In articulating our ideas for a special issue on qualitative research in the AsiaPacific region we were mindful of the diversity of research and practice in this region. Geography, social, economic and political history, culture and religion have all played their part in determining the nature of social work practice and research in this vast region. We were interested to discover how cultural frameworks and the context in which the research was carried out influenced research design and practice. Each of the four articles speak to these issues and demonstrate through a range of perspectives how research practice is embedded within the cultural context of the populations being studied and how this impacts both on the topics to be studied and on research protocols and processes.Two themes are fundamental to our understanding of research in the Asia-Pacific region and have relevance for researchers in other regions who wish to authentically engage with knowledge production and dialogue with other qualitative researchers about the issues that contribute to the construction of research practice. The first concerns the universality of qualitative research and the challenges inherent in building understanding of research practice across cultures and the second is focused on the emerging presence of indigenous social work and the challenge to indigenization which is perceived as importing social work practice from the west to the rest without little consideration of the cultural and local contexts of practice (Gray et al., 2008b: 8). Indigenous social work involves indigenous peoples identifying culturally relevant responses to diverse local contexts including their leadership in developing

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The purpose of this article is to trace the historical development of self-help groups in Japan, and to discuss current issues that Japanese self-help groups face in their relationships with professionals and in civil society. This particular history is divided into five phases: from ancient times to the 1910s, the 1920s to the early 1950s, the late 1950s through the 1970s, the 1980s to the 1990s, and 2000 and beyond. In addition, the political situations and the influence of Western culture on self-help groups are described. Current issues in self-help groups' relationships with professionals are caused by the professionals' disregard for communal learning of "experiential knowledge" through self-help groups, and also their confusion concerning the difference between peer-led self-help groups and professional-led support groups. Furthermore, I discuss problems relating to changes in the Japanese legal status of "public benefit corporation" which impacts self-help groups.

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