2. Japan Post
Japan's post office scores highest on public trust as measured by surveys conducted by the World Economic Forum and second on efficiency. And unlike most countries, it has actually increased the number of post offices in recent years. It's also much more than a post office. Japan Post also provides banking and insurance services and is the world's largest financial institution, with assets of $3.3 trillion -- more than the GDP of France.
Despite its popularity with customers, the fate of Japan Post has been one of the most contentious issues in Japanese politics over the last decade. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi pushed through a bill ordering the privatization of Japan Post in 2005 as the centerpiece of a broad economic reform agenda, despite fierce opposition that nearly brought down his government. The plan was scaled back after the opposition Democratic Party took over in 2009, but the hope is still to eventually spin the financial services division off into a private bank that can subsidize the cost of mail delivery.
Japan Post took a major blow in the 2011 tsunami, with as many as 330 post offices destroyed or suffering major damages.
TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images
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