Photo/Illutration Japan Post Co. vehicles (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Japan Post Co. has not publicly disclosed the presence of about 4,000 pieces of mail that postal workers discarded or stashed away over four years through 2024, sources said.

In some cases, the senders could not be identified, raising concerns that they may remain unaware that their mail failed to reach the addressed recipient.

Japan Post announced 23 cases between 2021 and 2024 in which postal workers abandoned or concealed mail in their care. In total, more than 25,000 items were not properly delivered.

Some cases led to police investigations.

However, according to sources, there were at least 30 additional cases during the same period in which mail failed to properly reach the intended recipients due to inappropriate handling by postal workers. These cases involved about 4,000 items.

Undelivered mail was found in a post office locker, a break room, employees’ homes and a parcel delivery locker at an apartment, among other places. 

At a post office in Okinawa Prefecture, shredded mail was discovered among the shredded scrap.

According to Japan Post, the general rule has been to make public only non-delivery cases that in-house investigations determined to be crimes.

For example, cases deemed to be the result of “negligence,” rather than “intentional misconduct,” have not been disclosed based on a comprehensive assessment.

The company may also choose not to disclose cases where the individual responsible cannot be identified.

Japan Post said that even for undisclosed non-delivery cases, it has apologized and explained the circumstances to senders wherever possible.

However, the company acknowledged that in some cases, the sender cannot be identified, making it impossible to offer an apology or explanation.

If non-delivery cases are not made public, senders have no way of knowing that their mail may not have reached its intended destination.

In response to an inquiry from The Asahi Shimbun, Japan Post said, “We sincerely apologize that our employees have abandoned or concealed mail and other items.”

While acknowledging that there have been cases of inappropriate handling by employees beyond those disclosed, the company said it does not plan to announce the number of such cases.

The company said it reports undisclosed cases to the communications ministry when requested but it does not make them public even then.

“Since cases (of inappropriate handling) involve various forms and circumstances, we recognize that consideration for our employees’ human rights is a factor that must not be ignored,” Japan Post said.

The company added that it will consider reviewing its disclosure policy based on feedback it has received from the communications ministry.

Under the Postal Law, Japan Post is the sole entity authorized to handle mail, such as letters, postcards and invoices.

The law prescribes imprisonment or fines for unjustly concealing, discarding or delaying mail, as well as for losing it through gross negligence.

While some undisclosed cases were not reported to police in the past, Japan Post said it now consults with law enforcement on all potentially illegal cases, regardless of whether they involve intent or negligence.

The company did not discuss when or why it changed the practice.

(This article was written by Nobuya Sawa, a senior staff writer, Yosuke Takashima and Yuji Masuyama.)

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