History of Japan's postal services, privatization

The following is the history of Japan’s postal services and key events related to the privatization of the services.

1871 — Japan’s modern post office system, modeled on the one in Britain, starts between Tokyo and Osaka.

1872 — Mail delivery becomes available throughout the nation.

1875 — The postal savings business starts

1877 — Japan joins the Universal Postal Union, an international network of postal services.

1900 — The Mail Law is enacted.

1916 — The postal life insurance business starts.

1949 — The Posts and Telecommunications Ministry is established.

1973 — The loan service begins for postal savings account holders.

1992 — Junichiro Koizumi becomes the posts and telecommunications minister.

1997 — Privatization of postal savings and insurance services is discussed as part of reform initiative under Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

2001 — The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications takes over postal services under the reorganization of government ministries.

2001 — Koizumi takes office as prime minister.

2003 — Japan Post starts operations as a state-backed postal services company while private-sector firms are allowed to launch the mail delivery business.

2004 — Koizumi’s Cabinet adopts a postal privatization plan.

2005 — The Diet rejects the privatization bill, prompting Koizumi to call a general election.

2005 — Koizumi’s Liberal Democratic Party scores a landslide victory in the election and the Diet passes the bill.

Oct. 1, 2007 — The government begins the 10-year process of Japan Post privatization.