Oji Forest Nature School, jointly run by Oji Holdings and a public interest incorporated association Japan Environmental Education Forum since 2004, provides children with hands-on environmental education programs in the mill and forests owned by the Oji Group. Children experience paper making, thinning and tree planting in the forests, and participate in the tour of the paper mill. Through the programs, they deepen their understanding of the relationship between the forest, people and industry. They learn that sound growth of forests requires maintenance and forests are integral to the water cycle. The hands-on experience allows them to know that our lives and industrial expansion depend on the blessing of forests. The unique programs that make most of the natural features of venues offer valuable opportunities to pass on our commitment and vision for environmental conservation to the next generation.
Details of the program, including application guidelines, are available at the following.
Oji Holdings started the Forest Picture Book Contest* in 2015 in collaboration with a public interest incorporated foundation WWF Japan. The purpose of the contest is to provide children with opportunities to write picture books and to learn about our sustainable forest management through environmental classes. After the class, they write picture books. Outstanding picture books are exhibited at EcoPro, the largest environmental trade fair in Japan. The exhibition is received favorably by children, teachers, parents, and visitors of the trade fair.
At present, the total forest plantation area of the overall Group is 250,000 hectares. What is important for continuing the forest plantation business this far is not only the economic performance of the business but also its sustainable symbiotic relationship with the local environment and communities. Accordingly, Group companies engaged in the forest plantation business carry out a range of environmental and social support activities that are appropriate for the characteristics of each region.
These activities include biodiversity preservation activities for protecting endangered and valuable species. They also include support for areas with poor accessibility to public services such as healthcare and education, including the support for healthcare activities such as the provision of health examinations, open access to health clinics, support for medical emergency transport, as well as support for education such as the maintenance and repair of facilities for nurseries and schools.
Cellulose Nipo-Brasileira S.A. (CENIBRA), our consolidated subsidiary in Brazil, engages in the procurement, processing, and sales of raw wood and woodchips and manufacturing and sales of pulp. CENIBRA contributes to local communities through diverse activities including helping farmers increase their income by lending them company-owned land that is appropriate for farming, the conclusion of partnerships with local beekeepers, and dispatching doctors, teachers, and barbers to remote areas to provide local people with opportunities for health examinations, social education, and haircuts.
