# AI simply can't replicate it': Japan embraces zine trend > Source: > Published: 2026-06-05 12:16:54+00:00 Kyoto – Through the noise of rushing papers and whirring belts at a print factory in Kyoto, two creators watch their photo essay come to life in broadsheet form — part of an effort to win new audiences in the age of AI. Despite the decline of the publishing industry, self-publication and handmade [“zine” magazines are growing in popularity in Japan](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/06/21/books/japanese-zines/), reflecting the country’s enduring love of paper in the digital era. “I think (paper) is a medium that engages all five senses, (unlike social media),” says 40-year-old photographer Kazuma Obara.