This paper provides a brief history of the third sector in Japan’s disaster response and assesses its current status. The Great Hanshin–Awaji Earthquake of 1995 led to the institutionalization of disaster volunteer centers, and the year drew attention as the “first year of volunteerism.” This was followed by the enactment of the Act on Promotion of Specified Non-Profit Activities in 1998 and the development of the third sector, with a considerable delay compared with other advanced countries. Volunteers and third-sector organizations involved in disaster response developed institutionally differently from those involved in other fields owing to the unique characteristics of disasters, which occur only occasionally and in specific areas. In addition, a collaborative mechanism was institutionalized to support disaster victims in rebuilding their lives. This mechanism also helped address the incompatibility between the peacetime care regime, based on a quasi-market system involving private organizations, and the emergency care regime, which relies on direct government intervention. Given this history, it seems likely that Japanese society has begun to consider incorporating mechanisms into its peacetime systems to mobilize as much peacetime expertise as possible in the event of a disaster, as well as making special preparations in case of disasters to supplement any areas where this is insufficient.

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