Another important role of politics is to assist people who wish to take on challenges in their jobs or their daily lives through the exercise of their own originality and ingenuity.

The DPJ aims to build a society that properly rewards the efforts of people who take on challenges in that way. We are convinced that this will produce strong-minded people who choose self-reliance rather than dependence, and a highly expressive society.

Guarantee open employment opportunities and ensure equality of treatment

As forms of employment become increasingly varied, we will formulate rules to enable anyone motivated to work to be able to do so without hindrance, and to be evaluated fairly. We will ensure equal treatment, so that part-time workers are not discriminated against because of their relatively short working hours. We will also expand the system of childcare leave, improving it so that people may take the leave in phases until their children enter primary school.

Create a mechanism to enable young people to show their worth

We will establish "Young Work Service Centres", through which personal advisers give young people who have lost their jobs or who are without work one-on-one assistance with finding jobs and participating in society. We will prepare schemes for the provision of on-the-job training and other courses in private-sector companies, and pay allowances if necessary. Our aim is to build a society that enables people to make a fresh start: in which people can get back on their feet after being unemployed or suffering business failure.

Create an environment favourable to senior citizens with the will to work

We will guarantee employment opportunities open to older people, by acting as an intermediary for finding places to work and by enacting a law to prohibit age discrimination in recruitment and employment. We will also create a mechanism for helping people to develop their capabilities for employment and participating in society.

Support NPOs and citizens' projects

We will substantially increase assistance through the tax system for specified non-profit organizations (NPOs), which provide social services in all parts of the country. To enable many of these NPOs to benefit from preferential tax treatment, we will ease eligibility conditions and make small donations of ¥10,000 or less tax-deductible. In addition, to encourage private-sector activities in the regions we will reform the system governing public-interest corporations, in order to make it possible for all NPOs to be established as legal entities by means of simple procedures, and to enable them to receive support through the tax system.

Assist the efforts of the challenged

We will extend vigorous assistance to the activities of people who, despite disadvantages such as physical handicap, strive hard to live self-sufficient lives. We will create a barrier-free society in which everyone can live with peace of mind, by establishing or improving small-scale vocational-aid centres and installing welfare equipment designed for various kinds of handicap. We will pay particular attention to making schools barrier-free, to enable disabled children to attend normal schools.