Circular economy regulation, chemical recycling, artificial intelligence and logistics innovation dominated the opening addresses at Tokyo Pack 2026, as Japanese industry and government leaders outlined the forces reshaping packaging worldwide.
Tokyo Pack 2026 opened at Tokyo Big Sight on 14 October, with Japan Packaging Institute president Kaoru Ino calling for fundamental changes in packaging design, materials and recovery systems to support the transition to a circular economy.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the three-day exhibition, Ino said the global packaging industry was at a major turning point, driven by tightening environmental regulation, particularly in Europe, and international efforts to address plastic pollution.
He said the industry's response needed to extend beyond material substitution to more fundamental changes in how packaging is designed, produced and recovered.
"The wider use of recycled materials and biomass resources, the shift toward mono-material packaging and advances in resource recovery technology, including chemical recycling, have become essential to this transformation," Ino said.
His comments reflected growing recognition in Japan of the influence of international packaging regulations, particularly the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), on future packaging development.
Regulation driving change
The significance of the European regulatory shift was reinforced in the subsequent address by Takatoshi Miura, director-general of the Manufacturing Industries Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
Miura acknowledged the changing international regulatory environment, specifically referencing the implementation of the EU's PPWR.
He said resource circulation and reducing the environmental impact of packaging were important priorities, recognising industry efforts to reduce resource consumption through optimised packaging design.
Miura indicated that METI would continue to engage with industry, provide information and support an environment in which packaging businesses could respond to these challenges.
The two addresses demonstrated a shared awareness that circular economy requirements are changing the direction of packaging innovation, with implications extending across materials, manufacturing, logistics and end-of-life recovery.
AI, automation and Logistics 2030
Beyond sustainability, Ino identified improving packaging and logistics efficiency as an urgent priority for Japan, particularly in preparation for the challenges associated with Logistics 2030.
He highlighted packaging modularisation to maximise loading efficiency, packaging systems compatible with automated production lines, and smarter supply chain management.
Ino also identified the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into smart packaging as an important means of improving supply chain visibility and reducing labour requirements.
These technologies, he said, would become increasingly important in supporting sustainable social infrastructure.
Miura reinforced the message, pointing to Japan's labour shortages and the need to improve logistics efficiency as significant challenges for industry.
He said automation, labour-saving equipment and digital technologies were expected to play a greater role in packaging and logistics systems, creating opportunities for innovation and new business development.
A ¥6.6 trillion industry
Miura also highlighted the economic importance of packaging in Japan, describing it as an essential part of the country's social and industrial infrastructure.
Japan's packaging industry has reached a scale of approximately ¥6.6 trillion, he said, reflecting its contribution to product protection, quality preservation, distribution efficiency and consumer information.
"We recognise that packaging is one of the essential social infrastructures in Japanese society," Miura said.
He noted that packaging provides a technological foundation across the supply chain, from production and logistics through to retail, and expressed confidence that its importance would continue to grow.
Miura also welcomed the exhibition's initiatives to engage students and younger generations, including educational seminars and guided exhibition tours, as part of efforts to develop future industry talent.
International participation remains strong
Now in its 31st edition, Tokyo Pack has been held biennially since 1966.
Ino reported that more than 520 companies and organisations were participating in the 2026 exhibition, including exhibitors from 16 countries and regions, despite an approximately 30 per cent reduction in available exhibition space due to construction work at Tokyo Big Sight.
The exhibition is being held under the theme Innovative Packaging Technology: The Link Between Our Future Planet and Generations.
Ino said Tokyo Pack aimed to demonstrate how advanced packaging technologies could address environmental and economic challenges, bringing together new materials, automation, labour-saving machinery and digital systems.
He expressed the hope that the exhibition would encourage collaboration across industries and national borders, accelerating the practical development of sustainable packaging solutions.
"Creating new value through packaging will be a key to achieving both environmental sustainability and economic growth," Ino said.
Tokyo Pack 2026 runs from 14–16 October at Tokyo Big Sight, bringing together packaging materials, machinery, printing, processing, automation and logistics technologies from Japan and international markets.
