Amid the noise of spinning belts and rushing paper, photographer Kazuma Obara and writer Akihico Mori watched their photo essay take physical form, a moment that reflected a growing movement determined to keep print alive in an increasingly digital world.

Although Japan’s publishing industry has experienced decades of decline, self-published magazines and handmade zines are enjoying a resurgence. Their growing popularity highlights a continuing appreciation for paper-based media, even as artificial intelligence and social platforms dominate modern communication.

Standing beside the press with ink-stained hands, Obara described paper as a medium that appeals to all the senses.

“Paper engages all five senses,” he said, contrasting the experience with the often isolated nature of consuming content on social media.

Obara and Mori are among a new generation of creators using printing facilities offered by the Kyoto Shimbun newspaper. As newspaper subscriptions continue to fall, the company has sought new ways to utilise its printing presses by opening them to artists and independent publishers.

As technicians carefully inspected each freshly printed page, Obara reflected on the communal nature of print.

“Print media is incredibly open. You can hand it to someone, you can read it together,” he said, describing smartphones as comparatively insular devices.

Mori believes physical publications create a deeper connection between creators and audiences.

“When people hold a work in their hands, they can feel the creator’s passion,” he said. “That’s something AI simply cannot replicate.”

Their publication was later featured at Kyotographie, one of Japan’s most prominent international photography festivals, which concluded in May.

According to Yoshihiko Okazaki of Kyoto Shimbun Printing, the service has attracted creators ranging from teenagers to people in their seventies.

“What surprises us is how strongly it resonates with younger generations,” he said. “We often hear people say that it is interesting precisely because it feels old.”

The renewed interest comes despite a steep decline in Japan’s traditional print market. Book and magazine sales have fallen to roughly 40 per cent of their 1996 peak, when the industry generated 2.6 trillion yen. Newspaper circulation has also dropped dramatically, shrinking to little more than half of its 1997 high by 2025.

Many writers and publishers fear that artificial intelligence and social media could accelerate these trends. A 2025 study in the United Kingdom found that around half of novelists believed AI could eventually replace their work.

Yet independent publishing appears to be moving in the opposite direction. Zines, which originated among American science-fiction enthusiasts in the 1930s, have gained momentum in Japan, particularly among younger people seeking alternatives to algorithm-driven content.

According to NHK, citing private research, Japan’s self-publishing market reached an estimated 150 billion yen in the year ending March 2026, nearly double its size four years earlier.

The appeal was evident at a recent zine fair in Tokyo, where hundreds of visitors browsed handmade publications featuring everything from photography and experimental design to personal reflections and illustrated diaries.

For 22-year-old visitor Harumi Kikuchi, zines offer an escape from the limitations of digital platforms.

“AI and social media are shaped by algorithms that constantly show us what they think we want to see,” she said. “The number of creators here shows that there are countless different ways of seeing the world.”

Illustrator and zine creator Watashi Kishino, who documents her daily life through black-and-white drawings, believes physical objects retain a special value.

“AI and digital tools can create so many things,” she said. “But there is a unique charm in being able to hold something real in your hands.”

Traditional booksellers are also taking notice. Sanseido, a 145-year-old bookstore located in Tokyo’s historic Jimbocho district, began stocking zines nearly a year ago in an effort to attract new audiences.

“We believed zines could appeal to readers who might not normally buy traditional books,” said Masato Sugiura, deputy head of sales promotion.

He argues that readers increasingly seek highly personal and specialised content.

“People are searching for something that truly speaks to them,” he said. “Zines are often more niche and cover subjects that mainstream publishing may overlook.”

Despite the rapid growth of digital media, creators such as Kishino remain optimistic about the future of print.

“Paper has a warmth of its own,” she said. “There will always be people searching for that feeling.”