Nippon Paper Industries Co. — touted for its high-quality “Kushiro brand” paper used for newspapers and magazines — ended 100 years of production at its paper mill in Kushiro, Hokkaido, in September, shifting its primary business to thermal power generation.
In the aftermath of the decision, out of the roughly 500 workers at the plant, 160 left the company and chose to seek other employment in Kushiro — but most haven’t been able to find a new job. Those who decided to stay on will be transferred to other offices and mills in and out of Hokkaido, uprooting them from their hometown.
While they take pride in having worked at the mill and sustained the production of paper with their skills, they are feeling uneasy about their new lives.