Gov't mulling Toyota Italy's Kitamura as head of mail delivery firm

The government is eyeing Norio Kitamura, chairman of Toyota Motor Italia, to assume the presidency of a mail delivery service company to be created through the privatization of Japan Post in October 2007, sources familiar with the issue said Friday.

Kitamura, 64, has emerged as the likeliest candidate for the new post as Toshihiro Takahashi, currently vice president of Japan Post and a former Toyota Motor Corp. managing director, declined to take the position when asked by the government, the sources said.

Takahashi, 66, is credited for his leadership in improving the efficiency of Japan Post’s mail delivery operations by introducing Toyota-style management skills.

The mail delivery service company is one of four stock firms to be created in October next year by splitting Japan Post’s businesses as part of the postal privatization.

The other three firms will be in charge of postal savings, postal insurance and over-the-counter services, respectively.

The government is set to select Shigeo Kawa, a 59-year-old corporate officer of supermarket chain Ito-Yokado Co., as the president of the OTC service company that will manage about 24,000 post offices across Japan.

President Josuke Shindo, 61, of Tokio Marine & Nichido Systems Co. is expected to take the helm of the postal insurance company.

The government is still looking for a competent person to head the postal savings company as its initial choice, Hideo Ogasawara, 67, a former president of UFJ Holdings Inc., has no intention of accepting the post.

The government is expected to announce the presidents of the four privatized postal companies next week.