Abstract
As of 1959, every Japanese citizen is obliged to join the pension system. However, given that the individual must pay premiums to receive benefits, business operations to collect premiums represent a key aspect of maintaining this system. The Japanese government has been conducting operations related to the pension system since 2000. However, local governments were tasked with this process when the system was implemented. Why is this process not taken charge by the Japanese government from the beginning ? Based on an awareness of the issues described earlier, this paper analyzes the process leading to the decision regarding the organization responsible for the administration of the national pension using documents issued by the Japanese government （Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare） and the original documents produced by local governments. It then sheds light on the fact that the administrative council, whose role had not been defined in past documents, had the responsibility of functioning as the coordinating organization. It also clarifies that national pension affairs were being evaluated from the dual viewpoints of “appropriate management with transparency and consistency” and “service for residents.”
