Abstract
The welfare state is conceived of as an intersection between capitalism and democracy. To measure the degree and extent of welfare state development, de-commodification and social stratification are presented as the most appropriate indices, by which four types of the welfare state are classified: liberal, conservative, social democratic, and familial types. Japan is classified as a familial type, together with Southern European welfare states. This paper specifies major characteristics of the Japanese familial welfare regime, clarifies its recent moves towards the liberal regime, and discusses possibilities of constructing a welfare regime beyond the conventional welfare state types.
