Paper consumption volume Japan 2012-2021

In 2021, the consumption volume of paper in Japan amounted to close to 11.5 million metric tons. Figures decreased continuously throughout the past decade, likely due to the digitalization of paper products such as printing and writing papers.

Japan remained one of the largest paper manufacturers 

Even though its paper production decreased throughout the past decade, Japan remained the third-largest producer of paper and cardboard, following China and the United States. Furthermore, Japanese companies such as Oji Holdings and Nippon Paper continued to rank among the leading paper companies worldwide.
Most of the paper that was manufactured in Japan was used for printing and communication, newsprint, sanitary tissue as well as paper packaging.

 Paper packaging as a more sustainable alternative to plastic

In recent years, some Japanese companies started to use paper products to reduce plastic waste. Paper and paperboard products made up the majority of packaging material shipments in Japan. The demand for paper packaging is expected to continue to rise as paper is considered more sustainable than plastic. Although the production cost of paper is usually higher than for plastic, the paper alternatives are more compact and recyclable. Amounting to around 81 percent, paper had one of the highest recycling rates in Japan, posing a more environmentally friendly alternative.