Information Duties under the Japanese Law Governing Public Interest Incorporated Associations and Foundations

I. Reform of Public Interest Incorporated Associations | 1. Background | 2. Laws Related to the Reform of the Public Interest Corporation System | 3. An Outline of the Systems after the Reform | II. Establishment Of Corporations | 1. General Incorporated Associations | a) From the authorization approach to the rule-based approach | b) Creation of articles of incorporation | aa) Purpose | bb) Name | cc) Organisational details | c) Appointment officers (and director) at incorporation | d) Registration | e) Members | 2. General Incorporated Foundations | a) Creation of articles of incorporation | aa) Purpose | bb) Name | cc) Method for appointing and dismissing board of trustees | b) Officers at incorporation (director) | c) Fulfilment of the commitment to contribute property | d) Registration | 3. Authorization of Public Interest Corporations | a) The public interest corporation system | b) Works constituting public benefit | c) Public interest authorization criteria | III. International Comparison of Public Interest Corporation Systems | 1. Organizations Authorizing Public Interest | a) The four types of organizations authorizing public interest | b) Japan’s Public Interest Corporation Commission | 2. Stipulations Regarding Non-Profit And Public Interest Corporations | a) The wide scope of public interest corporations | b) Legislative differences between nations | c) Differences in capacity to hold rights in juridical persons | d) Associations and foundations | IV. The Operation of Public Interest Corporations and Supervision by Administrative Government Agencies | 1. Operation of Public Interest Corporations | a) Observance of public benefit criteria and standards | b) Disclosure of information | c) Regular submission of documents to the administrative government agencies and disclosure through the agencies | 2. Supervision by Administrative Government Agencies | a) Requests for reports (Article 27 of the Public Interest Corporation Act) | b) On-site inspections (Article 27 of the Public Interest Corporation Act) | 3. Recommendations (Article 28 of the Public Interest Corporation Act) | 4. Orders (Article 28 of the Public Interest Corporation Act) | 5. Cancellation of Public Interest Corporation Authorization | a) Compulsory cancellation | b) Cancellation at the discretion of the competent authorities