Abstract
Through the analysis of the gap between Japan and Britain from the perspective of “ universalism ”, the unique characteristics of Japanese social policy studies, as well as those of the post-war Japanese Welfare State, can be illustrated. After, the meanings of “universalism” and “selectivity”are briefly reviewed in the context of British social policy, the “Japanese ” way in which social policy researchers applied these British concepts into Japan's policy development is examined focusing on the period after 1980. It is then suggested that the concept of universalism may be more appropriately applied to Japanese policy development before 1980 rather than after 1980. The paper concludes that the concepts of universalism and selectivity do not necessarily provide a proper framework for the analysis of post-war Japanese policy development, because the foundation of the Japanese Welfare State is not the statutory universal provision of social services, which is the case in Britain, but the means-tested income maintenance underpinned by the ideal of human rights.
