Japan Post Minivehicles to Be Halted over Improper Roll Calls

Jiji Press

11:56 JST, September 3, 2025

Tokyo, Sept. 3 (Jiji Press)—Japan’s transport ministry is set to notify Japan Post Co. as early as Wednesday of a plan to suspend minivehicle operations at post offices, following a scandal over improper roll calls for delivery drivers, informed sources said.

The ministry will notify some 100 post offices of the planned punishment, which will be formally issued next month at the earliest after post offices are given opportunities to present their explanations.

It will be the first time that a ministry penalty affects operations of the company’s some 32,000 minivehicles, with the plan seen halting the use of up to half of vehicles at each post office for a certain period.

Japan Post is expected to increase the outsourcing of pickup and delivery operations to deal with the measure. Its general truck transport business license was revoked by the ministry in June over the scandal, barring it from operating trucks for five years.

The company announced in April that roll calls for mandatory alcohol and health checks on its delivery drivers had been conducted in an inappropriate manner at around 2,400 post offices across the country.

The transport ministry is conducting a special audit of Japan Post based on the trucking business law, and is expected to issue notices for more punishment plans.