Is Sales at Japan Post Insurance Tough? | The Reality of Quotas and Turnover Rates

"Sales at Japan Post Insurance is tough"—I have heard these words many times in my career counseling sessions. The intensity of the distress varies, from those hesitant about joining the company to those already being chased by numbers and wanting to quit.

Japan Post Insurance is the life insurance company of the Japan Post Group. It delivers insurance through the nationwide post office network, and I have personally worked in the field, moving from telecommunications sales to IT sales. Currently, I handle career change consultations for about 500 people a year.

To give you the conclusion first, even if the name 'quota' disappears, numerical targets remain, and the reality is that the turnover rate is split into two distinct layers depending on the job type. Based on publicly available financial results and securities reports, as well as the realities I see in my consulting work, I will explain the true nature of the difficulty and the next steps to take.

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[Author Profile]
Hayato Nakajima / Career Advisor
Zacoo Co., Ltd. / Paid Employment Placement Business (License Number: 13-Yu-316358)

Started his career in manufacturing, then moved into sales in the telecommunications and IT industries before becoming a career advisor. He has a unique background, having survived various 'work sites' himself, from manual labor to the front lines of business.

As a specialist who conveys the 'reality of the field' rather than textbook career theory, he supports the career changes of over 500 job seekers annually.
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The reality behind why Japan Post Insurance sales are said to be tough

The reality is that even after the abolition of the term 'quota,' numerical targets remain in Japan Post Insurance sales, and the perceived difficulty varies greatly depending on the job type and assignment.
Even though we call it 'sales,' the way of working at Japan Post Insurance varies significantly by job type and assignment. The reason why the voice saying it is 'tough' is so widespread is that multiple factors overlap: pressure from numbers, cold-calling, and organizational culture. First, I will grasp the overall picture and then organize the individual realities.

Three main reasons why it is said to be tough

The reasons why Japan Post Insurance sales are said to be tough can be broadly organized into three points. The first is the pressure of numbers; even after the name 'quota' disappeared, numbers remain in the form of targets. The second is cold-calling at private homes and visiting elderly people, which leads to a cumulative mental burden from being constantly rejected.

The third is the reprimands when numerical targets are not met and an organizational culture that demands people to 'read between the lines,' which adds to the difficulty of interpersonal relationships. In the background, there is the improper sales issue of 2019, and the fact that the sales structure was reviewed following administrative actions by the Financial Services Agency and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications still casts a shadow over the atmosphere in the field and the public's reputation.

The reason why voices calling it 'terrible' or 'persistent' never cease is that these three elements are passed down as individual experiences. In my consulting work, I have met many people who have become exhausted by the combination of these three factors.

The structure where the company is stable but the sales field is tough

What is often overlooked is that the stability of the company and the difficulty of the sales field are two different things. Japan Post Insurance's fiscal year ending March 2025 maintained a surplus with a net income attributable to owners of the parent of 123.4 billion yen and ordinary profit of 170.2 billion yen.

Looking only at the financial results, the management foundation is solid, and it is not a company that will collapse anytime soon. However, even within the same company, the pressure of numbers is concentrated on individuals on the front lines of field sales. Even if the total turnover rate averaged across the entire company is low, the scene is completely different if you isolate only the sales field.

I believe that this two-layered structure of 'the company is stable, but the sales field is tough' is the biggest reason why reviews are split. When judging whether to join or change jobs, it is important to have a perspective that looks at the reality of the job you will be doing, not just the company's brand. If you decide based only on the image of stability in the job posting, you are more likely to feel a gap after joining.

The true nature of the difficulty of Japan Post sales and the reality of quotas

If you ask whether quotas have really disappeared, even if the name 'recruitment target' has vanished, detailed numerical targets remain in the field.
Since the 2019 issue, Japan Post Insurance has explained that it has abolished recruitment targets. So, has the pressure of numbers disappeared from the field?

In reality, numbers remain in the form of targets and progress management, and the roots of difficulty remain in the sales style and organizational culture. I will break down the true nature of the difficulty from three angles: quotas, cold-calling, and organizational culture.

Numerical targets that remain even after the abolition of quotas

Following the 2019 improper sales issue, Japan Post Insurance ostensibly abolished recruitment targets, also known as quotas. What many people are concerned about here is whether quotas have been revived.

To be precise, I feel that the expression 'numerical pressure continues to persist' is closer to the reality than 'revival.' According to testimonies from former and current employees, although they do not use the word 'recruitment target,' detailed targets and progress are assigned to individuals, and it is said that situations where numbers are ultimately demanded still remain.

The perception that 'only the name has changed' remains deeply rooted in the field. Even if the name disappears, the structure itself, where one is evaluated by the degree of achievement, has not changed significantly.

The realistic answer to the question 'Are there quotas?' is that it is safe to assume that even if there are none officially, there are substantial numerical targets. Before joining or changing jobs, it is better to check how the target setting for the assigned department is operated to reduce the gap after joining.

The pressure of cold-calling and sales to the elderly

Most of Japan Post Insurance's insurance products are sold through post office counters or field sales staff. Field sales staff are sales representatives who visit homes to sell insurance and financial products at post offices. The structure is such that most cold-calling and visiting sales to private homes are handled by Japan Post, which is the company that operates the post offices.

At the center of the difficulty is this door-to-door visiting. You visit without an appointment, get rejected, and visit the next house. Having experienced sales myself, I had a period where I was rejected all day long while doing cold-calling for telecommunications, and I keenly felt that the mental exhaustion is hard to convey unless you have done it yourself.

In addition, the fact that many customers are elderly and the structure makes it easy to be perceived as 'persistent' is also a burden. Even if you intend to explain carefully, you are treated with caution, and it takes time to build a relationship. For those in a position to chase numbers, the gap between this steady effort and the difficulty of achieving results gradually takes its toll. There are not a few people whose hearts are worn down by the number of times they are rejected.

The reality of power harassment tendencies and the 'read between the lines' culture

Difficulty is not just a matter of numbers. In my consulting work, I feel that it is largely rooted in interpersonal relationships and organizational culture.

Regarding sales at Japan Post Insurance and post offices, there are many voices pointing out severe reprimands when numbers are not met, and an atmosphere of 'figure it out yourself' or 'read between the lines and act.' There are also points made that a so-called bureaucratic culture remains, where internal logic tends to be prioritized over customers.

When results are demanded without clear instructions, younger employees, in particular, do not know what or how to improve and tend to become isolated. However, the intensity of this culture varies considerably depending on the sales office and the supervisor.

Even in the same company, there are people who grow under a supervisor who nurtures them, and there are people who become exhausted all at once in an environment that does not suit them. Watching the field, I strongly feel that the luck of the draw in interpersonal relationships influences the ease of working more than the difficulty of the numbers.

Japan Post Insurance's turnover rate and reasons for wanting to quit

Although Japan Post Insurance's company-wide turnover rate is low, life insurance sales is a world where retention in the field is tough, with a 5th-year retention rate of about 25% even at major companies.
The turnover rate is an easy-to-understand indicator for measuring difficulty. However, if you talk about 'Japan Post Insurance's turnover rate' with a single number, you will misjudge the reality. This is because the company-wide average and the sales field show completely different scenes. I will organize which numbers should be looked at by lining up industry public data and voices from the field.

The Gap Between Company-Wide Averages and the Sales Frontline

When looking at turnover at Japan Post Insurance, it is necessary to distinguish between the company-wide average and the sales frontline. The turnover rate averaged across the entire company is considered low within the life insurance industry, and based on this figure alone, it does not look like a company where many people quit.

However, when you turn your eyes to the sales frontline, the picture changes significantly. Sales positions in life insurance are inherently difficult to retain, and according to The Nikkei , even among the eight major companies, the retention rate for employees in their fifth year was only about 25% in fiscal year 2024. This means that three out of four people leave the sales frontline within five years.

The number of sales staff continues to decline across the entire industry as well. According to 2024 statistics from The Life Insurance Association of Japan , the number of registered sales staff was 240,903, which is 97.5% of the previous year, marking a decline for the first time in two years.

Japan Post Insurance is no exception, and in sales frontline roles such as area-based core staff who work in limited regions without relocation, voices saying they quit at an early stage are prominent even in employee reviews. The fact that the company-wide average looks low is simply because long-tenured office workers and general staff are pulling down the average.

If you are wondering, "How many people quit within three years?", the correct approach is to look at the actual retention of the sales position you will be taking, rather than the company-wide average. Not being misled by the magic of averages is the first step to avoiding poor judgment.

Typical Moments When You Want to Quit and Reaching Your Limit

There are typical patterns that emerge in consultation settings regarding moments when people want to quit. The following is a generalized typical profile based on stories from people with backgrounds in insurance and liaison sales whom I have interviewed so far. Most were in their 20s to 30s and were assigned to sales as liaisons or area-based core staff without prior experience.

People who were positive at the entrance, thinking it was a "job where I can contribute to the region," are gradually worn down. The trigger was the monthly reset of targets and the reprimands when they continued to miss them. The psychological resistance to recommending enrollment to relatives and acquaintances also weighs heavily on them little by little.

They continue to be rejected during cold calls, run out of acquaintances to introduce, and eventually, their relationship with their supervisor sours. When these factors overlap, those who are quick to reach their limit do so within a few years. As mentioned above, life insurance sales is a world where even at major companies, the retention rate for those in their fifth year is about 25%, and the sales frontline at Japan Post is a continuation of that.

What is commonly said is that the reason for wanting to quit was not the "numbers themselves" but the anxiety of "not being able to envision a future in this way of working." Conversely, those who were able to distinguish whether the cause was the numbers, human relationships, or future prospects were able to choose their next step with composure.

The Reality of Annual Income and Salary for Japan Post Insurance Sales Staff

The average annual income at Japan Post Insurance is 7.155 million yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025, but this is a company-wide average that includes office and general staff, and there is a gap with the actual experience on the sales frontline.
Annual income is an important factor in judging whether the hardship is worth it. However, it is necessary to be aware that the published average annual income is a figure that averages out the entire company. This is because it is often far from the amount that young people on the sales frontline actually receive. I will compare the public data with the actual experience on the ground.

The Gap Between the 7.15 Million Yen Average Annual Income and the Reality on the Ground

The average annual income of Japan Post Insurance is published as 7.155 million yen in the Securities Report for the fiscal year ending March 2025. In addition, the average length of service is 16.2 years, the average age is 44.2 years, and the number of employees is 17,952.

Looking at the numbers alone, it appears to be a decent level for a life insurance company. However, it is important to note that this 7.155 million yen is merely a company-wide average that includes office and general staff. As can be seen from the fact that the average age is over 44 and the length of service is 16 years, this figure is pulled up by the long-tenured veteran layer.

It is normal for the amount that young liaison sales staff receive after a few years of joining the company to be significantly lower than this average. When looking at job postings or reviews, I recommend reading the company-wide average and the actual amount for young sales staff as separate things.

The Reality of Incentive Dependence and Take-Home Pay

When understanding the salary of sales positions, the weight of incentives is something that cannot be ignored. Because the design includes allowances based on contract performance in addition to the base salary, take-home pay is less likely to increase in months when numbers are not met. While young, contracts are not stable, and it is common for a period to continue where it is difficult to feel financial leeway, let alone reach the average annual income.

When numerical pressure is added to this, a feeling of "it's not worth the hardship" is born. On the other hand, this is also a structure where results are easily reflected in salary. If you can build a customer base in the region and consistently produce numbers, there is an aspect where you will be rewarded accordingly.

What I feel in consultation settings is that whether or not one can overcome this hurdle is often the dividing line between those who continue and those who quit. I recommend thinking about it including whether you can overcome that initial period, rather than judging only by salary. It is reassuring to envision your income image for several years ahead before rushing to a conclusion.

Assignments and Job Types That Determine the Hardship of Japan Post Sales

The hardship at Japan Post Insurance is not uniform, and the way of working changes significantly depending on the job type—liaison, corporate, or office—and the assignment and supervisor.
It is often lumped together that "sales at Japan Post is tough," but the actual hardship varies considerably depending on the job type. Even in the same company, the daily burden is completely different between liaison work centered on individual home visits, sales to corporations, and office work that is distant from the numbers. First, I will grasp the differences by job type, and then delve into the element of luck that is assignment.

The Hardship of Work That Changes Between Liaison, Corporate, and Office Roles

If you think about it by separating job types, the true nature of the hardship becomes clear. The axes of comparison are the sales style and the magnitude of the pressure of the numbers. First, liaison work is centered on individual home visits to private homes, and the burden of cold calling and numbers is the greatest.

The structure is such that much of the cold-calling sales to individual customers is outsourced to Japan Post liaison employees, and the burden tends to be concentrated on the frontline. Next, corporate sales deal with companies and organizations at Japan Post Insurance itself.

Compared to liaison work centered on cold calling, it is easier to move in a planned manner, and there are not a few evaluations that it is "surprisingly white." When it comes to office work or headquarters departments, the scenes where you pursue daily numbers individually decrease, and it becomes easier to maintain a work-life balance.

In other words, "Japan Post = uniformly tough" is not true. Whether it is a "white" company or not changes significantly depending on which job type you take, not the company name. Specifically confirming which job type you will be in at the stage of application or assignment is the first step to avoiding regret.

Assignments That Divide Those Who Endure and Those Who Quit

Even at the same Japan Post Insurance, whether you can endure or want to quit varies considerably depending on the assigned office and supervisor. This is because the power harassment temperament and the intensity of the "read the air" culture are not uniform across the company, but have variations by office unit. The fact that turnover is concentrated on the sales frontline also supports the magnitude of environmental differences.

As a way to judge before entering, please try to be conscious of the following three points:
1. Specifically confirm the assigned job type and area at the application stage
2. Explore the atmosphere of the office and the type of supervisor through reviews or alumni visits
3. Ask HR if there is room for job changes or transfers after joining the company

In consultation settings, I have seen both people who grew under a supervisor who nurtured them while joining the same company, and people who were exhausted in a few months in an environment that did not suit them. Because assignment has a large element of luck, gathering information in advance and confirming an escape route for when it does not fit is a realistic preparation to protect yourself.

The Truth About Scandals at Japan Post Insurance and the Anxiety of Going Under

As for whether Japan Post Insurance will go bankrupt, it maintained a surplus for the fiscal year ending March 2025, so in terms of its management foundation, the possibility of bankruptcy is low.
Behind the anxiety that "Japan Post Insurance might go under" lies the memory of the 2019 scandal. It is necessary to consider the deterioration of its reputation and the stability of its management separately. After organizing what happened in the past, we will confirm the current management status with figures.

An easy-to-understand explanation of the 2019 inappropriate sales issue

An issue that cannot be avoided when discussing the reputation of Japan Post Insurance is the 2019 inappropriate sales problem. This refers to a case where it was discovered that many insurance policy switches, which could be disadvantageous to customers, were being carried out, mainly targeting the elderly.

In December 2019, the Financial Services Agency issued a partial business suspension order and a business improvement order to Japan Post Insurance for the three months from January to March 2020. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications also issued business improvement orders to Japan Post Holdings and Japan Post. It was reported by Toyo Keizai Online and others that the background to this was a promotion system that strongly demanded the achievement of sales targets.

The 2019 issue is not just past news. It has cast a long shadow over the workplace, from the review of quotas and changes in sales styles to the public's "terrible" reputation. When judging the current sales environment at Japan Post, it is important to correctly understand this event and also look at how things have changed to the present.

With a surplus in 2025, the possibility of bankruptcy is low

The latest financial results provide a clear answer to the anxiety that management might be leaning toward failure. For the fiscal year ending March 2025, Japan Post Insurance secured a solid surplus, with net income attributable to owners of the parent of 123.4 billion yen and ordinary profit of 170.2 billion yen.

The number of employees is also maintained at a scale of 17,952, so it is not in a situation where it will immediately stop functioning. With the backing of the Japan Post Group, it is reasonable to think that the risk of bankruptcy is low from the perspective of the "possibility of going under."

However, what I want to separate is the fact that a company not going bankrupt and the sales job being easy are completely different things. Even if management is stable, the pressure of the numbers in field sales remains the same.

What you should worry about when job hunting or changing jobs is not the survival of the company, but whether you can continue to work in the job you take. If you find stability attractive, I recommend being even more careful in choosing your job type.

Career change options for those who want to quit Japan Post sales

The financial knowledge and face-to-face sales skills cultivated in Japan Post sales are strengths that are easily valued in other industries, such as multi-carrier agencies and corporate sales.
Even if you feel like quitting, your experience so far will not be wasted. The skills cultivated in field work and insurance sales are fully applicable in other industries. The important thing is to organize your strengths and your next options before quitting on impulse. I will show you the skills you can utilize, potential career changes, and what you should do before quitting in order.

Skills acquired in field sales and career change destinations

Experience in field sales is surprisingly valued in the job market. The axis of comparison is the combination of the skills you acquire and the career change destinations where they can be utilized.

First, basic knowledge of financial products is a strength in multi-carrier agencies, which are insurance sales agencies that handle products from multiple insurance companies, and in financial institutions such as banks and securities firms. Next, experience in community-based face-to-face sales is valued as the ability to build relationships of trust in corporate sales and B2B sales.

Furthermore, the negotiation skills and customer response ability to see things through even when rejected are also weapons in customer success and customer service-related jobs.

When I moved from telecommunications to IT sales, the experience of being rejected at my previous job became the foundation for my next workplace. The skills acquired in a tough environment appear rare in other industries. If you can change "quitting because it's tough" to "moving to the next step with weapons," that experience will never be wasted.

Things to do and consultation contacts before quitting

Before reaching the conclusion to quit, there are things you can do to reduce regrets. This is because if you quit on impulse without separating the causes of the toughness, you are likely to hit the same wall at your next workplace. First, please calm down and organize them in the following order.

1. Write down the causes of the toughness (numbers, human relationships, salary, or future prospects)
2. Check within the company if it can be solved by changing job types or transferring
3. Objectively grasp your market value through a career agent or career consultation

If the cause is human relationships in your assigned department, it may be solved by a transfer. If the reason is salary or future prospects, changing jobs is a realistic option. I am in a position to receive consultations as a career advisor, but I believe that whether quitting or continuing is the correct answer depends on the person, and it is not something to be forced.

The important thing is to judge after confirming your current market value from a third-party perspective, rather than deciding based only on emotions. Please choose your next step after calmly grasping the information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Is Japan Post Insurance a "white" (good) company?

The reality is that it varies greatly depending on the job type. While office work and head office departments are close to "white" as it is easy to maintain a work-life balance, field sales visiting individual homes have great pressure from numbers, so the experience varies considerably even within the same company.

Q. What is the average length of service at Japan Post Insurance?

According to the securities report for the fiscal year ending March 2025, the average length of service is 16.2 years, and the average age is 44.2 years. However, this is the company-wide average including office work and general positions, and the field sales workplace tends to have shorter service.

Q. Is it difficult to get a job at Japan Post Insurance?

General positions have a certain level of difficulty, but area-limited positions have relatively wider entry points. Rather than ease of entry, I recommend checking that the way of working changes significantly depending on the job type you are assigned to.

Q. Is solicitation by Japan Post Insurance persistent?

Because many customers were elderly and the focus was on door-to-door visits, there was a structure that made it easy to be perceived as persistent. Although the sales system has been reviewed since the 2019 issues, the burden of cold-calling itself remains.

Q. What is the average annual income for someone in their 40s at Japan Post Insurance?

While official data by age group is not published, the company-wide average annual income for the fiscal year ending March 2025 is 7.155 million yen, and the average age is 44.2 years old. It is thought that those around their 40s are at a level close to this average, and sales positions fluctuate based on incentives.

Summary

The background to why sales at Japan Post Insurance is said to be tough is a combination of numerical targets that remain even after the name 'quota' has disappeared, the burden of cold-calling and sales to the elderly, and the difficulty of interpersonal relationships.

While the turnover rate is low when looking at the company-wide average, life insurance sales are inherently difficult to retain staff in, revealing a two-tiered structure where the company is stable but the sales floor is tough. However, the difficulty varies greatly depending on the job type and assignment, and it is not the case that 'Japan Post = uniformly tough'.

If you feel it is tough right now, try to separate whether the cause is the numbers, interpersonal relationships, salary, or future prospects. Once the cause is clear, you will be able to see whether it can be solved by a transfer or if it is better to change jobs.

The financial knowledge and face-to-face sales skills cultivated through external sales are excellent weapons that can be used in other industries. Even if your current workplace does not suit you, you can rebuild your career as much as you like. Do not rush, and choose the next step that suits you.

Thank you for reading this far.
・You are worried about whether to quit your current company
・You want to change jobs but don't know where to start
・You have the desire to change jobs but cannot take the first step

If you are like that, please feel free to consult with me without carrying it alone.
Because I myself worried a lot during my job change activities, there might be something I can do to help.