Masthead: The tsubaki, or camellia blooms during thewinter season in Japan. With its beautifullycolored flower and glossy evergreen leaves,the tsubaki, in the language of flowers signifies
pride and moderate beauty.

JLGC UPDATEOf the people, by the people, for the people:
The 2005 US – Canada – Japan
Local Autonomy Forum looks at citizen participationby Matthew Gillam

Over the last fifteen years or so,
Japan has seen relatively low rates ofvoter participation, along with changing
attitudes toward public administrationand its role in society. While the civil
service used to be respected as an elitegroup of professionals responsible for
guiding the modernization of Japan,
various factors have led to it now being
seen more as a bloated bureaucracy,
self-serving and wasteful, in need ofdownsizing. And although Prime Minister

Opening Comments

Koizumi has been able to motivate large
numbers of citizens to actually go out andvote, it is not clear how long this public
engagement will last. Overall, politicians
and public administrators are finding it
necessary to deal with citizens who areless willing to trust them with formulating
and implementing public policy and who
demand greater accountability fromthose managing the ever-shrinking publicpurse.

Given these trends, Japan has
increasingly been forced to confront theissue of getting citizens more involvedin both the political and administrative
aspects of government, as a means ofstrengthening support for the public
sector and as a strategy for more efficiently
and effectively planning and delivering
services and public works projects. With
this in mind, “Citizen Participation”
was chosen as the theme of Japan Local
Government Center’s 2005 US-CanadaJapan Local Autonomy Forum, held on
Thursday and Friday, November 17thand 18th, at JETRO’s New York officesin Midtown.
This year’s first keynote speech
was given by Dr. Mary M. Timney,
Professor of Public Administration at
Pace University. Speaking on “Citizen
Participation in the United States inPractice and Theory”, she emphasized
the growing awareness that traditional
conceptions of citizen participation as
mainly applying to the field of politics
fail to address the need for public
input and support for policy making
and implementation by administrators.
Using examples of public participationin energy policy development indifferent states, she outlined the rangeof possible models of government /citizen interaction in policy making. She
then placed these on a “Scorecard of

Copyright 2006 Published by Japan Local Government Center

1

Case Studies and Panel Discussion

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE

PAGE

JLGC UPDATEOf the people, by the people, for the people:
The 2005 US-Canada-Japan
Local Autonomy Forum looks
at citizen participation
1
SPECIAL FEATURE

2005 CLAIR Fellowship Exchange

3

PREFECTURE TODAY

Hokkaido, Japan

4

JLGC UPDATEICMA holds its 2005 Annual Conferencein Minneapolis, Minnesota

5

CLAIR UPDATE“Three Months of Memories”- Kokusai Jyuku 2005

6

JAPAN TODAYCOOPERATIVE SPIRIT- Working in Keishicho

8

The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, TokyoJLGC UPDATE

Dr. Mary M. Timney

Citizen Participation Methods” that she
has developed, composed of ten levels
of inter-relationships between citizens
and government. The low end of thescale has no participation and unilateralgovernment action, and the high end hasvery active participation and a passive,acquiescent government.
The second keynote speech wasgiven by Dr. Satomi Tani, Professor of
Political Science at the University ofOkayama. He spoke on “Participationand Social Capital”, based on thetheory that the creation of social capitalthrough public works and services is avery effective way to create trust andengagement in government and society.
He cited the GI Bill in post-World War
II America as one strong example of this.
He then discussed the case of Mr. Masao
Fukazawa, who became the mayor of
the poor, isolated village of Sawauchi
in northern Japan in the 1950s. One
of Sawauchi’s main problems was its
isolation during the long winter months,
when up to ten feet of snow would maketravel to neighboring villages nearly
impossible. Mayor Fukazawa tackled
this problem by purchasing bulldozers– a rarity in postwar Japan – to clear
snow from the roads. These were later
also used to improve the local rice
fields, making them more productive.
Among other initiatives, the mayor alsoestablished a public health committee,
which included professionals from the
JLGC Newsletter

fields of government and health care,
as well as private citizens. Beyond
reducing infant mortality, improving
public health, and strengthening the local
economy, these actions fostered a general
attitude of working together to overcome
challenges and difficulties, wiping away
the old stoic acceptance of hardship anddeprivation.
The second day of the forum wasgiven over to a panel discussion basedon case studies presented by each of
the participants. Peter Korn, a former
city manager, discussed examples ofcitizen participation in New Rochelle
and Rochester, New York. Glenn Miller,of the Canadian Urban Institute, spokeon the evolution of citizen participationin Ontario from the 1950s onward.
Mr. Shiro Hamano, Director of Policy
Analysis for Urban Planning and
Coordination in Yokohama, talked about
issues surrounding the constructionof a major roadway there. Mr. Kozo

“2005 U.S.-Canada-Japan
Local Autonomy Forum”
AGENDA
Theme: “Citizen Participation”
Date: November 17th (Thu) & 18th (Fri)
Venue: Japan External Trade
Organization
1221 Sixth Avenue, 42nd Floor
New York, NY.

November 17 (Thu)
14:00 ~		Registration
14:30 ~		Opening Remarks
14:35 ~ 16:05 Keynote Speech #1
Dr. Mary M. Timney(Professor of Public Administration,
Pace University)

16:30 ~ 18:00 Keynote Speech #2
Dr. Satomi Tani

(Dean, College of Laws andPolitical Science, Professor of
Political Science at Okayama
University Faculty of Law,
Okayama, Japan)

18:00 ~ 19:30 Reception
November 18 (Fri)9:30			Registration
10:00 ~ 12:15 Case Studies and Panel
Discussion
Moderator: Dr. Hideaki Shiroyama

Panel:(Associate Professor, Tokyo
University, Tokyo, Japan)

Mr. Peter Korn

(Former City Manager of New
Rochelle, New York)Mr. Glenn Miller(Vice President of Canadian Urban
Institute)

Mr. Shiro Hamano
Dr. Satomi Tani

Aoyama, President of the Urban Policy
Institute of New York, introduced several
case studies involving participation
at the federal, state, and local levels.
And, finally, Dr. Hideaki Shiroyama,
Associate Professor at Tokyo University,
discussed the development of public
conflict resolution in Japan. Initial shortpresentations were followed by a Q & A
session and further discussion into someof the many topics raised.
This year’s forum once again
2(Director of Policy Analysis for
Urban Planning and Coordination,
Urban Development Bureau, Cityof Yokohama, Japan)

Mr. Kozo Aoyama(President of Urban Policy Instituteof New York)

presented an excellent opportunity tolearn about the latest developmentsin public administration in the US
and Japan, within a broader setting ofchanging social and political trends. A
complete forum report will be compiled
and distributed, so that these valuable
presentations and discussions will beavailable to a larger audience.

Special Feature2005 CLAIR Fellowship Exchange
By Mr. P. Michael Paules
City Manager
San Gabriel, California

The author, Mr. P. Michael Paules,
City Manager of the City of San Gabriel, California

It was an honor for me to join nine
officials from the United States andCanada in visiting Japan in November asdelegates for the 2005 CLAIR Fellowship
Exchange. Eleven years ago, I had
traveled to Japan to study Japanese local
government management practices, so
the November, 2005 exchange presented
a unique opportunity to see what hadchanged.
After an excellent orientation
program in Tokyo conducted by
the CLAIR staff, we flew to Tottori
Prefecture, which has the distinctionof bring the least populated (and, inmy opinion, one of the most beautiful)prefectures in Japan. The warm welcome
and outstanding hospitality extended
to our delegation were equaled by thequality of the briefings and opinion
exchanges organized by the Tottori
Prefecture staff.
Everyone, from Governor Katayama

on down focused on the government
reform program that will impact all
regions of Japan. Reform seems to be
met with a mixture of hopeful anticipationand concern about changes, particularly
financial restructuring, which will affectlocal budgets. The government reform
program represents the single biggest
development since my visit elevenyears ago when I would say a ‘statusquo’ mentality prevailed. Progresshas clearly been made to modernize
government services and create a more

Mr. Yoshihiro Katayama,
Governor of Tottori Prefecture greeting the author

The author and the other participants visited “Shirakabedozou”,
a cluster of Japanese traditional warehouses in Tottori Prefecture.

3

user-friendly environment for citizens.
Tottori Prefecture is taking a leadingrole in encouraging transparent, open
government. The imbalance between
government revenues and expenditures,
however, leads me to believe that reform
will be a painful and difficult process.
In California, where I am a citymanager, we are also facing a financial
imbalance and the need for structuralreform of government. It was instructive
for me to see Japan’s reform program in
its early stages, and I came home withmany ideas that will benefit my city.
Japan, and the wonderful people ofTottori, will continue to be on my mind
as we attempt to meet citizens demands
to ‘do more with less’ on both sides of
the world.

Issue 56 Winter 2006

PREFECTURE TODAY

Hokkaido, Japan
Snow Brings Excitement

Hokkaido, located in thenorthernmost part of Japan, boasts
one of the most beautiful snowy white
winters on the continent. During thewinter season, snow permeates theregion. The snow is beneficial as it
protects the soil from the harsh cold.
As part of the winter festival season,large scale snow and ice celebrations areheld in many parts of Hokkaido. People
enjoy the exciting events and engage inwinter sports. The colder it becomes, themore energy is expended as everyone
participates in the best that Hokkaido
offers in winter enjoyment.

many public hot springs and hot spring
resorts in the region. These onsen serve
as a relaxing resting place for those whoneed a break after a long day of skiing orsightseeing. Travelers can enjoy a tasteof Hokkaido’s specialty foods while theyrelax. Seafood, dairy products, beer,and ramen must be sampled before one
can say that their visit to Hokkaido iscomplete.

The “Drift Ice Walk” is for tourists
who want to get close enough to the ice
to touch it. Wearing dry suits, you walkalong the ice that comes alongside thepier of the Utoro port and then soak inthe sea from a slit of drift ice while being
accompanied by a specialized guide.

Sightseeing Opportunities

The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of
the largest in Japan, features hundredsof snow and ice sculptures displayed in
Odori Avenue Park, which runs acrossthe center of the city. The festival, whichlasts for seven days, attracts millions ofsightseers from all over Japan and therest of the world.

Drift Ice Sightseeing Boat “Aurora”,
in Abashiri City, Hokkaido

A bosk of Japanese larch in Furano City, Hokkaido

Experience the Wonder and Uniquenessof “DRIFT ICE”!

Off the coast of the Okhotsk Sea, on
the northeastern part of Hokkaido, is thefrozen wonderland where “drift ice” may
be found. From the middle of January
until the end of March, there are someunique experience-based sightseeing
tours, which make use of these thicklayers of ice.
The highly recommended “Drift Ice
Cruise”, specially equipped sightseeingboats cruise around the coast breaking
up the drift ice. During the cruise,
you can observe wild animals such asa Steller’s sea eagle or a White-tailed
sea eagle, which are natural treasuresof Japan.

For the truly adventurous, a“Drift Ice Dive” might be the ultimate
experience for you. You can dive into
the sea at a temperature of minus twodegrees Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit).
Here under the drift ice, there is a blue
world full of mysteries. This dive isavailable only for those having a scuba
license and accompanied by a specialized
instructor.

”Drift Ice Dive”

For more information:
Sapporo Snow Festival

Steller’s sea eagle(Photo provided
by Hokkaido
Regional
Environment Office)Hot springs (onsen) in Hokkaido arewidely popular among tourists. There are
JLGC Newsletter4

http://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/
Hokkaido Tourist Association
http://www.pref.hokkaido.jp/index-e.html
Hokkaido GovernmentJLGC UPDATEICMA holds its 2005 Annual Conference in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
by Seth B. Benjamin
JLGC Senior Researcher

This year, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
held its annual conference in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, from 24th to 28th September
2005. Attending from the Japan Local
Government Center were deputy director
Erena Niwa, assistant directors Tamaki
Yoshida and Toyoharu Kawarai and seniorresearcher Seth B. Benjamin.
ICMA is the organization that
represents appointed city and county
managers. Generally, they work in local
governments that have adopted a form ofgovernment known as the city-manager
or county-manager form. These aregovernments that give the city or county
manager chief executive status for theoperation of the local government. 2005
represented the 91st annual conference
for the ICMA organization.

One of the many educational sessions
that participants attended

As can be expected from a professionalorganization, ICMA conferences focus
on developing the skills of managers.
Managers are in the middle of local politics
and, as such, are subject to the difficulties
of working as a professional in a politicalatmosphere. The conference provided
numerous workshops and education
sessions to help managers negotiate
the intricacies of managing what can besometimes a large organization.
The conference was organized aroundfive ‘themes’; Creating Community,
Improving Public Confidence in Local
Government, Managing in a Changed
Society, Personal Leadership and Life
Skills and Workplace Challenges. These

themes show that the conference focusedon both the work of a city or county
manager and their personal skills.
In addition to the many sessions forthe participants and complementing these
themes were four keynote speeches. The
first was a lively and inspirational talkabout making the job of manager exciting
and, at the same time, fun. Kevin Carroll
told the managers that every situation,even one that seems to be very difficult,can be an opportunity to do something
new and successful. As he said, “there are
86,400 seconds in a day. Get excited about
using every one of them, as if every second
is worth a dollar”.
The next day the keynote speaker
was the well-known Harvard University
professor, Robert Putnam, author of
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revivalof the American Community and a more
recent follow-up work, Better Together:
Restoring the American Community. His
talk to the managers was to exhort themto help bring to their own communities asense of shared responsibilities. City andcounty managers are the one group, hesaid, who can bridge the gap between the
citizen and his government. “We need to beabout the business of inventing new formsof connectiveness”, he told the audience.

Harvard Professor, Robert Putnam,
talking about Communities

Following on from that theme,
Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman
talked to the managers about the needto understand the different generationsin their workforce. Being from different
generations themselves, they showed that5

in today’s workplace there are as manyas four generations working side-by-side.
Briefly, they are: (1) Generation One,75 million born before 1946; (2) Baby
Boomers, 80 million born between 1947
and 1964; (3) Generation X, 46 million
born between 1965 and 1981; and (4) theMillennials, born since 1982. The manager
has to understand how each generation
thinks about work and, therefore, how to

How do we deal with different generations in thework place? Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman,
keynoters, address the Conference

encourage each generation to contribute to
public service. Part of the problem will be‘succession planning’, as Lynne Lancaster
called it. “If all the Baby Boomers retirein the next 10 to 20 years, we’re going tohave huge labor gaps”, she said. How do
we keep these Baby Boomers interested
in staying on the job even though they
are ready to retire? With regard to theGeneration X group, how do we keep themat all? This is a group that has much lessloyalty to the profession and much higher
personal expectations. These are just someof the difficulties city and county managers
must face in the near future.
On the last day, Garrison Keillor,the master story teller, entertained the
managers with the wit and wisdom of theMidwest. not all the time spent at theconference was hard work. Staff from theJapan Local Government Center madenew friends, renewed and strengthened
old friendships in the Association. Indeed,
Tom Lundy, the outgoing ICMA President,
was himself a former CLAIR fellowshipparticipant.
Issue 56 Winter 2006

Clair UPDATE“Three Months of Memories”- Kokusai Jyuku 2005
By Yoshiko Fujino

They say communication is a key
to understanding and so it was during
my participation in the 2005 Three
Month Training Program. The learning
experiences that the program offers are
extremely valuable to me and will enhance
my career as a public official. At times
the training was difficult because of thecomplexity and intricacies of the English
language and I often could not understandwhat was being said to me. I told myselfthat I would not be held back by theinability to communicate.

to individuals. In many instances, NPO’s
work hand in hand with American local
governments to improve the communities
they serve. This experience was quite
different from what I knew about NPO’sand NGO’s in Japan. Interestingly
in Japan, there is little cooperation
between local governments and theNPO’s. They tend to operate separately.
Often, Japanese local governments try to
influence NPO’s incrementally. This is atime consuming process that attempts todevelop a relationship of trust between
the NPO and local government. In Japan,
this trust relationship needs to be attained
before cooperation is achieved.
What I did find astonishing was theparticipation of senior citizens doing
volunteer work in these NPO’s. While

With language school classmatesat the Washington Monument

While attending language school,
which was part of the program in
Washington D.C., I grasped every chance
to communicate with students from various
countries such as Korea, Switzerland andEcuador. I spoke with them about ourcultural differences and styles of living. As
we got to know one another, my ability toconverse and speak English improved.
The Three Month Training Programprovides trainees the opportunity to visit
local governments and meet with elected
and appointed officials to observe programs
and practices. My research focused oncollaboration between community, local
government and the not for profit sector.
During my visits, I was impressed with thevarious services provided by NPO’s andtheir many volunteers. NPO’s in America
serve as a kind of quasi local government
providing many different types of services
JLGC Newsletter

Visiting American local governments
and NPOs, I was amazed at how proactive
women had become in the workplace.
When my colleagues and I visited
Chicago’s Department for the Homeless,we were greeted by women executives! I
suspect that many foreigners are unawarethat there are few successful women in theJapanese workplace.
My internship, another importantcomponent of the training program wasarranged with the Town of Westwood in
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I
thoroughly enjoyed my time working withand speaking in English to my American
local government counterparts. I learned
a lot about small town government in
America. It was a little strange, however,since my government Osaka City serves a
population of about 2.6 million as comparedwith Westwood’s 14,000 residents. At
times I wondered if comparisons between
the two governments could be made.
My host was Michael Jaillet, theTown Administrator. The “Town
Administrator” and “City Manager”
form of government does not exist inJapan. Administrators and managers areWith Ms. Dorothy, our coordinatorin Boulder City, Colorado

visiting a senior citizen center, I was
surprised to observe that a large percentageof the center’s staff were senior citizens!
In Chicago, I met a woman who losther hearing as a result of being a victim
of domestic violence. She works for the“Rainbow House”, an NPO establishedto support abused women and children.
I admire her tenacity and commitment
to help others who are victims of abuse.
She acknowledges the generous assistancegiven to her during her time of need andthis allowed her to give the same typeof caring and support to others in the
program.
6

In the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence

hired by local legislatures to administer
public policies and manage government
services. As professionals, usually withadvanced management degrees, they aremobile and often change jobs to enhancetheir careers. The public officials in Japan
must pass a competitive examination andClair UPDATEtransfer to different jobs within theirdepartment or change their department
every few years. I found these differences
to be interesting.
Although responsible for theadministration of the entire town andextremely busy during work hours, Mr.
Jaillet helps with housework and the careof his children. This is in stark contrast to
Japanese mayors and administrators who
often spend long hours working in theoffice and have less time for family.
I attended a Town Meeting in Natickand learned about residents’ involvement
in local government. This is direct
democracy!
I also had occasion to share information
about Osaka City with town employees
and the general public. I was nervous
speaking in front of about 50 people but
the atmosphere was comfortable. When I
found my picture in the front page of thelocal newspaper the next day, I knew thatindeed I was in a small town!
Finally I was glad to learn about stateand city administration in the UnitedStates. It made it easier to recognize

the differences between Japanese andAmerican government. I became keenly
aware of America’s diversity and how
state and local governments needed tocustomize their approaches to providing
services for various constituencies.
Diversity is a hallmark of America
but not so in Japan because of thenational governments’ reluctance to admit
immigrants and refugees. It’s difficult
for Japanese to understand different
cultures because of its long standing
homogeneity. The Japanese culture isfirmly established. Japanese customs
and way of life are cherished and perhaps
there is a slight fear that the introductionof foreign culture and customs may
erode the familiarity and harmony thatpervades Japan. Again, communicationand education are key factors that can help
to change the Japanese mindset enabling
the people to be more flexible in theirunderstanding of different cultures.
They say that multicultural
understanding is important. I think weneed to provide foreign residents with
useful information in their native language

Participating in a Town Meeting in Natick

while offering them the opportunity
to learn the Japanese language. It is
important to be able to communicate
and understand each other. I know that I
benefited greatly from learning to improveupon my English language ability while
assimilating albeit briefly into the lives andworld of the American people.
Finally, I should like to thankeveryone who assisted me during my stayin America. I shall never forget you andhope to “keep in touch” as Americans
like to say.
Since returning to Japan, I still makeit a daily practice to read English. It’s
surprising and delightful!

Itinerary of the CLAIR Short-Term International Study Program 2005
Aug. 19
Aug. 22-23
Aug. 24-Sep. 16
Sep. 19-Oct. 7
Oct. 10-14
Oct. 17-21
Oct. 24-Nov. 1
Nov. 2-Nov. 11
Nov. 14
Nov. 15

Travel to New York
Opening session and orientation at Japan Local Government Center in New York
Travel to Alexandria, VA
All-day language training
Stay hotel
All-day language training 3 days a week
Meetings and site visits in Washington D.C. area rest of the week
Stay host family
Meetings on state government (Atlanta, GA)
Stay hotel
Meetings on municipal government (Boulder, CO)
Stay hotel
Individual Internship (2-week internship in municipal government(s))
Stay host family
Independent travel (I went Chicago, IL and Toronto, Canada)
Stay host family(meeting with municipal government(s) or organization about own theme)
and hotel
Closing session at Japan Local Government Center in New York
Stay hotel
Travel to Japan

7

Issue 56 Winter 2006

JAPAN TODAYCOOPERATIVE SPIRIT - Working in Keishicho
by Akira Tagawa
Former Assistant Director of the Japan Local Government Center, New York.

My name is Akira Tagawa. After
having worked at the Japan Local
Government Center for two years, I now
find myself in the familiar surroundings of
KEISHICHO, the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police Department (T.M.P.D.). Tokyo,
Japan’s capital of some 12 million
people is one of the largest cities in theworld and its modernized police force
is poised to continue to safeguard thesafety and peace of the Greater Tokyo
Metropolitan area.
Established in 1874, the T.M.P.D. is
led by a superintendent-general, who isappointed by the National Public Safety
Commission and approved by the prime
minister. Today’s T.M.P.D. consists ofnine bureaus, 101 police stations andcurrently employs over 42,000 police
officers. The number of inhabitants perpolice officer is roughly 290 inhabitantsfor every police officer.
One of T.M.P.D.’s top priorities is thefield of crime prevention. Crime has risenover the last few years. A special task
force was established in 2003 to analyze,
study and report upon the nature andincidences of criminal activity. Task force
recommendations were implemented
and resulted in the lowest criminal
activity since 1992.
Another high priority of the T.M.P.D.
is to foil and combat international
terrorism. After 9/11, there havebeen terror attacks all over the world.
Fortunately, Japan and specificallyTokyo has been spared despite the factthat Japan was named by the Al-Qaeda
as a target.
T h e T. M . P. D . h a s i n s t i t u t e dprecautionary measures to protect its
citizens and tourists by strategicallyplacing specially trained police personnel,
including K9 at transportation terminals,
airports, large train stations and on
the moving trains. Countermeasures
Japan Local Government Center
666 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10103-0072

Scene of Tokyoagainst Nuclear Biological and Chemical
weapons (NBC) have been implemented
and trained personnel are prepared tocarry out the emergency plan.
The key to successful implementation
is to inform and educate the publicconcerning the details of the emergency
plan and to enlist the cooperation of thepeople. Regarding crime reduction, it
is important for community residents
to cooperate with the police by getting
involved perhaps forming watch
groups that can assist law enforcement
agencies.
Kobans and residential kobans have
proved to be valuable means to keep
police presence within the neighborhood,but it is impossible to place policemen in
every area of the region.
Security cameras and voluntaryneighborhood patrol groups could
reinforce crime prevention strategies.
The same spirit of cooperationand effort is needed against terrorism.
T.M.P.D. has begun a campaign to ask
the public to be more observant. For
example, residents are asked to; “besure that things around you are as theyshould be” and “if you feel something
8

has changed, call the emergency number
110 or locate a law enforcement official
and make sure “you do not touch orsmell any unidentified object”. WhenI was in New York City, I remembered
the N.Y.P.D. and New York Transit
Authority slogan: “See Something, Say
Something!” We believe that with thecooperation of everyone our goals toprevent crime and discourage terrorism
will be successful.

Featuredin this issue:
Hokkaido

Tottori
Pref.

TOKYO

Tel: (212) 246-5542 • Fax: (212) 246-5617
http://www.jlgc.org • E-Mail: jlgc@jlgc.org
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