Japan's domestic paper shipments in fiscal 2023 fell below 10 million tons for the first time since comparable data became available in fiscal 1988.

The figure is nearly half the peak reached in fiscal 2007 as demand for paper continues to decline on the back of the push toward going paperless.

The Japan Paper Association says domestic shipments of paper used for tissue, printing and newspapers stood at 9.48 million tons last fiscal year.

That's down 9 percent from the previous year and 48 percent off the peak figure.

The slump is leading to a reorganization of the sector, including related industries.
Daio Paper and Hokuetsu are considering a tie-up in procuring raw materials and in technological cooperation for paper production.

In the office-use multifunction printer industry, Fujifilm Holdings and Konica Minolta are negotiating to establish a joint venture for securing raw materials.

In addition, Ricoh and Toshiba Tec plan to integrate their development and production sections for multifunction machines.