Overview
- The revision was approved by the Diet on June 19, 2026, and establishes a grant program to start in fiscal 2027 financed by dividends from state-held Japan Post stock, set at about ¥65 billion per year.
- The law requires Japan Post Holdings to retain its stakes in Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance for the time being, pausing earlier plans for early sale of those financial units.
- It adds the acceptance of municipal public-service contracts to Japan Post’s core duties so local offices can take on tasks such as government paperwork and benefit delivery.
- The change marks a policy shift away from strict privatization toward steady public backing for the roughly 24,000-strong post office network and will reshape debates over future privatization and fiscal trade-offs.
- Japan’s postal network has weakened since the 2007 privatization because of population decline and falling mail volumes, and the new law formalizes public support as a tool to preserve regional services and access.