Japan: The Japanese government has set the ball rolling in the privatisation of JAPAN POST, the world's largest financial institution with some 355,000 billion yen in savings and life assurance. As of 1 April 2007, the Japanese postal service, which employs around 270,000, will be split into four entities (savings, life assurance, post and administration of the network of offices), under a holding parent company 100% owned by the State, which will gradually cede shares to the private...