Masashi Watanabe: "What is Yupo?"

2019/12/18

I would like to explain "YUPO," which is both our company name and the name of our product.

"YUPO" is a synthetic paper (a paper-like material made primarily from synthetic resin) that combines the characteristics of both paper and plastic film. It is durable and water-resistant, making it suitable for outdoor posters and maps. Its main raw materials are polypropylene—a petroleum-derived synthetic resin currently facing environmental headwinds—and inorganic fillers.

The primary applications for "YUPO" include outdoor posters, labels for plastic containers such as shampoo, labels for frozen and refrigerated foods, portable maps, and golf scorecards, all of which require resistance to rain and water. Additionally, due to its unique property of springing back open immediately after being folded, it is used in familiar places like election ballots, as it helps streamline the vote-counting process.

The very origins of our company stem from the resource and environmental issues of that era.

In the 1960s, there were concerns regarding the shortage of forest resources to support paper culture and the resulting price hikes. In 1968, the Resources Council of the Science and Technology Agency issued a "Recommendation on the Development of the Synthetic Paper Industry," identifying petroleum resin-based materials as a "new material to replace paper." Consequently, many companies from sectors such as pulp and paper, textiles, and petrochemicals entered the synthetic paper business. However, following two subsequent oil crises, all other companies withdrew, leaving only two companies, including ours. Naturally, we were forced to shift our direction from "paper substitute" to "functional material." Since then, we have focused on product development and application discovery targeting niche markets, using functions that natural paper and film cannot achieve as our competitive edge.

I believe that our ability to celebrate our 50th anniversary this May is thanks to the immense cooperation (or "co-creation") of various stakeholders surrounding us—including printing companies, ink manufacturers, printing equipment manufacturers, and brand owners—to leverage the unique characteristics of synthetic paper.

Furthermore, in March of this year, we launched "YUPO Green," a synthetic paper blended with biomass-derived resins to promote CO2 emission reductions. We intend to remain committed to environmentally conscious manufacturing, a tradition that has continued since our founding.

Finally, I would like to use this space as an alumnus of the Kuribayashi Seminar to pray for the soul of Professor Tadao Kuribayashi, who passed away in January of this year.