The Worldfolio: Japan Post Insurance Balances 110 Years of Trust With AI, Impact Investing and Global Asset Management Growth
Japan Post Insurance Co., Ltd. (Kampo) is one of Japan’s largest life insurance providers, tracing its origins to the Postal Life Insurance system established in 1916. Leveraging a nationwide network of post offices and serving approximately 16 million customers, the company combines community-based accessibility with around ¥60 trillion in assets under management. Today, it is expanding beyond traditional life insurance through AI-driven customer services, impact investing, and strategic partnerships in global insurance and asset management while continuing its mission of providing peace of mind throughout every stage of life.
Could you begin by describing the key developments since you assumed your role as president and the progress the company has made since then?
When I assumed this position in June 2023, the company was operating in a very challenging environment shaped by a business improvement order by the Financial Services Agency of Japan. Among our sales personnel, motivation for sales activities had dwindled, and we were unable to stem the decrease in the number of policies in force, which gave rise to a strong sense of crisis.
Considering these situations, we have decided to steadily advance initiatives aimed at “strengthening and sustaining our sales force” for “Kampo Reconstruction.”
In December 2023, six months after I assumed this position, the obligation to submit regular reports under the business improvement order was lifted, and our business environment gradually improved.
In addition, in January 2024, we launched a new product, lump-sum payment whole life insurance, which has received positive feedback from many customers and has led to an increase in the number of new policies.
Therefore, we feel that this has enabled us to provide peace of mind to more customers.
We have three sales channels (1) Post Office Counters, (2) Retail Service Division, and (3) Wholesale, and the launch of the new product has led to a revitalization of our sales front lines.
We believe that the impact of this new product, together with the initiatives we have undertaken aimed at “strengthening and sustaining our sales force,” has generated a synergistic effect and contributed to strengthening our sales foundation.
Moreover, we have been steadily advancing initiatives to diversify our sources of revenue, including a strategic alliance with KKR and Global Atlantic in June 2023, a strategic partnership with Daiwa Securities Group Inc. and Mitsui & Co., LTD. in March 2025, and a strategic partnership with Ashmore Group plc in March 2026, thereby expanding our business reach.
As a result of these initiatives, our stock price has improved significantly since I assumed this position, and our market capitalization has almost doubled, so we are seeing positive signs of further growth.
Since becoming President, what have you consciously tried to communicate to your employees?
Since I assumed this position, I have consistently communicated three main messages to all employees.
First, I want every employee to work with confidence and pride in the fact that, for 110 years, we have provided peace of mind to the people of Japan and contributed to the development of the Japanese economy and culture, and to carry out their duties with dignity.
Second, I aim to make Japan Post Insurance a “strong company” in which all employees can demonstrate their individuality and capabilities, and thoroughly fulfill our social mission as a life insurance company, as well as our responsibilities to our customers.
Third, I also want everyone to consistently communicate with both our customers and their coworkers with respect.
Please tell us about the history and strengths of Japan Post Insurance in the Japanese insurance market?
Our predecessor originated as Postal Life Insurance, and its origin dates back to 1916.
It was launched with the social mission of “protecting the means of fundamental livelihood of the public through simple procedures,” and while cherishing the DNA that has been passed down continuously for 110 years since our founding, such as Post Office Insurance and Postal Life Insurance, we have conducted our business activities and established ourselves as one of the largest insurance companies in Japan.
In conducting our business activities, we leverage four distinctive strengths that no other competitor has.
The first strength is the “Post Office Brand.”
Post offices have established trust with customers over many years.
Peace of mind and trust in the post office — such as the sense that “They are everywhere,” “They are familiar and approachable,” and “They are deeply rooted in the community” — are major strengths.
We are responding to our customers’ desire to enroll in insurance provided by trustworthy post offices.
The second is “Post Office Network and Human Resources.”
We meet the needs of our customers in a variety of situations by offering not only over-the-counter services at post offices, but also home-visiting services provided by sales personnel.
The third strength is our “Customer Base.”
We have not only an extremely large customer base of approximately sixteen million people nationwide, but also connections with customers of the Japan Post Group, allowing us to provide many customers with peace of mind through insurance.
We will aim to expand our offering of insurance services to continue meeting the Group’s significant latent insurance needs, while creating new points of contact with customers.
The fourth strength is the “Power of Assets.”
We leverage the influence of our total assets, worth approximately ¥60 trillion, to further expand our asset management earnings and diversify our sources of revenue through business alliances mainly with other companies in the asset management field.
To meet the expectations of our customers and other stakeholders, we will leverage these strengths to enhance our corporate value and fulfill our social mission, aiming to become the most trusted and approachable insurance company in Japan.
The Postal Life Insurance Bureau building
You mentioned several additional strategic initiatives. Could you explain the most important ones?
As mentioned earlier, while cherishing the DNA that has been passed down continuously for 110 years since our founding, such as Post Office Insurance and Postal Life Insurance, we have been promoting various initiatives as a company with the aim of providing peace of mind to our customers and contributing to local communities and society.
In recent years, we have been placing particular emphasis on two initiatives: “the promotion of impact investments and the expansion of academic-industrial collaboration” and “the utilization of AI and digital technology to simplify and speed up insurance claims payment procedures.”
First, I explain “the promotion of impact investments and the expansion of academic-industrial collaboration.”
Since the state-run era, we have made investments and loans to local governments, and the funds have been used for the development of public facilities and other infrastructure throughout Japan.
This DNA of conducting a sound insurance business while contributing to the communities and society through investments and loans funded by premiums received from customers has been passed down continuously.
Currently, we have been implementing our unique impact investment framework, the Impact “K” Project aimed at expanding impact-oriented investments and loans that help solve social issues. We have also been promoting investments and loans with the warmth that is unique to Japan Post Insurance through our unique initiatives, such as promoting investments and loans that generate innovation through academic industrial collaboration with many universities.
Second, I explain “the utilization of AI and digital technology to simplify and speed up insurance claims payment procedures.”
We have incorporated AI and digital technologies to build mechanisms that allow for simple procedures and systems that enable prompt payment of insurance claims and other benefits, thereby enabling approximately 80% of our customers to receive their benefits by the second business day following their insurance claim and reducing the burden on customers associated with insurance claims.
As a result of the trust we have built up since our founding and these initiatives, we paid out approximately ¥3.7 trillion in insurance claims and other benefits in FY2025, which is the highest amount in the Japanese life insurance industry.
I believe that this figure is a testament to the trust our customers place in us and also represents our great responsibility to society.
To ensure that our customers truly feel “glad to have chosen Japan Post Insurance, we will continue to further promote these initiatives.
Looking ahead to the next medium-term plan starting in 2026, what are the main strategic pillars?
In the new Medium-Term Management Plan starting in FY2026, we will implement our growth strategies that consist of three pillars.
The first pillar is the “Establishing a stronger sales structure.”
We will accelerate growth in sales channels through streamlining sales activities and securing and developing sales staff.
In addition, we will expand insurance products and services that appeal to customer needs.
The second pillar is “Strengthening Asset Management.”
In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, positive spread was ¥255.5 billion, which was a record-high.
During the new Medium-Term Management Plan period, we will contribute to further improving profitability and creating new value by aiming to continuously achieve record-high levels of profit spread.
To expand our asset management earnings and realize the creation of new value, it is necessary to strengthen our asset management foundation. Accordingly, in April 2026 we launched “JPI Research Institute” as a dedicated organization responsible for think-tank functions.
Going forward, we will work to strengthen economic research functions and to train and secure professional human resources.
The third pillar is “Taking on the Future.”
We position “Take on the Future” initiatives through alliances and investments as one of the pillars of our growth strategy, and are currently working to build a foundation for capturing revenue opportunities from new fields, mainly in overseas insurance markets and the asset management business.
Specifically, in July 2025 we decided to invest $2 billion in Global Atlantic Vehicle, and in March 2026 we established a strategic partnership with Ashmore Group plc.
Through these initiatives, we have been working to capture steady revenue opportunities from overseas insurance markets.
With regard to the asset management business, through our strategic partnership with Daiwa Asset Management, we are working to achieve growth and profitability in the new NISA and alternative investment.
Through these initiatives, during the new Medium-Term Management Plan period, we will deepen alliances with existing partners and broadly explore new areas that are aligned with our company and offer potential synergies and profit contributions, with the aim of achieving returns exceeding the cost of capital of 7–8%.
In FY2030, based on adjusted profit, we aim to achieve profit growth that is severalfold, and thereby achieve sustainable growth and enhance our corporate value.
Could you explain the status of your partnership with Daiwa Securities Group Inc., which began in May 2024?
In May 2024 we commenced a partnership with Daiwa Securities Group Inc. and Daiwa Asset Management Co. Ltd.
Through investments with Daiwa Asset Management Co. Ltd. and our collaborative relationship in the field of asset management, we have entrusted a portion of our assets under management to Daiwa Asset Management Co. Ltd. and established a structure that enables us to leverage the company’s overseas base in New York as well as its advanced professional human resources.
We are also enhancing our investment capabilities through the dispatch of our asset management specialists to the company to further develop their skills.
In order to leverage the various strengths of this overseas base, we intend to continue exploring further utilization of the company’s overseas base going forward.
In March 2025 we also commenced a capital and business alliance among Daiwa Securities Group, Japan Post Insurance, and Mitsui & Co., in the alternative asset management.
By pursuing this alliance, we aim to improve investment income through sophisticated alternative investment management and to upgrade specialized human resources through personnel exchanges.
Alliance among Mitsui & Co., Daiwa Securities Group, and Japan Post Insurance
Finally, how would you describe the long-term mission of Japan Post Insurance?
We believe it is our mission to become an “essential company” that continues to provide peace of mind to our customers.
Our goal is to remain a company that is truly needed by society, trusted by customers, and continually brings value to their lives.
Without forgetting our starting point that the trust that we receive from our customers is the source of our corporate value, we will steadily fulfill our social mission, which is “We will remain trusted and selected by customers, thereby protecting their lives by providing life insurance products.”
Going forward, we will transition from reconstruction to a new phase of growth and challenge in order to achieve sustainable growth for our company and keep providing peace of mind to our customers.
To do this, we will place great importance on the concept of providing timely support for our customers’ life events throughout their lives, and establish and further develop the Kampo brand as the most trusted and approachable in Japan, in order to continue providing peace of mind to our customers.
For more information, visit their website at: https://www.jp-life.japanpost.jp/english/index.html
