The following is a chronology of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization drive.

December 1992 -- Koizumi calls for a review of postal services in his first news conference as posts and telecommunications minister, stirring controversy.

September 1995 -- Koizumi runs in the dominant Liberal Democratic Party's presidential race for the first time, raising postal privatization as an issue.

April 2001 -- Koizumi wins the LDP presidential race, setting a goal of postal privatization.

May 2001 -- Koizumi calls in his first parliament address for considering possible privatization after public corporation Japan Post is set up.

Sept. 2003 -- Koizumi calls in a parliament speech for postal privatization from 2007 after submitting bills in 2005.

Sept. 10, 2004 -- The government formalizes a basic postal privatization policy without the LDP backing.

Sept. 27, 2004 -- Koizumi creates and gives the post of postal privatization minister to Takenaka in a cabinet reshuffle.

Jan. 21, 2005 -- Koizumi places top priority on legislating postal privatization in a policy speech as the Diet convenes.

July 1, 2005 -- Koizumi indicates intention to dissolve the lower house for a general election if the bills fail to clear the legislature.

July 5, 2005 -- The bills clears the lower house by a margin of five votes.

Aug. 8, 2005 -- The upper house votes down the bills 125 against 108.