Shikioriori

This is the archive page of the communication tool "Shikioriori," which has been published to convey the NIPPON PAPER GROUP's activities regarding environmental and social issues to stakeholders in an easy-to-understand manner.
We call the series "Shikioriori," which is a Japanese word meaning Four Seasons (四季折々) although a better translation is "season by season." As a sort of pun, we replace the first character 四 (meaning 'four') with 紙 (which means 'paper'), because both characters make the same sound. So, please enjoy Shikiori 紙季折々 - "The Paper Related Story Season by Season." Volumes 18, 21, 23, and 26 through 30 are available in English.
*The information published is current at the time of publication.

Vol.30 (March 2020)

Main Theme	Climate Change
Summary	The world is getting warmer, and it's causing changes in our climate. The environment, the economy, and society are under threat, and it's getting worse. The good news is that we still have time to act. Issue 30 brings you the facts you need to know, and looks at what we can all do together to protect our future.
Backpage Interview	Mari Yoshitaka Chief Environmental and Social (ES) Strategist, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities

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Vol.29 (August 2019)

Main Theme	Paper will continue to evolve while responding to the demands of the times.
Summary	Paper is a familiar part of people's lives. It has evolved over its long history, responding to people's many needs such as convenience, versatility, comfort, and the need to be environmentally friendly. In this issue, we feature the things that paper does for us every day, the many more things paper could do for us, and look at paper's amazing future possibilities.
Backpage Interview	Sian Sutherland Co-Founder of NGO "A Plastic Planet"

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Vol.28 (March 2019)

Main Theme	Gotsu Mill, which produces various products from wood
Summary	While there is now a world trend to utilize wood more effectively, Nippon Paper Industries' Gotsu Mill has already been producing various products from wood, such as raw materials for food and chemical industries.
Backpage Interview	Kiyohiko Igarashi Associate professor, The University of Tokyo

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Vol.27 (April 2018)

Main Theme	Food Packaging
Summary	Food packaging has evolved significantly with the times, and has become an indispensable part of our lives. Now, society is calling for sustainability and we need food packaging that can contribute to the challenge. In this issue, we will look at the history of food packaging, consider its future, and examine the role of the paper products that we can provide.
Backpage Interview	Takasuke Ishitani President, Japan Food Packaging Association

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Vol.26 (August 2017)

Main Theme	A new material, "Minerpa," has been developed by NIPPON PAPER GROUP.
Summary	A new material, "Minerpa," has been developed by NIPPON PAPER GROUP. Volume 26 focusses on "Minerpa", developed by NIPPON PAPER GROUP, is a new material, a hybrid of inorganic compounds from minerals and wood fiber. Using our own proprietary process, we have been able to produce fibers with very high mineral content. We are now developing Minerpa to provide useful, safe and environmentally friendly materials.
Backpage Interview	Michinari Hamaguchi President, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)

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Vol.25 (January 2017)

Main Theme	About the circular economy
Summary	Global consumption of natural resources is increasing rapidly. If this trend continues, natural resources will eventually be depleted, and our way of life will become unsustainable. In this issue, we will introduce one solution: a "circular economy" that allows for economic development while reducing the use of depletable natural resources.
Backpage Interview	Eiji Hosoda Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University

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Vol.24 (July 2016)

Main Theme	About the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Summary	The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations with the agreement of national governments, which aim to "create a better world for all," began in January 2016. Countries around the world, including Japan, are considering specific measures to achieve these goals. Corporate participation is also required in the SDGs efforts. Therefore, in this issue, we will explain the overview of the SDGs and the significance of corporate involvement.
Backpage Interview	Toshio Arima Representative Director, Global Compact Network Japan

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Vol.23 (April 2016)

Main Theme	Climate Change Issues and the Role of Forests
Summary	It is important to avoid increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Forests play an important role as a carbon sink to help in preventing global climate change. Volume 23 focuses on the new international initiatives on climate change, and the role of forests in it.
Backpage Interview	Martin Eustace CEO of Two Sides, a paper related NPO in the UK

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Vol.22 (September 2015)

Main Theme	Types of greening and how their roles have changed over time
Summary	The role expected of greening is changing with the times, encompassing aspects such as preventing landslides, improving urban environments, mitigating climate change, and preserving ecosystems. In this issue, we will organize the types and roles of greening and consider what is required of greening today.
Backpage Interview	Sputniko!

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Vol.21 (June 2015)

Main Theme	Creating raw materials for plastic etc. from wood
Summary	Nippon Paper Industries is participating in a research project to replace petroleum-based plastic and other chemical raw materials with alternatives derived from wood, which is a renewable resource. In this issue, we feature the project, which reaches across industry, government and academic boundaries.
Backpage Interview	Yoshizumi Ishihara Actor, Weather Forecaster

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Vol.20 (March 2015)

Main Theme	About wood as a building material
Summary	With technological advancements leading to increased attention on large-scale wooden construction worldwide, Japan is also seeing a shift towards wooden architecture in line with changes in national policy. This is partly driven by expectations of increased demand for domestically produced timber, and we will also introduce the initiatives of the NIPPON PAPER GROUP related to this.
Backpage Interview	Shigeru Ban

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Vol.19 (October 2014)

Main Theme	Various initiatives stemming from plant rooting technology
Summary	To cultivate trees suitable for papermaking and seedlings that inherit the same traits, Nippon Paper Industries focused on the cuttings technique, which has been used in agriculture and horticulture for centuries. Through extensive research, they succeeded in developing "in-container cuttings technology," which enhances the photosynthetic capacity of plants and promotes rooting. This time, we will introduce this technology and the initiatives related to revitalizing agriculture and contributing to society, utilizing the knowledge gained through its development.
Backpage Interview	KIKI

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Vol.18 (June 2014)

Main Theme	Japan's Forests and its Forestry Industry
Summary	A forest brings various benefits to our lives, such as the supply of resources, the storage and purification of water, prevention of landslides, and fighting global warming. Two thirds of Japan is forested, yet domestic wood is not much used. Japan's forestry has declined, and abandoned forests have also increased. Shikioriori discusses the background to the problem, but also the story of the revitalization of Japan's forest and forestry being undertaken by the Japanese government and private companies.
Backpage Interview	Shion Miura Author, Novelist, Screenwriter

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Vol.17 (July 2013)

Main Theme	Cellulose
Summary	In recent years, there has been growing interest in using wood, a renewable resource, to address social issues such as climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels. Among these, cellulose nanofiber is attracting particular attention. This is a new material created by breaking down the fibers that make up wood to the nanoscale, and its characteristics include being "stronger than iron and lighter than plant fiber." This issue features cellulose nanofiber.
Backpage Interview	Randy Taguchi

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Vol.16 (March 2013)

Main Theme	A paper mill that also functions as a power plant.
Summary	Paper mills have long had a system in place to generate energy not only from wood for paper production, but also by burning the by-product "black liquor." Paper mills also play the role of power plants that generate energy from "wood," a renewable resource. NIPPON PAPER GROUP will leverage its strengths, such as its infrastructure and power generation expertise, to supply electricity, which is essential to our lives, using renewable woody raw materials.
Backpage Interview	Iruka

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Vol.15 (October 2012)

Main Theme	"Wood" that we use in our daily lives
Summary	At NIPPON PAPER GROUP, we utilize wood, a renewable resource, to supply a variety of products that support daily life and society, including paper, textiles for clothing, and food additives. In this issue, as part of our "NIPPON PAPER GROUP in Everywhere" series, we introduce various products made from wood that are all around us.
Backpage Interview	Kosetsu Minami

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Vol.14 (April 2012)

Main Theme	Cherry blossom preservation
Summary	Throughout Japan, there are many precious cherry trees with a long history that we want to preserve for future generations. However, some of them are weakening due to old age and are on the verge of dying. Nippon Paper Industries is using its unique biotechnology, "in-container cutting technology," to conserve cherry trees of high historical and academic value.
Backpage Interview	Takeo Chii

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Vol.13 (February 2012)

Main Theme	Utilizing wood to prevent global warming
Summary	Forests are known as carbon reservoirs and play a crucial role in preventing global warming. Furthermore, forest products such as wooden houses, which utilize carbon-storage wood, are also referred to as "urban forests" and function as carbon reservoirs. This issue focuses on the carbon cycle and features articles on the utilization of forest products to help prevent global warming.
Backpage Interview	Goro Yamada

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Vol.12 (February 2011)

Main Theme	Conservation of Blakiston's fish owls
Summary	The Blakiston's fish owl is a national natural monument and an endangered species. To protect this bird, of which there are currently only 130 left in Japan, the Wild Bird Society of Japan and Nippon Paper Industries have jointly established a protected area for the Blakiston's fish owl in Nippon Paper Industries' company forests.
Backpage Interview	Hiroshi Yagyu

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Vol.11 (October 2010)

Main Theme	Creating a "Forest of Life" for the Future
Summary	Creating forests means that each of us recognizes the benefits of forests and passes those benefits on to future generations. In addition to forest conservation efforts in our business activities, the NIPPON PAPER GROUP has launched "Creating Forests of Life for the Future," an initiative in which participants themselves plant trees to deepen their appreciation for forests.
Backpage Interview	Keiko Takeshita

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Vol.10 (June 2010)

Main Theme	Thinning
Summary	The deterioration of Japan's forests is a growing problem, and attention is increasingly being drawn to the importance of thinning to prevent this deterioration. In this issue, we examine the necessity of thinning and focus on the "Morino Chonai-kai" initiative promoted by the environmental NPO "Office Chonai-kai." We also introduce the NIPPON PAPER GROUP's efforts to utilize thinned timber, including their cooperation with the Morino Chonai-kai.
Backpage Interview	Katsuhiko Hibino

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Vol.9 (June 2009)

Main Theme	Forest creation
Summary	Forests provide us with a variety of benefits: they support the activities of living things, they supply resources such as timber that sustain our lives, and they act as carbon reservoirs that sequester carbon dioxide. However, even today, a large amount of forest is lost every year, making it crucial to increase the amount of forest. In this issue, we will organize our thoughts on forest creation and feature the efforts of Professor Emeritus Akira Miyawaki of Yokohama National University, who is promoting forest creation in a way that is in line with the land's natural environment.
Backpage Interview	Akira Miyawaki

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Vol.8 (January 2009)

Main Theme	Eco-products
Summary	From an environmental perspective, perhaps the most environmentally friendly way to live is to abandon the "convenient lifestyle" that symbolizes modern times. However, it is also true that it is difficult for us, who have become accustomed to a convenient world, to give up everything, and there is a strong desire for the development of products with a lower environmental impact and the widespread use of such products. In this issue, we have considered environmentally friendly manufacturing and eco-products.
Backpage Interview	Rei Kikukawa

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Vol.7 (September 2008)

Main Theme	Nature and Children (Environmental Education)
Summary	In recent years, children have had fewer opportunities to interact with nature. NIPPON PAPER GROUP is using its own forests to hold a nature environment class called "School of Friendship for Forests and Paper," providing children with opportunities to connect with nature. In addition, as part of the program, children can experience papermaking using twigs as raw material, aiming to help them understand the connection between "paper," which is familiar in their daily lives, and "forests," and to learn about the importance of nature.
Backpage Interview	Hiroshi Aramata

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Vol.6 (June 2008)

Main Theme	Bioethanol
Summary	Bioethanol is attracting attention as one measure to combat global warming. However, there are concerns that bioethanol produced from food sources such as corn could potentially trigger a food crisis. Nippon Paper Chemical, a member of the NIPPON PAPER GROUP, has begun a feasibility study with Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. on the production of bioethanol using wood as a raw material, which does not compete with food resources. This issue introduces the potential of environmentally friendly bioethanol.
Backpage Interview	Jūgatsu Toi

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Vol.5 (February 2008)

Main Theme	Japanese forests
Summary	Forests cover 67% of Japan's land area. Compared to the world's forest area, which is about 30% of the land area, this shows that Japan is a country rich in forests. However, it is said that Japan's forests are currently in a critical state. What is happening to Japan's forests? We will learn about Japan's forests and have summarized the domestic company-owned forests of Nippon Paper Industries.
Backpage Interview	Mariko Bando

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Vol.4 (October 2007)

Main Theme	Biodiversity
Summary	Currently, many species on Earth are facing extinction, making "biodiversity conservation" a pressing need. In the spring of 2007, the NIPPON PAPER GROUP explicitly stated in its Environmental Charter that it would "conduct corporate activities with consideration for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation." Now, let's look at what we can do to protect living things, and we will introduce the NIPPON PAPER GROUP's initiatives toward biodiversity.
Backpage Interview	Makoto Shiina

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Vol.3 (July 2007)

Main Theme	Environmentally friendly paper
Summary	Nippon Paper Industries ceased production of paper made solely from recycled paper (100% recycled paper) in October 2007. This was a result of our efforts to utilize recycled paper in a way that minimizes environmental impact. Furthermore, Nippon Paper Industries aims to increase the overall amount of recycled paper used. We will introduce the environmentally friendly papermaking approach of the NIPPON PAPER GROUP.
Backpage Interview	Saya Takagi

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Vol.2 (April 2007)

Main Theme	Global warming
Summary	In February 2007, NIPPON PAPER GROUP hosted a global environmental forum, inviting Dr. Steven Schneider, a leading expert in climate change research who has supported successive presidents. The forum featured a discussion with young people who will shape the future about the serious impact of global warming.
Backpage Interview	Yaku Mitsuru

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Vol.1 (February 2007)

Main Theme	Overseas plantation
Summary	Even today, we still hear the misconception that papermaking is a cause of deforestation. Nippon Paper Industries sources raw materials in an environmentally conscious manner, and not only does it not destroy forests through papermaking, but it also contributes to forest creation through reforestation activities.
Backpage Interview	Kazuyo Matsui

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