This paper examines recent developments in organized civil society in Japan and Taiwan, and finds different paths of development and patterns of mutual constitution between civil society and democracy. Organized civil society in Japan is restricted mostly because of state monopolization of the public arena, but it did benefit from democracy and expand continuously before the 1990s. Organized civil society later gained some momentum from a specific crisis, which gave it leverage to strengthen alliances and influence the state monopolization, as well as strengthen its connections with the state. In comparison, civil society in Taiwan expanded after the state lifted the restrictions on the right to organize following the social movement's successful breakdown of the authoritarian regime in the 1980s. Afterwards, civil society refocused on social organization and tried to establish a relationship with government with greater governance effectiveness.