History
Oji Paper Company was founded February 12, 1873 by industrialist Shibusawa Eiichi as Shoshi Kaisha (抄紙会社). Mills were established in 1875 in the village of Ōji, at the time a suburb of Tokyo, and in 1889 in Shizuoka. In 1893 Shibusawa renamed the company Oji Paper after the location of its first mill.[5] William Anderson went to Japan to oversee the erection of the paper mill in 1871.
In 1933, Oji Paper merged with Fuji Paper and Karafuto Industries, developing into an oligopolistic corporation that produced 80 percent of Japan's Western-style paper.
Following World War II, in order to prevent anti-competitive activities caused by overconcentration, the Excess Economic Powers Decentralization Act was implemented, breaking up the company into three components: Tomakomai Paper, Jujo Paper, and Honshu Paper.
Tomakomai Paper began as a one-plant operation, but upon its expansion into Kasugai, Aichi in 1952, the company was renamed Oji Paper Industries, and in 1960, it was renamed Oji Paper again. Oji Paper expanded its business through acquiring competitors including Kita Nippon Paper, Nippon Pulp Industries, and Toyo Pulp.
In 1993, Oji Paper merged with Kanzaki Paper to become New Oji Paper, and furthermore, in 1996, New Oji Paper and Honshu Paper merged again to become Oji Paper.
In 2012 Oji Paper transferred to a pure holding company system and started anew under the trade name Oji Holdings Corporation.[5]
New Zealand operations
In September 2024, Oji Fibre Solutions announced that it would close its Auckland pulp and paper recycling mill in mid-December 2024. The company would continue operations at its Kinleith Mill near Tokoroa.[6] The company also confirmed that it would shift the processing of recycled paper waste from New Zealand to its Malaysian paper mill in Banting. Malaysian environmentalist Lay Peng Pua expressed concern that the increased volume of paper waste would pollute the nearby Langat River.[7]
In mid November 2024, Oji Fibre Solutions proposed halting paper processing at its Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa by 2025, affecting 230 jobs. Oji CEO Jon Ryder said that manufacturing paper had become unprofitable but said the mill would continue to produce pulp. The company said it would consult with workers and confirm its decision by mid-January 2025.[8] In mid February 2025, Oji Fibre Solutions confirmed plans to halt paper processing operations at Kinleith Mill by the end of June, affecting 230 jobs.[9]
