Tokyo, Japan 04 August 2017 -- Nippon Paper Industries will shut down the coating machine No.1 operating at Akita Mill in Japan and the coating machine No.2 operating at Ishinomaki Mill, respectively, at the end of May 2018.

Domestic demand for printing paper is in structural decline with the decrease in the number of children and the increasing availability of electronic media. In particular, coated paper has been recording negative 4% annual growth. Looking ahead, this trend is expected to continue. The Company has therefore decided to shift the production of coated paper, which is manufactured through the two coating machines, to other mills to establish a more efficient production system based on consolidation.

Currently, the coating machine No.1 at Akita Mill and the coating machine No. 2 at Ishinomaki Mill manufacture coated woodfree paper.