructors for community settings.

　In addition to MEXT, two other ministries (at that time) in the national government have been involved with the leadership certification programs for sport and physical activities.　The former MHW introduced new national certification programs for health and exercise leaders in 1988, while the former Ministry of Labor (ML) provided leadership training courses, called healthcare trainers and leaders, to promote fitness activities at workplace.　MHW and ML were merged into MHLW in 2001.　The emphasis of former MHW is on exercise for health and fitness, while the focus of former ML is placed on health and safety at workplace.　Thus, three national certification programs in the area of sport, health, and fitness leaders and instructors exist in a similar context initiated by different governmental agencies.

　The former Youth Bureau of the Prime Minister's Office (YBPMO) is responsible for promoting physical fitness movement as well as coordination of sport and fitness organizations.　Since 1968, YBPMO has established the award system to the excellent programs promoting health and fitness movement in local and workplace settings.　In 2001, YBPMO was absorbed into Sports and Youth Bureau at MEXT.　The National Congress on Promoting Physical Fitness was founded in 1965 following the 1964 Tokyo Olympics Games.

　As shown in Figure 1, four major non-governmental organizations in the field of sport and health promotion are members of TAFISA-JAPAN.

　

　

(1) Japan Amateur Sports Association (JASA)

　JASA was organized in 1911 to participate in international athletic events including the fifth Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912.　JASA comprises 55 national sport federations, 47 prefectural amateur sport associations, the Japan Junior Sport Club Association, and the Sport Art Association of Japan.　In 1991, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), in which their major goal is to improve the international competitive level of the Japanese athletes became an independent organization separately from JASA.　Accordingly, the tasks of JASA turned into promotion of SfA and holding the National Athletic Meet and leadership training programs.

　The major events and programs conducted by JASA are as follows: National Sports Festival.　National Sports and Recreational Festival, Sport for All Convention, National Junior Sport Clubs Meet, and the Exchange Programs of Japan-Germany and Japan-Korea-China Junior Sport Clubs.　The total budget of JASA in FY2001 was 3.8 billion yen.　The secretariat of TAFISA-JAPAN is located at JASA.

　

(2) Japan Health Promotion and Fitness Foundation (JHPFF)

　JHPFF was established in 1981, consolidating two organizations, the National Fitness Association founded in 1965 and the Japan Health Promotion Foundation established in 1978.　JHPFF has the following tasks: to provide people with the accurate information on the nation's health and fitness through publication and publicity, to provide practical activities on health and fitness and hold various national workshops and seminars, to conduct leadership training in health and fitness, and to coordinate research on prevention and promotion of the nation's health and fitness.

　The major events and programs conducted by JHPFF are as follows: Health Promotion Fair, Seminars for Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Working, Health and Nutrition Exhibition, Award Programs to Outstanding Organizations on Health and Fitness, Health Festival for the Middle-aged and Elderly The total budget of JHPFF in FY2001 was 1.3 billion yen.

　

(3) Sasakawa Sports Foundation (SSF)

　SSF was established in 1991 with a mission to promote Sport for All.　SSF operates a grant program called Sports Aid for various sport events and workshops conducted by sport-related organizations in Japan.　The other programs of SSF are as follows: sponsoring an outdoor sport event, Sport for All International Fair and SSF World Sports Photo Contest, conducting SSF National Sport-Life Survey every 2 years, coordinating International Challenge Day, publishing SSF sport White Paper every 5 years and exchanging information on international trends on SfA, and developing sport information networks at home and abroad.　The total budget of SSF in FY2001 was about 700 million yen.

(4) National Recreation Association of Japan (NRAJ)

　NRAJ was founded in 1947.　It considers that the purpose of life is not to work but to live, and that people should fully enjoy their lives.　Recreation is valuable not only for the individuals but also for the society as a whole.　Therefore, NRAJ seeks to encourage people to make the fulfillment of their leisure time.　For over fifty years, the missions of NRAJ have been to improve people's quality of life through participation in sport and recreational activities.　The major events and programs conducted by NRAJ are as follows: the Annual National Recreation Convention, National Sports and Recreation Festival, National Walk Rally and recreation leadership training and certification programs.　The total budget of NRAJ in FY2001 was 1.7 billion yen.

　Private and profit sport organizations also play an important role in fulfilling people's sport life.　The private sports industries provide golf, tennis, swimming, fitness activities, and bowling, primarily using sport facilities in the commercial market.　There are facilities where the public sector has limitations to provide.　For instance, most public swimming pools are outdoors only used in summer, while only a few of them are all season indoor types.

　The services provided by the private sport sectors, however, tend to be only for sport where there is great demand even though membership fees are rather expensive.　As Japanese people come to seek strongly that their specific choices are met, it is important that reasonable, high quality services be made available.

　Commercial companies have their own sport teams both in athletic and recreational levels to enhance esprit de corps among workers.　They also support various sport events in order to improve their corporate images and also to make a social contribution in the communities.　Through these activities, they contribute to the improved competitiveness and promotion of sport in Japan.　Company sports, however, are vulnerable to economic conditions.　In times of recession, company sport teams are often the first ones to be discontinued or temporarily halted as a mean to reduce company cost

　As companies are expected to continue playing a major role in the promotion of sport in Japan, it is desirable to continue facilitating this support.　Japanese companies have traditionally supported competitive sport.　In the future, however, it should be ideal that companies actively share their sport facilities, instructors and other resources for the promotion of SfA, specifically, opening their facilities and programs for the residents in the local community where the company is located.　In 1 998, a law was passed to extend tax exemptions to companies which make their sport and recreation facilities available to local residents through local governments.