The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has ordered 111 post offices across Japan to suspend a total of 188 light trucks for failing to properly conduct alcohol checks on drivers.

Administrative Penalty

The suspensions, ranging from 15 to 160 days, will take effect from October 8. The penalty affects post offices in all 47 prefectures, with some offices losing their only delivery vehicle for months.

Company Response

Japan Post executives acknowledged the serious compliance failure and pledged to prevent a recurrence. President Shinya Kobayashi is scheduled to hold a press conference to address the issue and outline corrective measures.

Logistical Challenges

With light trucks being essential for package delivery, Japan Post plans to use external contractors and redistribute vehicles from less-affected offices to minimize disruption to its Yu-Packet and other logistics services.