Comments to: Changes in Social Security and Value Orientation

Abstract

I would like to express my gratitude to you for giving me the opportunity to speak at the 8th German-Japanese Economic and Social Conference. This gratitude is, however, combined with the deepest sorrow, as I was asked to take part in this conference because my teacher, Professor Kazuo Okochi, for whom I had the greatest respect, passed away suddenly. As you already well know, he was one of the founders of this conference. If you will allow me, Mr. Chairman, I should prefer, rather than just summarizing the paper written by Prof. Okochi, to speak a little about his practical contributions which form the background to his ideas on social security and social welfare, and which, I believe, are relevant to the subject of this session, i. e. the changes in value orientation in industrial society. By Prof. Okochi's practical contributions I mean that he was not only a great scholar and theoretician on social security, but that he also played a leading role in the planning and administration of social security policy in Japan. In Japan there exists a Council on the Social Security System which was founded in 1948 and which is responsible directly to the Prime Minister. This council reports to the Prime Minister upon his inquiry with regard to the planning and implementation of national social security policy; and at the same time it is authorized to give advice and make proposals on its own initiative. In the past these reports and proposals have often been reflected in parliamentary planning and budgets, and they have made a great contribution to the development of the Japanese social security system. The council consists of members of parIiament, viceministers of the relevant ministries, scholars, representatives from various interest groups such as unions, consumer organizations, the medical association and social insurance corporations. Prof. Okochi, who had long been a member of this council, served as its chairman for more than 10years, from 1973 until his death. 1973 was an epoch-making year in the development of Japan's social security system. In this year not only were various systems established whereby health insurance and retirement pensions were extended to cover all citizens, but the quality of these systems was also greatly improved. The Japanese social security system over-