At the Japan Drug Store Show 2023, Nippon Paper Crecia Co. Ltd. proved that sustainability and style can go hand in hand. Known for its eco-friendly paper products, the company embraced its sustainability ethos by designing an entire booth from wood and paper. The result? A stunning, zero-waste exhibit that not only impressed attendees, but made minimal environmental impact. “We stripped it down to the essentials — just wood, paper, and smart design,” said Kodai Fukuchi, Hakuten Corp. senior designer. “The goal was to make the booth functional and sustainable so people would walk away thinking, 'That was clever.'” One of the standout features was the bold use of Crecia's signature extra-long toilet paper rolls. A striking 75-meter ribbon of paper hung from the upper structure, representing the product. “It's not often that toilet paper becomes a focal point in design,” one judge noted. “But here, it's an eye-catcher and a conversation starter.” Even the company's tissue boxes — usually an afterthought — were worked into the design as colorful accents and display stands.
The puzzle-like wooden flooring, which highlighted the beauty of three different types of wood, could be assembled without tools and provided a tactile experience. “There's something refreshing about walking on real wood at a trade show,” Fukuchi said. “It's like bringing a little piece of nature into the exhibit hall.”

To drive the sustainability message home, a stamp rally within the booth used discarded tissue box materials to show visitors that even manufacturing mistakes can be recycled. “We wanted to emphasize that paper isn't just disposable — it's recyclable,” said Fukuchi. In an industry notorious for generating waste, Nippon Paper Crecia's booth stood out as an example of how sustainable design can be innovative, engaging, and entirely waste–free. E