Although the Japanese economy is largely based on private enterprise, it has a number of government-owned (public) corporations, which are more extensive and, in some cases, different in function from what exists in the United States.
Public companies at the national level were normally affiliated with one of the economic ministries, although the extent of direct management and supervision varied.
In 2003, Japan Post was formed out of the former government-run postal services, but privatization is still pending and a major issue in Japanese politics.
Because public corporations also added revenue to the national budget and were, theoretically, self-financing they required little from the government in the way of financial support.
The reemployment of retired bureaucrats as advisers to these corporations as well as to many private-sector firms was rather common, especially in the late 1960s and early 1970s, under the title amakudari (descent from heaven).