In addition to formulating basic measures related to youth, the Youth Affairs Administration has been making efforts to comprehensively promote youth administration with coordination through the related government offices and local public entities.
The Juvenile Problems Council is an advisory organ of the Prime Minister established in the Management and Coordination Agency. It is designed to study and deliberate on basic and comprehensive measures related to guidance, development, protection and correction, in the area of youth administration.
March 18, 1994 (Opinion)
"Basic Direction of Youth Development toward the 'Age of Affluence and comfort' - For Promotion of Volunteer Activities by Youth"
To widely inform the people of the present state of youth and measures implemented by related organs and obtain their understanding, since 1956, the Youth Affairs Administration has been compiling and publishing the White Paper on Youth (Present State and Measures for Youth Problems) in cooperation with related government offices.
In effectively promoting youth measures, it is necessary to accurately grasp the present state of youth and where the problems lie. For this reason, the Youth Affairs Administration has been conducting various studies and researches related to youth while collecting, analyzing and providing information related to youth problems.
The administration has established a Youth Information Center to collect youth-related information and materials for use of people.
Today when the various countries of the world have deepened their mutual relationship, acquiring rich internationality and fostering youth in a sound way, by promoting mutual understanding through international exchange and fostering the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, has become a very important issue. For this reason, the Youth Affairs Administration has actively been promoting various international youth exchange programs.
In these programs, the participating Japanese and foreign youth deepen their friendship through various exchange activities such as study and discussion on common issues from global viewpoints. Friendship is also deepened through presentation of their own country's culture and by carrying out activities such as home stays and visits to industrial, cultural and educational facilities.
The Japanese youth who have participated in these programs carry out activities in communities and work places for promotion of international friendship, understanding and cooperation by organizing the International Youth Exchange Organization of Japan and making use of the valuable experience they obtained abroad.
| Name of Program | Outline of Program |
| International Youth Development Exchange |  Started in 1994 to commemorate the wedding of H. I. H. the Crown Prince. Consists of two programs for sending Japanese youths oversea and inviting foreign youths to Japan.The "Japanese Youth Goodwill Mission Program" started in 1959 to commemorate the wedding of H. M. the Emperor, who was at that time H. I. H. the Crown Prince, and the "Invitation of Foreign Youth Program" started in 1962 were reorganized and upgraded into this program. To conduct high quality international exchange laying stress on shared experiences such as volunteer and welfare activities, experience of traditional cultures, etc, while staying in a certain place as a base of activities. To send about 70 Japanese youths to 8 countries for 4 weeks and to invite about 140 foreign youths from all over the world for 4 weeks. |
| Japan-China Youth Friendship Exchange | Started in 1979 as a joint program of the two counties to commemorate the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People's Republic of China. To send 20 Japanese youths for about 3 weeks and to invite 30 Chinese youths for 3 weeks. |
| Japan-Korea Youth Friendship Exchange | Started in 1987 as a joint program of the two countries based on a joint communique by Japan and Korea in 1984 and to commemorate the 20th year after the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and Korea in 1985. To send 40 Japanese youths for about 3 weeks and to invite 40 Korean youths for 3 weeks. |
| Ship for World Youth | Started in 1988 by reorganizing the "Japanese Youth Goodwill Cruise Program" which had started in 1967 as one of the programs to commemorate the Centennial of the Meiji Restoration. about 100 Japanese youths and about 175 foreign youths from 12 countries all over the world, including the countries to be visited, live together on board the ship for about 65 days, study and discuss common issues from a global viewpoint, and carry out exchange activities such as various kinds of lectures and sports as well as exchange activities with local youths in the countries visited. To visit North, Central and South American regions and Southwest Asian and African regions every other year. |
| Ship for Southeast Asian Youth | Started in 1974 based on a joint communique by ASEAN countries and Japan. About 315 youths from 7 ASEAN countries and about 45 Japanese youths live together on board the ship for about 60 days and visit each ASEAN country and Japan. |
The Youth Affairs Administration has been promoting the National Movement for Youth Development so that each person can deepen their understanding regarding the importance of sound development of youth and so that homes, schools and communities can, through cooperation, tackle the sound development of youth.
The International Forum on Youth has been held since 1990 to promote development, understanding and cooperation of those related with sound development of youth by inviting foreign persons of learning and experience, in order to learn, from the state of youth problems and present state of measures in foreign countries and exchanging opinions regarding youth problems in Japan. Expectations are also placed on the Forum to promote cooperation among related persons.
As the "Opinion regarding Juvenile Delinquency Measures" of the Central Committee on Juvenile Problems submitted in September 1965, the necessity of a campaign gathering the total power of the people came to be recognized. In November of the same year, the Cabinet advocated execution of a national campaign.
In response to such developments, the National Assembly for Youth Development was started in May of 1966 as a promoter of the National Movement for Youth Development based on the people's consensus. The Assembly has been carrying out active campaigns nationally since then.
In order to take effective measures against problematic behavior of youth such as delinquency, the Youth Affairs Administration has been promoting comprehensive measures such as purification of the harmful environment surrounding youth and strengthening of youth consultation activities by holding liaison meetings with related government offices.
By prescribing July of every year as the "Month to Promote the Movement to Prevent Juvenile Delinquency, " various government offices, prefectures, related organizations and community residents mutually cooperate in intensively implementing measures and activities to prevent delinquency.
They carry out PR and educational activities using such things as outdoor publicity boards, wire broadcasting, publications, posters and aurora visions of major ball parks throughout the country.
The Youth Affairs Administration has been preparing an "Advice Card" bearing the numbers to call of various consultation organizations and distributing them among junior high school students so that youth will not have to worry all by themselves but can easily call these organizations for advice.
To enhance people's awareness regarding promotion of health and reinforcement of physical fitness and promote their active practice, the Youth Affairs Administration has been promoting the National Movement to Build Up Physical Fitness.
The National Movement to Build Up Physical Fitness was stated on the occasion of the Tokyo Olympic Games held in 1964 with the objective of having all people from babies and infants to middle-aged and older persons actively practice health and physical buildup in their daily living. By prescribing the month of October every year as the Physical Buildup Month, the Youth Affairs Administration has been calling upon the related agencies, organizations and prefectures to intensively implement various events and PR activities related to the physical buildup campaign during this month.
A "National Convention for Promotion of Health and Physical Buildup Campaign" is an event held during the Physical Buildup Month. The event include diverse practical activities such as tournaments with new sports such as target bird golf and bound tennis. Also, health and physical strength diagnosis and consultation are given.
In March of 1965, the National Council to Build Physical Fitness was organized, consisting of the government offices (13) related with the people's health and physical buildup and private organizations (240), as an entity to promote the National Movement to Build Up Physical Fitness. This Council has been promoting the National Movement to Build Up Physical Fitness by combining government and private efforts.
Prefectural and municipal Councils to Build Physical Fitness have also been organized for promotion of physical buildup campaigns in meeting with the region's actual circumstances.