Universal Eligibility: Every resident is equally entitled to its benefits.
Government Administration: Systems are directly operated and funded by national and local governments.
Public-Private Collaboration: Private organizations and local communities supplement government efforts.

Collectively, these systems are known as “Universal Health Insurance” (国民皆保険, Kokumin Kaihoken) and “Universal Pension” (国民皆年金, Kokumin Kai Nenkin). In essence, nearly all residents of Japan are enrolled in both health insurance and pension programs.

Japan’s social welfare system is broadly categorized into four components:

1 Social Insurance (社会保険)

2 Public Assistance (生活保護)

3 Social Welfare Services (社会福祉事業)

4 Social Welfare Activities (地域福祉活動)

1 Social Insurance

1 Social Insurance is the system designed for difficult circumstances such as disease, injury, job loss, and old age. Every Japanese resident is enrolled in one or more social insurance programs. The main ones are listed below:

2 Health Insurance: The national government covers part of medical expenses. The type of insurance depends on the participant’s social position, such as office workers, public clerks, shop owners, students, and others.

3 Pension Insurance: This provides money after reaching a certain age. Once a person turns 65, they become entitled to receive payments from either the national pension or an employee pension.

4 Employment Insurance: Benefits are temporarily paid to those who lose their jobs or leave work due to childcare or nursing care responsibilities.

5 Work-related Accident Insurance: Compensation is provided for injuries or illnesses occurring at work or during commuting accidents.

Nursing Care Insurance: Those aged 40 or older are entitled to participate. They receive services or financial support when certified as needing a certain level of care.

2 Public Assistance

This is the system in which the national or local governments support those who have difficulty living by subsidizing living expenses and medical costs. They can receive support from the Life Protection System for reasons such as trouble finding a job, being unable to work due to sickness, supporting their family, and other circumstances.

3 Social Welfare Services

These services are provided for those who need special support, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, children, and single-parent families.

The elderly receive services including day care, home visits, nursing homes, and other assistance.

People with disabilities have access to special facilities and services to support their employment and daily lives.

Children and single-parent families benefit from nursery schools, child welfare facilities, and childcare consultation services.

These services are provided by various organizations including public welfare agencies, community welfare centers, and private NPOs.

4 Social Welfare Activities

These are social activities provided by neighborhood residents, volunteer groups, NPOs, and other organizations. They support people affected by disasters, conduct home visits and monitoring for elderly neighbors, and operate child cafeterias. In Japan, besides the national and local governments, communities play an essential role in helping people in need.

日本の社会福祉制度の特徴

日本の社会福祉制度には、いくつかの大きな特徴があります。

すべての人が平等に利用できること
国や自治体が直接運営、または支援していること
民間団体や地域社会とも協力していること

この制度は「国民皆保険」「国民皆年金」といった言葉でよく知られています。つまり、日本に住んでいるほとんどすべての人が保険や年金の制度に加入しています。

主な社会福祉制度

日本の社会福祉制度を大きく分けると、次の4つの分野があります。

社会保険
公的扶助
社会福祉サービス
社会福祉活動

1. 社会保険

社会保険は、病気やケガ、失業、年をとったときなどに備える仕組みです。日本で生活する人は、基本的に全員が何らかの社会保険に加入します。主な種類は以下のとおりです。

健康保険：医療費の一部を国が負担する制度です。会社員や公務員、自営業者、学生など、立場によって加入する保険が異なります。
年金保険：一定の年齢になると受け取れるお金です。65歳以上になると、国民年金や厚生年金から年金が支給されます。
雇用保険：失業したときや育児・介護のために仕事を休むときに、一時的な給付金が支給されます。
労災保険：仕事中のケガや病気、通勤中の事故に対して給付があります。

介護保険：40歳以上の人が加入し、要介護認定を受けた場合にサービスや給付を受けられます

2. 公的扶助

公的扶助とは、生活が困難な人に対して国や自治体が生活費や医療費などを支援する仕組みです。たとえば、仕事が見つからない、病気で働けない、家族を支えられないなどの理由で生活に困るとき、「生活保護制度」を利用することができます。最低限の生活を保障する制度です。

3. 社会福祉サービス

社会福祉サービスは、高齢者、障がい者、子ども、ひとり親家庭など、特別な支援が必要な人たちのためのサービスです。

高齢者には、デイサービスや訪問介護、老人ホームなどのサポートがあります。
障がい者には、仕事や生活の支援を行う施設やサービスがあります。
子どもやひとり親家庭には、保育園や児童養護施設、育児相談サービスなどがあります。

こうしたサービスは、福祉事務所や地域の福祉センター、民間のNPOなどさまざまな場所で提供されています。

4. 社会福祉活動