Japan faces disarray in its mail delivery service as post offices, especially those in major cities and the Tokyo metropolitan area, struggle with mounting workloads following the dismissal of a large number of nonregular employees by Japan Post Service Co. (JPS) since September. And the situation could worsen this week.
Late in September, JPS started laying off or dismissing 46,000 nonpermanent and part-time workers to try to make up for a deepening deficit since it combined its courier service with that of Nippon Express Co. to form JPExpress Co.
JPS is one of four companies operating under the wings of Japan Post Holdings Co. since October 2007, after the government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi privatized postal-related services.