We have published Label News "July 1, 2026 Issue (No. 1367)".

■ Editorial Column | How to Read This Issue

This issue and the July 15th issue are being published as special summer editions.

In the July 1st issue, we published the results of our "Domestic Self-Adhesive Paper for Printing Shipment Volume Survey," conducted by this paper to understand trends in the label market, on the front page, page 9, and page 10.

According to the survey, the shipment volume of self-adhesive paper for printing in FY2025 is projected to be 105.4 million square meters/month, a 0.6% decrease from the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline. In sectors such as food, beverages, and daily necessities, brand owners are consolidating SKUs, reviewing packaging designs to reduce costs, and shifting to direct printing, which is suppressing demand for paper-based self-adhesive paper.

By substrate type, paper-based self-adhesive paper decreased by 1.4% from the previous year to 81.84 million square meters/month, while film-based self-adhesive paper increased by 2.4% to 23.56 million square meters/month. Among these, PET, synthetic paper, and film thermal are performing strongly, driven by the increased adoption of transparent containers that showcase contents, and the demand for functional and aesthetic properties. The proportion of film-based self-adhesive paper reached 22.4%, further enhancing its presence.

For FY2026, we predict that shipment volume will increase by 1.3% from the previous year due to pre-emptive purchases and inventory buildup in anticipation of raw material supply uncertainties and price revisions. However, many believe that actual demand itself will remain flat or slightly decrease, meaning that it cannot be definitively said that demand has fully recovered. The market environment continues to be challenging.

■ Other Major News

1. Seiko Epson "Speaker Profile" (Label Forum Japan 2026 Conference)
"The Future of Label Manufacturing: A New Era Opened by Digital Printing"

2. Sumita "Interview with the New President"
"Continuing to 'Shape Ideas' by Staying Close"

3. Machizukuri Namie "Brand Owner Visit"
"Product Development through Co-creation of Four Companies: Connecting Namie's Bonds and Future with Labels"

4. Special Feature "Front Lines of Label Manufacturing Technology"
Latest Conventional Printing Machines Supporting Labor Shortages and Skill Transfer

5. Second Half of FY2025 Domestic Self-Adhesive Paper Shipment Volume - This Paper's Survey
"Rush Demand Before Price Revisions, Flat Year-on-Year"

6. Commemorative Article
"Remembering Tsuneo Nishino"
Mr. Hiroki Ohtsuki, Chairman of Ohtsuki Seal Printing, Mr. Koota Yamashita, Chairman of Keiyu-sha

7. Shinwa Label Printing
"40th Anniversary Special Feature"