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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Japanese and U.S. officials have regularly discussed Japan's postal privatization

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has held "weekly meetings with key players" promoting the privatization of Japanese postal services, suggesting that the United States has heavily interfered in Japanese policy-making.

A United States Trade Representative's Office official stated this in her testimony at the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on September 28.

This was revealed by Japanese Communist Party representative Daimon Mikishi at the House of Councilors Special Committee on Postal Privatization on October 13.

"This is an extraordinary act of interference. Its aims is to benefit major U.S. insurance companies," Daimon said.

The congressional testimony in question was given by Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative to Japan, Korea and APEC Affairs. She stated, "(W)e are attaching top priority and doing everything we can in working with the insurance industry," adding that "our embassy is holding weekly meetings with key players who work on this subject in Japan."

Asked who in Japan are sympathetic to United States interests, she answered, "They're business groups in Japan, they're the Japanese life insurance companies that are supporting out position," and that "there are many, frankly, in the Japanese government that are very sympathetic to our position."

Her statement shows that the U.S. Congress has constantly urged Japan to make a favorable response to the U.S. demand for Japan's postal privatization.

Daimon stressed that such bills must be scrapped because the U.S. government and business circles have been involved in the process of amending Japan's key domestic laws, including the latest postal issue.

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro said, "It's not an extraordinary matter. These meetings have been used as a place to listen to U.S. requests concerning Japan." -- Akahata, October 14, 2005