September 19, 2024 Implementation of the Demonstration Project for Providing Services Essential to Local Communities, with Post Offices as 'Community Hubs' (hereinafter referred to as the "Demonstration Project"), as part of the Project for Promoting Collaboration between Post Offices and Regional Public Infrastructures (hereinafter referred to as the "Collaboration Promotion Project") for FY 2024.

 The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has been implementing the Collaboration Promotion Project since FY 2022. As part of the Project, the MIC will conduct the Demonstration Project from Tuesday, October 1, as outlined below.

1. Overview

 In the Collaboration Promotion Project, which has been underway since FY 2022, the MIC has utilized digital technology and the post office network, connecting 24,000 post offices nationwide, to conduct a demonstration project aimed at solving regional issues. This project fosters collaboration between post offices and regional public infrastructures, such as local governments, with the goal of deploying a model case throughout the country.
 This fiscal year, as part of the Collaboration Promotion Project, the MIC focuses on the theme of "ensuring regional sustainability by utilizing post offices as community hubs." Under this theme, a post office will be entrusted with certain administrative tasks from the local government and will provide online medical services and medication counseling using a vacant space. This demonstration project, aimed at centrally providing various services at the post office, will be conducted for the first time in Japan in Akiota-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture.

2. Summary of the demonstration project

1. Place of implementation

 Yasuno Post Office (925-1 Akiota-cho-ana, Yamagata-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture)

2. Implementation period

 Tuesday, October 1, 2024, to Wednesday, January 15, 2025 (scheduled)

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  Online medical services and medication counseling are available every Monday and Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the above period.

3. Details of the demonstration project

 Utilizing post offices as "community hubs" to ensure regional sustainability requires verification of their ability to supplement a municipal branch’s tasks. To do so, municipal counter services, such as issuing certificates, will be assigned to Yasuno Post Office.
 Furthermore, a private room ensuring privacy on the premise of Yasuno Post Office will be used to provide real-time medical treatment through information communication devices connecting doctors and patients. The medical services will be provided by connecting to a cooperating medical institution (Akiota Hospital) via an Internet connection. The patients will be limited to those with diseases or conditions that can be treated online.
 Patients who receive their prescriptions through online medical care and wish to obtain online medication counseling can do so via an Internet connection to a cooperating pharmacy.

3. Other

A ceremony to mark the start of the demonstration project will be held at Yasuno Post Office at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, September 30, 2024.