Characteristics of the Consultative Function of Local Autonomous Organizations: Focusing on the Lump-sum Type Grant Program for Local Communities in Rikuzentakata, Japan

This study examines the consultative function of local autonomous organizations in Japan, focusing on the Community Promotion Councils (CPCs) in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture. Since 2019, Rikuzentakata City has implemented a lump-sum type grant program for local communities, providing each of its 11 districts with up to five million yen annually to promote community development. The research analyzes how these CPCs—established in 1980, basically based on former towns and villages—make decisions regarding the use of grants, particularly in coordination with neighborhood associations. Drawing on interview survey results, and documents of local autonomous organizations and local governments, the study reveals that, when the community councils decide how to use the grants, projects are considered at the district level, but are coordinated so that each neighborhood in the district can benefit from the grants fairly. The method of ensuring fairness within a district was not uniform, with some districts trying to distribute the grants equally to each neighborhood association each year and others balancing the grants over the medium term or in a more comprehensive manner. These consultative processes highlight both responsive and accountable governance and the importance of micro-level communities in supporting larger-scale community governance. The study concludes that CPCs in Rikuzentakata embody elements of both “neighborhood government” and “neighborhood partnership” as typified by the community governance models.