AI simply can't replicate it': Japan embraces zine trend

In Kyoto, creators are producing handmade zines at a print factory to attract audiences in the AI era, as self-publication grows in popularity in Japan despite the publishing industry's decline. The trend reflects the country's enduring love for paper, which photographer Kazuma Obara describes as a medium engaging all five senses, unlike social media.

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.