Abstract
The health and welfare administration system in Japan is based on the concept of “welfare nation” in the Constitution, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare has prime responsibility for general health and welfare administration. There are two levels of the prefectural governments and municipal governments with their own assemblies. The health centers and the welfare offices are special and first-line organizations for the health and welfare administration, and they are operated by the prefectures or large municipalities in principle. This system has now been experiencing the reform adapted to the aging of population, based on the amendment to the Health Service for the Aged Law and so on in 1990 and the amendment to the Health Center Law in 1994, which is now the Community Health Law. The municipal government is becoming a first-line organization for the health and welfare administration and its responsibility is growing especially in the personal service for the residents. J Epidemiol, 1996 ; 6 : S185-S188.
