OjiFS Soars Beyond the Boundaries for 150 Year Oji Anniversary: Making Over 9,000 Origami Cranes

2023 marks 150 years since our parent company, Oji Holdings Corporation, was founded. Oji Fibre Solutions (OjiFS) has been a proud member of the Oji Group, as we know it today, since 2014. We are privileged to be owned by a truly sustainable organisation that has stood the test of time and had a remarkable journey of growth to become the seventh-largest pulp and paper company in the world.

OjiFS, along with the entire Oji Group, got behind Oji’s 150th Anniversary celebrations, including a tree planting initiative – planting Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) trees at owned sites, followed by a photo relay, reinforcing our shared vision for future growth. A 150 Year tote bag made from sustainable Oji fibre was gifted to all 39,000+ employees across the global Oji Group of companies, and we learned more about Oji’s origins and “150 Years of Continuous Innovation” via a commemorative movie.

As an important part of the Oji Group’s future in the Australasian region, OjiFS wanted to embody the Oji Group slogan and go “beyond the boundaries” with an additional initiative to celebrate this inspiring 150-year milestone.

1,000 CRANE CHALLENGE

A companywide challenge was set for OjiFS to make 1,000 origami paper cranes as a gesture of good luck “toward further growth and evolution” for the Oji Group (and in turn, OjiFS).

Origami cranes symbolise honour, loyalty, and longevity. The Japanese believe anyone with the patience and commitment to fold 1,000 origami cranes, would be given good fortune and granted a wish.

Not only was this a fitting initiative culturally but the material used (paper), aligned with the industry we are in and the products we produce.

THE RESULTS

Origami crane-making events were held across all OjiFS sites and what can only be described as “crane-mania” erupted, resulting in 9,482 cranes made – soaring well past the 1,000-crane target.

This incredible result is testament to the passion and drive of our people; when presented with a challenge, we rise to it!

Some of our larger sites showed their competitive spirit, laying down additional local challenges, with one team even adopting a production-line approach to beat their challenger. Creative flair was applied with innovative designs ranging from giant “almost fill a room” sized cranes made from OjiFS paper off-cuts, through to teeny-tiny “how is that even possible” cranes made with tweezers. 

Origami is no easy feat, and we were thoroughly impressed with the level of engagement, talent, and commitment to the cause, displayed by our people right across the organisation.

THE FEEDBACK

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the high-level of engagement experienced during the challenge. Many expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to ‘down tools’ and connect with colleagues in such a meaningful way. Here are some other quotes...

"This event captured the imagination because of the challenge involved, the medium of paper, the connection to Oji culture, and the inclusivity, with very few barriers to participation."

"It was fantastic! EVERY part of the Mill was involved and engaged!”

“We loved this event so much we ran out of paper! We purchased our own paper on the weekend so we could make more.”

“Lots of fun, nice to experience and learn about the Japanese culture."

“Several team members folded cranes at home in their own time which demonstrated the commitment to achieve this challenge.”

THE DISPLAYS

To protect and display their cranes, each site was provided with a customised corrugated Sakura Tree, made from sustainable OjiFS paper and produced by our talented packaging design team.

These trees are now a proud feature at OjiFS – some having taken on a life of their own as the creative ideas continued beyond the crane-making.

These ‘art installations’ are a talking point with visitors, provide on-going recognition to our people for their efforts, show our commitment to the Oji Group’s prosperous future, and serve as a reminder of what can be achieved when there is a common goal and purpose.