TOKYO- Japan Post Co. raised its mail rates on Thursday, marking their first hike in over 23 years, excluding markups linked to the country's 1989 introduction of the consumption tax and its increases.

The first mail rate hike since January 1994 is intended to help Japan Post keep its postal operations profitable as the company struggles with a falling number of postcard senders amid the spread of emails, and rising labor costs.

Japan Post raised its rate for standard postcards by 10 yen to 62 yen. Rates for other items such as envelopes also went up. But the unit of Japan Post Holdings Co. kept the rate for New Year's greeting cards intact at 52 yen. (Jiji Press)