Declining Domestic Paper Demand and the Shift Away from Paper Due to Digitization
First written in FY2016. 18 of 37 entries say "Restated". Latest entry: 2026-11-05.
Kyodo Paper Holdings moved to the "Worse" side of this theme in 2018, 4 years before the typical company in this theme (2022).
The whole theme swung hardest in 2020: 8 of 15 companies on the "Worse" side.
1 other company's latest entry also says "Worsened".
- FY2026WorsenedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry, although demand for paper used in events and inbound tourism continues, overall paper demand has declined and extremely challenging conditions continue due to corporate and government cost-cutting, the accelerating promotion of digitization and other factors.」
While some event- and inbound tourism-related demand continues, the full-year decline in overall paper demand and the challenging environment have been confirmed due to corporate and government cost-cutting and accelerating digitization. - FY2026-H1RestatedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry, although printing paper used for events has performed steadily, paper demand is trending downward due to the accelerating promotion of digitization, and challenging conditions continue.」
While demand for printing paper related to events is described as steady, the downward trend in paper demand caused by digitization and the continuation of challenging conditions are reconfirmed. - FY2025-H1WorsenedAnnual report
「Although printing paper used for events and inbound tourism has performed steadily, overall paper demand has declined further and challenging conditions continue due to digitization policies advancing mainly among companies and government agencies.」
While demand for printing paper related to events and inbound tourism is described as steady, overall paper demand is declining further due to digitization policies among companies and government agencies. - FY2024-Q3WorsenedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry, although demand for some printed materials has been recovering with the resumption of events and inbound tourism, paper demand is declining at an accelerating pace and conditions are becoming increasingly challenging due to corporate and government cost-cutting, the promotion of digitization, and various policies, including postal rate increases and revisions to the Electronic Books Preservation Act.」
Although some event- and inbound tourism-related demand has recovered, paper demand is described as having declined at an accelerating pace due to corporate and government cost-cutting, digitization, postal rate increases, revisions to the Electronic Books Preservation Act and other factors. - FY2024-Q2WorsenedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry, although demand for some printed materials has been recovering with the resumption of events and inbound tourism, the shift toward digitization in advertising and slips, business forms and other areas is progressing further, and domestic shipments of paper and paperboard are expected to fall below the previous year’s level this fiscal year as well.」
Although recovery in demand for some printed materials is acknowledged, the outlook indicates that domestic shipments of paper and paperboard will fall below the previous year’s level again this fiscal year due to the progress of digitization. - FY2024-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「Although demand for printing paper related to events and inbound tourism has been recovering, the decline in demand in the information paper sector, including slips and business forms, is accelerating further as digitization progresses.」
While recovery in event- and inbound tourism-related demand is indicated, the decline in demand in the information paper sector is accelerating further due to digitization, highlighting the severity of the structural decline in paper demand. - FY2023WorsenedAnnual report
「The environment surrounding the domestic paper distribution industry is expected to see an accelerating downward trend in paper demand, as policies that encourage the reduction of paper use, including the electronic provision of materials for general meetings of shareholders, the invoice system and the Electronic Books Preservation Act, have been introduced one after another.」
The electronic provision system, invoice system, Electronic Books Preservation Act and other policies are expected to further accelerate the decline in paper demand. - FY2023-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry as well, conditions are becoming increasingly challenging as paper manufacturers implement substantial price revisions due to soaring raw material and fuel prices and rising logistics costs, while the shift toward digital media, particularly in the information and advertising sectors, accelerates.」
The challenging environment in the domestic paper distribution industry caused by higher raw material and fuel prices, rising logistics costs, and the accelerating shift toward digital media is reiterated. - FY2022WorsenedAnnual report
「The environment surrounding the domestic paper distribution industry is expected to become increasingly challenging as the shift toward electronic media accelerates further and the downward trend in paper demand intensifies.」
The shift toward electronic media is accelerating further, and the outlook indicates that the downward trend in paper demand will become increasingly severe. - FY2022-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry, demand for printing paper related to events, flyers and other materials is gradually recovering but remains below pre-COVID-19 levels, while the accelerating shift toward digital media is making conditions increasingly challenging.」
Although demand for printing paper is showing a gradual recovery, it has not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, and the accelerating shift toward digital media is sustaining the challenging environment. - FY2022-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry, demand for printing paper related to events, flyers and other materials is gradually recovering but remains below pre-COVID-19 levels, while the accelerating shift toward digital media is making conditions increasingly challenging.」
Demand for printing paper is gradually recovering but has not reached pre-COVID-19 levels, and the accelerating shift toward digital media is sustaining the challenging environment. - FY2022-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry as well, demand for printing paper related to events, flyers and other materials has partially recovered but remains below pre-COVID-19 levels, while the accelerating shift toward digital media is making conditions increasingly challenging.」
Although some demand related to events and other areas has recovered, it has not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, and the accelerating shift toward digital media is described as making the structural decline in paper demand increasingly severe. - FY2021WorsenedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry as well, the shift toward electronic media is accelerating further, and the downward trend in demand for printing paper is expected to become increasingly severe.」
The shift toward electronic media is accelerating further, and the outlook indicates that the downward trend in demand for printing paper will become increasingly severe. - FY2021-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry as well, demand for printing paper used for flyers, pamphlets and other materials has declined substantially amid a succession of event cancellations and scale reductions, making conditions even more challenging alongside the rapid progress of digitization.」
The challenging environment caused by event cancellations and scale reductions, the substantial decline in demand for printing paper, and digitization continues to be described. - FY2021-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry as well, demand for printing paper used for flyers, pamphlets and other materials has declined substantially due to the cancellation or postponement of various events, making conditions even more challenging alongside the rapid progress of digitization.」
The challenging business environment caused by event cancellations and postponements, the substantial decline in demand for printing paper, and digitization continues. - FY2021-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「In the domestic paper distribution industry as well, demand for printing paper used for flyers, pamphlets and other materials has declined substantially due to the cancellation or postponement of various events, making conditions even more challenging alongside the rapid progress of digitization.」
The substantial decline in demand for printing paper caused by event cancellations and postponements has compounded the rapid progress of digitization, providing a more specific indication of the increasingly challenging conditions for domestic paper demand. - FY2020WorsenedAnnual report
「The environment surrounding the domestic paper distribution industry is expected to become increasingly challenging as the shift toward electronic media progresses further and the downward trend in paper demand intensifies.」
The shift toward electronic media is progressing further, and the downward trend in paper demand is described as becoming increasingly severe. The decline in demand caused by COVID-19 is addressed in another thread. - FY2020-Q3WorsenedAnnual report
「Although efforts were made to resolve supply shortages through the implementation of price revisions, domestic paper demand fell sharply after the consumption tax increase, and domestic shipments remained sluggish.」
While supply shortages were addressed, domestic paper demand fell sharply after the consumption tax increase and domestic shipments became sluggish, underscoring the severity of the risk of declining domestic paper demand. - FY2020-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「In the paper distribution industry, while domestic paper demand is declining at an accelerating pace, the impact of logistics disruptions caused by frequent natural disasters and production equipment failures has resulted in continuing difficulty securing products.」
The view that domestic paper demand is declining at an accelerating pace continues. Difficulty securing products is also detailed in another thread as an existing supply risk related to natural disasters and equipment failures. - FY2020-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「The paper industry continues to face a distorted environment in which domestic paper demand is declining at an accelerating pace while supply remains insufficient to meet demand, and a well-balanced, stable supply system is awaited.」
The view that the decline in domestic paper demand is accelerating and that challenging demand conditions are continuing is reiterated. - FY2019WorsenedAnnual report
「The environment surrounding the domestic paper distribution industry remains challenging, as population decline and the shift toward electronic media are progressing and the downward trend in paper demand continues.」
Population decline and the shift toward electronic media are progressing, and the continuing downward trend in paper demand is described as challenging. The performance analysis also refers to an “accelerating decline in domestic paper demand,” indicating an even more severe decline in demand. - FY2019-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「Under these circumstances, amid the extremely challenging environment of accelerating declines in domestic paper demand, our group continued to conduct sales activities tailored closely to customer needs and worked to sell at appropriate prices.」
The view continues that the accelerating decline in domestic paper demand is creating a challenging environment. Although sales volume and net sales for printing paper exceeded the previous year’s levels, total net sales fell below the previous year’s level due to lower sales volume of information paper. - FY2019-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Under these circumstances, amid the extremely challenging environment of accelerating declines in domestic paper demand and further softening market conditions, our group continued to focus on selling at appropriate prices through sales activities tailored closely to customer needs.」
The same view as in the previous quarter is reiterated: domestic paper demand is declining at an accelerated pace and market conditions continue to soften. - FY2019-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「Amid the extremely challenging environment of accelerating declines in domestic paper demand and further softening market conditions, our group focused on securing sales volume and selling at appropriate prices through sales activities tailored closely to customer needs.」
Domestic paper demand is described as declining at an accelerated pace, while market conditions have softened further, presenting the existing risks of declining demand and softening market conditions as more severe. - FY2018WorsenedAnnual report
「The environment surrounding the domestic paper distribution industry remains challenging, as population decline and the trend toward shrinking paper demand continue, with sales volume falling below the previous year’s level. Domestic paper manufacturers have successively announced production capacity cuts to address the accelerating decline in demand, making further consolidation and rationalization an urgent priority.」
In addition to shrinking domestic paper demand, the successive production capacity cuts by paper manufacturers and the industry’s ongoing consolidation and rationalization are newly described in greater detail. - FY2018-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「Amid the extremely challenging environment of softening market conditions caused by structurally sluggish domestic paper demand, our group continued to focus on small-lot demand in the wholesaling sector and conduct proactive sales activities centered on selling at appropriate prices.」
Structurally sluggish domestic paper demand and softening market conditions continue to be described as an extremely challenging business environment. - FY2018-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Amid the extremely challenging environment of softening market conditions caused by structurally sluggish domestic paper demand, our group continued to focus on small-lot demand in the wholesaling sector and conduct proactive sales activities centered on selling at appropriate prices.」
Structurally sluggish domestic paper demand and softening market conditions are reiterated as a challenging business environment. - FY2018-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Amid the challenging environment of softening market conditions caused by structurally sluggish domestic paper demand, our group continued to conduct proactive sales activities, placing importance on small-lot demand in the wholesaling sector. However, sales volume fell below the previous fiscal year’s level, resulting in lower net sales.」
Structurally sluggish domestic paper demand and softening market conditions continue to be described as a challenging environment, and sales volume fell below the same period of the previous year. - FY2017RestatedAnnual report
「The environment surrounding the domestic paper distribution industry remains challenging, as population decline and the trend toward shrinking paper demand continue, with sales volume falling below the previous year’s level.」
Population decline and shrinking paper demand continue, creating a challenging environment in which sales volume is below the previous year’s level; this is reiterated. - FY2017-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「Amid the challenging environment of softening market conditions caused by structurally sluggish domestic paper demand, our group continued to conduct proactive sales activities, placing importance on small-lot demand in the wholesaling sector.」
Structurally sluggish domestic paper demand and softening market conditions are reiterated as a challenging business environment. - FY2017-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Amid the challenging environment of softening market conditions caused by structurally sluggish domestic paper demand, our group continued to conduct proactive sales activities, placing importance on small-lot demand in the wholesaling sector.」
Structurally sluggish domestic paper demand and softening market conditions continue to be described as a challenging business environment. - FY2017-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Despite the extremely challenging environment of sluggish domestic paper demand and softening market conditions, our group continued to conduct proactive sales activities, placing importance on small-lot business as in the previous fiscal year.」
Sluggish domestic paper demand is reiterated, and softening market conditions are newly identified as a challenging business environment. - FY2016First statedAnnual report
「The environment surrounding the domestic paper wholesaling industry in which our group operates remains challenging, as demand continues to decline and sales volume has fallen below the previous year’s level due to reduced paper use resulting from digitization.」
Declining domestic paper demand and reduced paper use due to digitization are identified as the industry’s key external environmental risks.