Post office - yūbinkyoku

Japanese: 郵便局 - ゆうびんきょく

This article mainly describes post offices before the privatization of the postal service. In 2007, Japan Post was privatized and spun off into the Japan Post Group. The Japan Post Group is made up of the holding company Japan Post Holdings Co., Ltd. and four operating companies Japan Post Network Co., Ltd. (Post Office), Japan Post Service Co., Ltd. (Japan Post), Japan Post Bank Co., Ltd., and Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd. (Japan Post Life), and the postal business was taken over by each of these companies. Since privatization, most post offices have been managed by Japan Post Network Co., Ltd. For information on post offices after privatization, see the "Japan Post Network Co., Ltd." entry.

Post offices are institutions established under the Japan Post Public Corporation Act (Act No. 97 of 2002), and are responsible for the operational work of local branches (until January 5, 2001, they were established under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Establishment Act, and thereafter, until March 2003, they were established under the Postal Services Agency Establishment Act). In addition to these, there are simplified post offices, which were established under the Simple Post Office Act (Act No. 213 of 1949).

Post offices are broadly divided into ordinary post offices and designated post offices. Designated post offices are "post offices headed by a designated post office manager," and the manager is appointed at will through a selection process. Most of these offices are the successors of the former third-class post offices (see below). The rest of the post offices are ordinary post offices, and are generally located in major urban areas.

[Osamu Yamaguchi and Masayoshi Kobayashi]

kinds

Post offices can be divided into collection and delivery offices and non-collection and delivery offices based on their functions. Collection and delivery offices are responsible for counter services as well as mail collection and delivery and savings collection, while non-collection and delivery offices are only responsible for counter services and are not responsible for collection and delivery. Both ordinary and designated post offices can be divided into collection and delivery offices and non-collection and delivery offices depending on whether they handle collection and delivery services or not. As of the end of March 2002, there were 4,884 collection and delivery offices and 19,889 non-collection and delivery offices (including simplified post offices). Non-collection and delivery offices include the following special post offices.

(1) Centralized post office A post office in a large city that centralizes and processes regular and parcel mail by machine. These offices are located in Yokohama and Nagoya.

(2) Onboard Post Office: A post office installed on board a ship sailing on a foreign sea route. There used to be many of them, but in recent years the only ones installed are on the Cabinet Office (formerly the Prime Minister's Office) Southeast Asia cruise ship "Youth Ship" and the Antarctic research vessel.

(3) Regularly Operated Stations: These are designated or simplified stations that are open for a limited period each year. They are also called seasonal stations. The first Mt. Fuji station was opened in July 1906 (Meiji 39).

(4) International Post Offices International post offices are established as post offices that specialize in handling international mail, and are responsible for sending and receiving mail by airmail or sea mail. However, not only international post offices but all post offices handle international mail. However, in each country, post offices are designated to handle both sending and receiving mail in a centralized manner, rather than all post offices sending mail directly to the post office of the other country. These designated post offices are called exchange offices, and are often located in cities with international airports or trade ports. In Japan, the Tokyo International Post Office, the New Tokyo International Post Office, the Yokohama Port Post Office, the Nagoya Central Post Office, the Osaka Central Post Office, the Kobe Central Post Office, the Hakata Post Office, and the Naha Central Post Office are designated as exchange offices. In the past, when railways played a central role in mail transport, there were railway post offices that specialized in mail transport by rail, but due to the major reform of the postal transport system, which was mainly carried out by automobiles in February 1984 (Showa 59), and was called "Gokyu-ni," they were completely abolished in October 1986 (Showa 61). When railway post offices existed, they were called stationary posts, in contrast to mobile railway post offices.

Additionally, among post offices that serve as bases for sorting or transporting mail, there are those known as "regional sorting offices" that are responsible for the area that corresponds to the first two digits of the postal code. These offices handle the dispatch of mail sent from regional sorting offices in other regions to post offices in their respective regions, and the dispatch of mail sent from post offices in their respective regions to regional sorting offices in other regions or to post offices in their own regions. In a sense, they play a role similar to that of exchange offices that handle international mail, and there are 84 of them nationwide. The office that oversees the administrative work of post offices like this is known as a general office. Among these general offices, larger ones, such as those in prefectural capitals, are designated as central post offices.

[Osamu Yamaguchi and Masayoshi Kobayashi]

History

When the postal service was first established in 1871, in addition to post offices established by the government, post offices were established at key locations along the Tokaido road and elsewhere. The management of these offices was entrusted to private citizens, who carried out the work of the postal service as the lowest level institutions in the postal business. In January 1875 (Meiji 8), all post offices and post offices were unified under the name "post office," but the content of the post offices did not change. In March 1886 (Meiji 19), post offices were divided into three classes, with government-established offices becoming first class offices, second class offices, and offices that were the successors of post offices becoming third class offices. At the time, there were 78 first and second class offices, including branch offices, and approximately 4,000 third class offices. By the end of the Taisho era, there were 266 first and second class offices, and over 8,400 third class offices. In February 1941, the grading system for post offices was abolished, and first and second class post offices became known as ordinary post offices, and third class post offices became known as designated post offices. As of the end of March 2002, there were 1,308 ordinary post offices, 18,934 designated post offices, and 4,531 simplified post offices, totaling 24,773 post offices, which made up the post office network.

[Osamu Yamaguchi and Masayoshi Kobayashi]

"The Dawn of Modern Postal Service," edited by the Communications Museum (1990, Daiichi Hoki Publishing)" ▽ " The 120-Year History of Postal Service, edited by the Postal Business History Compilation Office of the Postal Bureau, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (1991, Gyosei)" ▽ "The Future of Postal Savings and Post Offices," by Kaneko Hideaki (1993, Toyo Keizai Inc.)" ▽ "Illustrated Guide to the Post Office: Postal Services, Postal Savings, and Postal Insurance," by the Postal Service Research Group (1998, Toyo Keizai Inc.)" ▽ "The Postman's Tears," by Sasayama Hisazo (1998, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)" ▽ "A Stamp Collection of Landscapes of 10,000 Post Offices Nationwide," edited by Yamamoto Subaru and supervised by Tomooka Masataka (1998, Nippon Yushu Publishing)" ▽ "Post Office Privatization Plans," by Harada Jun (2001, Toyo Keizai Inc.) "Ikeda Makoto, 'Postal Privatization: Where are Post Offices Heading?' (2001, Gendaishokan)" ▽ "Kano Kazuhiko, 'Postboxes Connect Community and Life: Post Offices Are Full of Interaction' (2001, Japan Management Association Management Center)" ▽ "Matsubara Satoshi, 'Illustrated Guide to Understanding the Japan Post Public Corporation at a Glance: 77 Points to Predict the Post Office After Correspondence' (2002, Sunmark Publishing)" ▽ "Saito Kazuo, 'Creating Post Offices that Send Out Inspiration' (2002, Yukensha)" ▽ "Central Japan Post Publishing Co., Ltd., 'Debate : The Day Post Offices Disappear' (Central Japan Post Publishing Co., Ltd., 2002, Yukensha)" edited by Chuko Shinsho Lacre Editorial Department, 'Debate: The Day Post Offices Disappear' (Central Japan Post Publishing Co., Ltd.)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

本項目では、おもに郵政民営化以前の郵便局について記述する。2007年（平成19）日本郵政公社は日本郵政グループへと民営化、分社化された。日本郵政グループは、持株会社「日本郵政株式会社」と、四つの事業会社「郵便局株式会社（郵便局）」「郵便事業株式会社（日本郵便）」「株式会社ゆうちょ銀行」「株式会社かんぽ生命保険（かんぽ生命）」からなり、郵政事業は各社に引き継がれた。民営化以降、ほとんどの郵便局は郵便局株式会社が統括している。民営化以降の郵便局については、「郵便局株式会社」の項目を参照。

　日本郵政公社法（平成14年法律第97号）によって設置された機関で、地方支社の事務のうち、現業事務を行うのが郵便局である（2001年1月5日までは郵政省設置法により、以降、2003年3月までは郵政事業庁設置法による）。これとは別に簡易郵便局法（昭和24年法律213号）によって設置された簡易郵便局がある。

　郵便局は、まず普通局と特定郵便局に大別される。特定郵便局とは「特定郵便局長を長とする郵便局」で、局長は選考による自由任用制をとっているのが特徴である。その大部分の局は、かつての三等郵便局（後述）の後身である。それ以外の郵便局が普通局で、おおむね都市部の主要地に設置されている。

［山口　修・小林正義］

種類

郵便局を機能の面から分けると、集配局と無集配局に分けられる。集配局は、窓口業務とともに郵便物の集配、貯金の集金業務等を担当する郵便局で、無集配局は、窓口業務のみを行い、集配業務等を担当しない郵便局である。普通局、特定局ともに集配などの業務を担当するかしないかによって、集配局と無集配局に分けられる。2002年（平成14）3月末の時点では、集配局4884局、無集配（簡易局を含む）1万9889局となっていた。無集配局のなかには、次のような特殊な郵便局が含まれている。

(1)集中郵便局　大都市において通常および小包郵便物を集中して機械処理を行う郵便局で、横浜、名古屋に設置。

(2)船内郵便局　外国航路に就航する船舶内に設けられる郵便局で、かつては数も多かったが、近年は内閣府（旧総理府）の東南アジア巡航船「青年の船」や南極観測船に設けられるもののみである。

(3)定期開設局　毎年一定の期間を限って開かれる特定局または簡易局をさし、季節局ともよばれる。1906年（明治39）7月、初めて富士山局が開設された。

(4)国際郵便局　国際郵便物を専門に処理する郵便局として国際郵便局が設けられ、航空郵便または船便による郵便物の差立(さしたて)および受入れ事務を担当。ただし、国際郵便の取扱いは、国際郵便局ばかりでなく、すべての郵便局で行っている。しかし、各国ともすべての郵便局から直接相手国の郵便局へ送るのではなく、発送する場合も受領する場合も、集中して取り扱う局が指定されている。その指定された郵便局を交換局とよんでおり、国際空港や貿易港のある都市に設置されることが多い。日本では、東京国際局、新東京国際局、横浜港局、名古屋中央局、大阪中央局、神戸中央局、博多局、那覇中央局が交換局に指定されている。かつて、郵便輸送の中心的な役割を鉄道が果たしていたときには、鉄道による郵便輸送を専門に取り扱う鉄道郵便局があったが、1984年つまり昭和59年2月に行われたことから「ごうきゅうに」と称される自動車を主体とする郵便輸送システムの大改正により、1986年（昭和61）10月に全廃された。鉄道郵便局が存在していた当時、動く鉄道郵便局に対し、その他の郵便局は静止局とよばれていた。

　また、郵便物の区分あるいは運送の拠点となる郵便局のなかで、郵便番号の上2桁(けた)の地域を受け持つ「地域区分局」とよばれる局がある。ここでは他地域の地域区分局から送付された郵便物を、受持地域内の郵便局への差立事務、受持地域の郵便局から送付された郵便物を、他地域の地域区分局または自地域の郵便局と差し立てる事務を行っている。ある意味では、国際郵便物を取り扱う交換局に似た役割で、全国に84局ある。以上のような郵便局の事務を統括する局が統括局とよばれている。統括局のなかで県庁所在地にあるなど、規模の大きい局は中央郵便局に指定されている。

［山口　修・小林正義］

沿革

郵便創業（1871年）当初、政府が設置した郵便役所のほか、東海道筋などの要所に郵便取扱所が設けられた。郵便取扱所は民間人を取扱役として経営を委任し、その人たちが郵便事業の末端の機関として業務を担っていた。1875年（明治8）1月に、郵便役所、郵便取扱所もすべて「郵便局」の名称で統一されたが、内容が変わったわけではない。86年（明治19）3月、郵便局は三等級に分けられ、政府設置の局が一等局、二等局、郵便取扱所の後身である局が三等局となった。当時の一等局、二等局は、支局を含めて78局、三等局は約4000局であった。大正末年には、一等局、二等局は266局、三等局は8400局を超えていた。1941年（昭和16）2月に、郵便局の等級制が廃止され、一等局、二等局は普通局、三等局は特定局とよばれるようになった。2002年3月末の時点では、普通局は1308局、特定局1万8934局、簡易局4531局、合計2万4773局あり、郵便局ネットを構成していた。

［山口　修・小林正義］

『逓信総合博物館編著『近代郵便のあけぼの』（1990・第一法規出版）』▽『郵政省郵務局郵便事業史編纂室編『郵便創業120年の歴史』（1991・ぎょうせい）』▽『金子秀明著『郵貯・郵便局の未来』（1993・東洋経済新報社）』▽『郵便サービス研究会著『図解　郵便局がまるごとわかる本――郵便サービス・郵便貯金・簡易保険』（1998・東洋経済新報社）』▽『笹山久三著『郵便屋の涙』（1998・河出書房新社）』▽『山本昴編・友岡正孝監修『全国郵便局10000局　風景スタンプ集』（1998・日本郵趣出版）』▽『原田淳著『郵便局民営化計画』（2001・東洋経済新報社）』▽『池田実著『郵政民営化――郵便局はどこへ行く』（2001・現代書館）』▽『鹿野和彦著『地域と暮らしをポストがつなぐ――郵便局はふれあい満載』（2001・日本能率協会マネジメントセンター）』▽『松原聡監修『図解　郵政公社が見る見るわかる――公社化後の郵便局を見通すための77項』（2002・サンマーク出版）』▽『斉藤一雄著『感動発信の郵便局づくり』（2002・郵研社）』▽『中公新書ラクレ編集部編『論争・郵便局が消える日』（中公新書ラクレ）』