Charitable Bequests: Improve System to Better Reflect Wishes of the Deceased

Editorial

16:01 JST, April 19, 2026

An increasing number of people have made charitable bequests in which they donate their assets to public organizations and other groups after death. The system must be improved in a way that will honor the deceased’s desire to give something back to society as a testament to their life.

Under the system for charitable bequests, people give all or part of their assets to parties other than their heirs after death in accordance with their will. Recipients range widely and include universities, nonprofits tackling social issues such as poverty and local governments with ties to the deceased.

As the number of elderly people living alone rises, more people have begun preparing for the end of their life. Partly for this reason, there were 1,142 charitable bequests in 2023, amounting to ¥64.3 billion. Such bequests roughly tripled over the past decade.

Even so, this figure represents only a tiny fraction of the amount that is inherited annually, which totals about ¥50 trillion. Assets that would have been inherited but that went instead to state coffers due to the absence of an heir also marked a record high of about ¥130 billion in fiscal 2024.

Charitable bequests help fund organizations that are financially struggling, aid university research and contribute to the resolution of issues that are hard for government bodies to address. Expanding charitable bequests further, to establish a culture of giving in Japan, would be deeply meaningful.

The complexity of procedures for charitable bequests is a major problem. Despite their interest in making such a donation, many people feel anxious about things such as preparing a will or are unsure about what organization they should make their bequest to. Another reason people hesitate is that many would-be recipients lack staff with specialized knowledge of bequests, making it difficult for donors to discuss the matter with them.

In March, Mie University signed a partnership with two local banks for bequests. Under the pact, these banks will promote the university to those thinking to make a charitable bequest, and when someone is interested in donating, the banks will provide advice and help draft a will.

In February, Kyoto University signed an agreement with Readyfor, Inc., an operator of a major crowdfunding platform focusing on supporting charitable bequests. By leveraging its experience in supporting fundraising for various organizations, the company said it plans to help the university spread information widely to seek bequests.

Through such partnerships, recipient organizations may be able to make up for a lack of staff with specialized knowledge. Such initiatives will also no doubt serve as an opportunity for local financial institutions to highlight their contributions to the community.

A social welfare corporation established by Showa Women’s University manages a fund named after a donor, using her bequest as a primary financial source. The city government of Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, has allocated a bequest made for child-rearing support to the purchase of educational play equipment for a facility that supports childcare.

Bequests must be put to effective use to honor the deceased’s wishes. Trust is essential for entities to be chosen to receive donations. Recipients must ensure transparency by disclosing donation records and how these donations are used.

 (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 19, 2026)