Yamato Transport Calls for Downsized Japanese Public Parcel Service

Japan should downsize the public parcel delivery service run by Japan Post, Yamato Transport Co. President Atsushi Yamazaki said Monday.

On the planned privatization of the “Yucho” postal savings and other operations, the government should place more priority on the benefits for the whole of the nation instead of on maintaining the jobs of Japan Post’s 270,000 employees, Yamazaki said in an interview with Jiji Press.

Japan no longer needs a public sector role in parcel delivery services, he said, urging the government-owned corporation to at least trim its parcel delivery service.

Yamazaki criticized Japan Post’s recent tie-up with Lawson Inc. in parcel delivery services, which pushed Yamato Transport out of its similar deal with the convenience store chain.

To launch the service, Japan Post has to ask other firms to pick up parcels from Lawson stores on its behalf, Yamazaki noted, wondering why the corporation has to start a service that it cannot carry out by itself.

Yamazaki said he has no worries at all over the possibility that other convenience store chains may also switch to Japan Post from Yamato Transport in parcel services, stressing that Yamato’s service is better than Japan Post’s.

Japan Post is giving unfair discounts on its parcel service using its privileges such as its virtual monopoly in the mail business and its preferential treatment in tax and other legal affairs, Yamazaki claimed.

Yamato Transport will consider requesting probes into the discounts by the Fair Trade Commission, he said.