Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama said Tuesday he will order Japan Post Holdings Co. to report on all property sales it conducted before privatization began in October 2007.
The order comes after opposition parties criticized some of the deals as ridiculously underpriced. Hatoyama told a news conference that Japan Post will have to submit the report by March 17.
Last month, Japan Post canceled a controversial contract it had with leasing company Orix Corp. regarding the sale of a nationwide resort inn network the postal system developed for insurance customers after Hatoyama cast doubt on the fairness of the bidding process for the contract and raised the possibility of a conflict of interest on the part of Orix.