文档介绍：Postal Banking in ARY United States AND and ECONOMIC Japan: parative STUDIES/MAY Analysis 2000
Postal Banking
in the United States
and Japan:
parative
Analysis
Patricia Hagan Kuwayama
This paper analyzes the experience of the . postal savings system,
pares it to Japan’s experience with a view to assessing the
past and potential future role of the postal savings system in Japan.
It finds that demand for postal savings deposits is explained, in both
countries, mainly by two variables: price (interest differentials) and
confidence in private banks. Geographical accessibility in rural areas
is of less, and diminishing, importance. It is argued that postal
banking should be viewed as an alternative to publicly sponsored
deposit insurance, as a means to ensure households’ access to safe and
convenient savings and payment services. Accordingly, the reforms
undertaken in the next few years under the outline set out by
the 1998 Basic Law on the Reform of Central Government
Ministries and Agencies might best aim to restructure postal savings
as a “narrow bank,” whose services are priced to fully reflect costs
and risks incurred.
Key words: . postal savings; Japanese postal savings; Deposit
insurance; Narrow bank
Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia University, Graduate School
of Business
This paper benefited ments and suggestions by Thomas Cargill, Brian
Gendreau, Yuri Okina, Hugh Patrick, Joseph Sommer, and Juro Teranishi. Kunio Okina
and other colleagues provided invaluable help and encouragement during the author’s
stay at the Institute for ary and Economic Studies.
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I. Introduction and Summary
Japan is one of many countries that is reconsidering the role of its postal savings
system as it prepares for the financial realities of the 21st century. Postal banks, which
were introduced in most industrial countries during the second half of the 19th
century or the early 20th century, are generally deemed t