September 30, 2022 Status of Special Mail Business Licenses

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has summarized the status of special mail business licenses in FY2021 according to the business performance reports and business reports of special mail business licensees.

[Summary of status results]

The Act on Letter Service by Private Business Operators (Act No. 99 of 2002) came into effect in 2003, allowing private business operators to enter the postal field (for correspondence delivery), which the government had monopolized until then. 19 years have passed since then. While entry into the special mail business licenses is steadily increasing, the number of special mail items accepted and the total sales of special mail decreased in FY2021.
The number of special mail business licensees was 586 as of the end of FY2021 (an increase of 19 from the end of the previous fiscal year).
Approximately 20.06 million items of special mail were accepted in total in FY2021 (decreased by approximately 990,000 items from the previous fiscal year (down 4.7%)).
The total sales of special mail were approximately 18.3 billion yen in FY2021 (down approximately 1.5 billion yen (7.6%) from the previous fiscal year).

[Outline of reporting system]

Under Article 41 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Act on Letter Service by Private Business Operators (MIC Ordinance No. 27 of 2003), each special mail business licensee is required to submit an annual business performance report on the number of pieces of special mail accepted and sales, along with a business report on the management style, capital, etc.

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