Whither the Developmental State? The Growing Role of NGOs in Japanese Aid Policy Making

Japan is often characterized as a developmental state, i.e., a state with a strong and autonomous bureaucratic leadership that directs the economy toward achieving developmental goals. This study challenges the developmental state model, arguing that the once-powerful Japanese bureaucracy has lost much of its authority and is no longer autonomous from societal forces. By focusing on the growing role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Japan's official development assistance (ODA) policy making, this study shows how the non-governmental sector has begun to challenge bureaucratic dominance and reshape state-civil society relations in Japan.