Japan Post ready to accept partial liberalization of mail delivery

Japan Post, the state-run postal services provider, would accept any proposal to liberalize the delivery services of mail of a certain weight and above in order to promote private firms’ participation in the business, its president indicated Wednesday.

“We’ll liberalize stage by stage,” Masaharu Ikuta said in a press conference.

There have been no private firms engaged in letter and postcard delivery services under the current system as strict conditions are set. They include requiring those who want to start the services to locate at least 100,000 postboxes nationwide.

Ikuta is likely to express his intent to accept the liberalization of the services based on the weight of mail when Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka’s private study panel holds a session Thursday to discuss how to encourage the private sector’s participation.