When one takes a look at the development of social welfare in the postwar era, it is possible to roughly divide the post-war era into three periods. The first period is the 15-year period between 1945 and 1959, in which the institutional framework of the existing social welfare system was formed against the backdrop of post-war readjustments and the move toward the nation's economic and social rehabilitation. The second period is the roughly 15-years period between 1960 and 1974, in which the scope of social we fare was newly expanded against the background of the high economic growth which spawned new tasks for social welfare under the drastic turbulencess of economic and social conditions. The third period is the period since around 1975 up to today, which saw the demise of the high economic growth and the reviewing of social security, and in which new orientations and new directions were sought in the field of social welfare. In the first period, in addition to demages inflicted by the defeat, the nation's economic machinery was disrupted in the aftermath of the Second World War. And the people's life was suffered by the destitute same as starvations. Under these condition, what characterized social welfare policy in the first period was grasped as poor-relief-type social welfare. In same conditions, the studies on the social welfare policy was characterized following theme: on the study of poverty, the welfare right, and the governmental responsibility for improving and promoting of social welfare. Above all, the most important theory on the social welfare policy in this period was the governmental responsibility for implementing of the social weal fare services. This requirement could understood by referring to Article 25 of the Japanese Costitution which states in part: "The national government shall endeavor to improve and promote all aspect of dialy life, including social welfare services, social security payments, and the health services." In this way, social welfare is given status as a system which will guarantee a minimum stand of living the people and is also tried to clear governmental responsibility for the promotion of such a system. As Japan entered the above-mentioned second period, the scope of social welfare was expended against the background of high economic growth. And the politics of social welfare was changed against the backdrop which the life style of the people assumed proportions of greater variety. However, the studies of the we fare policy formed first period was succeed to second period. In this reason, some of the studies on welfare policy was criticized as behind the time. From the mid 1970's, however - that is to say from about thetime of the sudden stop to high economic growth after 1973 - social welfare expansion entered a period of contraint. As same time, it also called for the undertaking of a new task of pursuing new type of social welfare in terms of how to cope with newly generated welfare needs against the backdrop of the emergence and the development of aging society and the changes in the life style and the awarness of the Japanese people. In view of these situations, what the people require to study on the social welfare policy, does not maintain the theories which was formed the first period and succeed to the second period. Especially, it is the concept of the governmental responsibility for implementing of social welfare. This clarification has come about because of financial stringency faced by government and the resulting control on expenditure. In addition, fundamental questions are being raised as to whethers government responsibility offers an appropriate solution to many from among the great variety of welfare need which are newly emerging. From this point view, it is necessary to rethink the theories of social welfare policy. For example, the some subjects should be to study is following.

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