More than 10 percent of about4,400 privately run post offices undercontract with Japan Post mayclose, according to a survey by thepublic corporation. Of about 24,600post offices nation-wide, some 4,400are run privately mainly in ruralareas, commissioned by Japan Post.

The survey found around 500 ofthe private post offices have closedor will do so because many agents areunwilling to renew contracts with JapanPost. Japan Post conducted the surveyof post offices, most of them in townsand villages, in June and analyseddata in November. It found that 143agents want to cancel their contracts.