A research center at Saitama University has opened Japan's largest archives on the work of grassroots organizations.
The Center for the Study of Cooperative Human Relations has collected more than 150,000 journals, bulletins and newsletters issued by nongovernmental organizations to make them available to students and the public.
It also plans to launch research projects on the development of citizens' groups in Japan and how they can be further fostered by using these documents in cooperation with NGOs.
"NGOs have played and will continue to play important roles in realizing a cooperative society," said Yoshihiko Kamii, head of the center. "We hope to promote research with their support.