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'AI Simply Can't Replicate It': Japan Embraces Zine Trend

As the machine printed their work on newsprint paper, five technicians in uniform quickly flipped through the pages to check the quality. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP
As the machine printed their work on newsprint paper, five technicians in uniform quickly flipped through the pages to check the quality. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP
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'AI Simply Can't Replicate It': Japan Embraces Zine Trend

As the machine printed their work on newsprint paper, five technicians in uniform quickly flipped through the pages to check the quality. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP
As the machine printed their work on newsprint paper, five technicians in uniform quickly flipped through the pages to check the quality. Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP

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, reflecting the country's enduring love of paper in the digital era.

While speaking to AFP at the plant, his hands black with ink, one of the creators, Kazuma Obara said "I think (paper) is a medium that engages all five senses", unlike social media.

Obara and his creative partner Akihico Mori are among the latest artists to use a printing press offered by the Kyoto Shimbun newspaper, which is aiming to find alternative uses for its machines as subscriptions fall, AFP said.

As the machine printed their work on newsprint paper, five technicians in uniform quickly flipped through the pages to check the quality.

"I think print media is incredibly open. You can hand it to someone, you can read it together," 40-year-old photographer Obara said, calling mobile phones "very insular".

Mori, a 44-year-old writer, said people can "feel the creator's passion when they hold the work in their hands".

"I think that's what makes it so appealing, and AI simply can't replicate it."

- Rise of self-publishing -

The pair's work was later showcased at popular international photography festival Kyotographie that ended in May.

Yoshihiko Okazaki of Kyoto Shimbun Printing said the company's services have been used by artists ranging from teenagers to those in their 70s.

"Surprisingly, it resonates with younger people... I even hear comments like, 'it's interesting precisely because it's old'."

Japan has seen a rapid decline in print media, with book and magazine sales falling to just 40 percent of their 1996 pinnacle of 2.6 trillion yen ($16.3 billion).

Newspaper circulation peaked in 1997 at 53.76 million, but it dropped to more than half that in 2025, according to the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association.

Many authors and publishers around the world fear the trend will be accelerated by artificial intelligence and social media -- in the UK, a 2025 study showed that half of novelists believe AI is likely to replace their work.

However, like in other countries worldwide, do-it-yourself publication including zines -- which originated in the 1930s with sci-fi fans in the US -- is growing in Japan, especially among younger generations.

Public broadcaster NHK reported, citing one private research firm, the self-publishing market is estimated at 150 billion yen in the year ending March 2026, nearly double the figure four years ago.

- 'Something tangible' -

On one weekend in Tokyo, hundreds of visitors flocked to a zine fair showcasing a wide range of handmade magazines in different sizes and formats -- some incorporating abstract designs, photography or personal monologues.

"AI and social media are driven by algorithms that feed us nothing but what we want to see or what suits us best," said 22-year-old visitor Harumi Kikuchi.

"But the fact that many zine makers are here suggests there are many different worldviews."

Zine creator Watashi Kishino, who hand draws her daily life in black-and-white illustrations, said people can "make a lot of things with AI and digital technology".

"But I believe there's a charm in having something tangible to hold in your hands like this," Kishino said, showing her works.

Major bookstores are also embracing the trend as young people increasingly drift away from physical books.

Sanseido, a 145-year-old bookstore in Tokyo's book district Jimbocho, began putting zines on their shelves almost a year ago.

"We felt that zines could appeal to a different audience than traditional readers," Masato Sugiura, deputy head of the sales promotion unit, told AFP.

"Everyone is looking for something that really speaks to them. Readers are perhaps drawn more to zines, which are niche and cover a broader range of topics," he added.

Kishino remains hopeful that physical books and magazines will endure despite the digital age.

"There's warmth that only paper can offer," she said. "There's definitely people who are looking for that."

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Varieties

Algae Fed by Farm Waste Carpet Italy's Warm River Po

The picture shows algae covering the surface of the Po River near Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge in Turin, northwestern Italy, on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)
The picture shows algae covering the surface of the Po River near Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge in Turin, northwestern Italy, on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)
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Algae Fed by Farm Waste Carpet Italy's Warm River Po

The picture shows algae covering the surface of the Po River near Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge in Turin, northwestern Italy, on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)
The picture shows algae covering the surface of the Po River near Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge in Turin, northwestern Italy, on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Rowers on the River Po in Turin are battling vast blooms of algae, as high temperatures in northwest Italy and runoff from farms create ideal conditions for rampant plant growth.

"Look at these (plants), if you put your oar in, they wouldn't let it go," rowing coach Roberto Romanini told AFP, as four rowers struggled in their boat through a patch of green slime.

Sitting between the Alpine chain on one side and hills on the other, heavily urbanized Turin has suffered soaring temperatures this summer, as heat waves rendered more intense by man-made climate change have gripped Italy.

And the Po, Italy's longest river, is struggling.

It has experienced a significant decline in flow, down 50 percent on its yearly average, due to low rainfall and persistently high temperatures in June and July.

Despite that, dozens of plant species have been blooming since May.

"It looks like a meadow," 60-year-old Romanini said, adding he had "never seen anything like it."

Tearing tangled plants off his motor boat's propeller, he noted, "The river is changing, the climate is changing.”

At the dyke that has controlled the river's level since the 19th century, a thick layer of algae trapped various bottles and a shoe.

Local species such Spirogyra, known as mermaid's tresses, and the blanket weed Cladophora, mingle with the invasive Blitum nuttallianum -- or Nuttall's povertyweed, which is native to North America.

Further upstream, herons have nested under the historic stone Isabella Bridge, and their chicks are taking advantage of the thick layer of vegetation to learn how to walk.

Rowers make their way along the algae-covered Po River near the Borgo Medievale in Turin, northwestern Italy, on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP)

Algae have always been present in the Po, but climate change "makes these phenomena more extreme", said Turin Deputy Mayor Francesco Tresso, calling this year's proliferation "quite exceptional.”

"It's no longer really a river, but rather a warm lake," reaching temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius even though it originates in the nearby Alps, he told AFP.

"Agricultural nutrients from livestock farms are also dumped throughout the basin, which means that plants find an ideal environment here to thrive," he said.

Alice de Marco, the local head of environmental organization Legambiente, said the algae blooms were encouraged "above all by excess nutrients" from farms.

She said a large part of the solution would be "limiting, reducing, or even eliminating the use of pesticides in agriculture.”

This mass of vegetation "has an impact on the food chain -- it reduces the oxygen level underwater, affecting other plants and animals," she said.

Algae have also invaded Lake Iseo in neighboring Lombardy this summer, as well as further afield, from canals in France to the Ebro River in Zaragoza, Spain.

Turin wants to make the Po one of its starring attractions: two river shuttles are scheduled to resume service in 2027 and the city council has renovated a large park next to the river.

But first it needs to get rid of the green weeds.

Near Turin's mock medieval village, an excavator perched on a barge pulls up clumps of dripping algae.

A truck comes every morning to collect the plants, which are then turned into compost. More than 150 tons have been removed in three weeks, at a cost of approximately 100,000 euros ($115,000).

Secondo Barbero, director of the Piedmont Environmental Protection Agency, noted that there is a correct way to remove it.

"The plant shouldn't be cut but uprooted; otherwise, the cut parts can generate new plants," while also contaminating downstream riverbanks, he said.

The growth should slow with the drop in temperatures in autumn, but the city should prepare for a fresh round in spring, Barbero said.

Rower Romanini said that, for now, locals will just have to learn to live with it -- "and show more respect for the river."

Varieties

What Living in One of the World's Hottest Towns Feels Like

Residents sleep on the platform of a railway station to escape the heat in Banda, northern Indian state of Utter Pradesh, Saturday, June 20 , 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Residents sleep on the platform of a railway station to escape the heat in Banda, northern Indian state of Utter Pradesh, Saturday, June 20 , 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
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What Living in One of the World's Hottest Towns Feels Like

Residents sleep on the platform of a railway station to escape the heat in Banda, northern Indian state of Utter Pradesh, Saturday, June 20 , 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Residents sleep on the platform of a railway station to escape the heat in Banda, northern Indian state of Utter Pradesh, Saturday, June 20 , 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Heat at all hours, even in the middle of the night. Long stretches without electricity, meaning some homes can't even use basic fans. And a constant search for relief, like being hosed down with water or sleeping outside.

For many residents of Banda, a town in northern India that has recorded some of the country's highest temperatures, just getting through each day is a challenge.

Global warming, caused mostly by the burning of fuels like gas, oil and coal, is making heat waves across India more frequent and intense. Uttar Pradesh, the state Banda is in, is among those most vulnerable to extreme heat. In 2023, at least 119 people died over several days during a severe heat wave in parts of the state.

In May, temperatures reached 48.2 Celsius (118.8 Fahrenheit), one of multiple times this year that the town recorded the country’s highest temperature for the day. Banda was also the hottest spot on Earth seven times this year, most of them in April, according to climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera, who tracks global weather extremes. Since then, temperatures have dropped some but are still stifling, particularly as seasonal rains increase humidity.

In June, an Associated Press team went to Banda to report on how people try to cope with the heat throughout the day.

Morning: Heat makes market workers’ jobs tougher Munni Devi and her four sons begin work loading and unloading vegetables when most of the town is asleep.

It’s only 4 a.m., but the temperature is already 30 C (86 F). Workers at Banda's vegetable market are busy unloading tomatoes, jackfruits and other vegetables and transferring them to smaller vehicles for delivery to neighborhood shops.

Devi, 70, says the heat is becoming more intense every year, and this year has been especially bad. The work is physically demanding in any weather. During a heat wave, it can be brutal. But Devi says she and her sons can’t afford to miss a day.

“Everyone feels the heat, but because of our circumstances, we have to bear it,” she says.

At the market, young men wheel carts through narrow lanes. Women sort vegetables on the streets. Devi says many buyers arrive early, hoping to finish shopping before temperatures soar.

Devi and her sons work from early morning until lunch, then return home to recuperate.
She says unreliable power to her home means there is little respite even there. Devi’s grandchildren get sprayed down every day with a water hose to get some relief.

“If there is no power, even the ceiling fans don’t work. Sometimes there is no power for hours,” she says.

Afternoon: Animal lover tries to protect birds from heat impacts As the afternoon sun bakes Banda’s streets, residents who can afford to stay inside do so. But some vegetable sellers and auto rickshaw drivers stay outdoors in hopes of attracting a little more business.

Meanwhile, 70-year-old animal lover Shobharam Kashyap is busy making wooden birdhouses at a workshop in his home.

Kashyap says he and other volunteers have installed over 15,000 birdhouses across the town to give birds respite from an increasingly harsh environment.

Kashyap’s brightly painted birdhouses — many of which are painted green as he says birds seem to prefer that color — have been mounted on trees and walls across Banda.

He has also placed clay water bowls in and near his home to give birds a place for a dip or drink.

Kashyap says he is continuing traditional practices of caring for other animals.

“Our culture has long encouraged feeding birds. Women visiting temples traditionally offer rice. Neither the priest nor the deity consumes it — the birds do,” he says.

Evening: As heat increases, so do hospital admissions Hotter days have brought more patients to the hospital in Banda, one of the bigger medical centers in this region. Those with heat maladies, ranging from fainting to heatstroke, tend to come in the afternoon and evening, filling the corridors and wards.

Patients sit shoulder-to-shoulder on benches. Relatives fan family members with sheets of paper. Hospital staff move between beds carrying intravenous fluids.

Dr. Abhishek Pranayami, the hospital's head doctor, says the hospital sees a surge of patients every summer, "and the number of patients is increasing every year.”

He says they are treating large numbers of people suffering from dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain — illnesses that become more common as temperatures rise. Some patients recover within days. Others take longer.

“Pressure is quite high on us and the staff,” he says.

Night: Sleeping outdoors or in a rail station to seek a break from heat Even after sunset, Banda remains hot.

When young boys play a game of cricket, they keep their water bottles cool by wrapping them in torn clothes.

At the town’s railway station, families sometimes gather late into the night, hoping the open platforms and occasional breeze will be more comfortable than cramped homes that have absorbed heat all day.

On one such night, dozens are sleeping in the station to avoid the heat. In one spot, several children and adults sleep on blankets spread out on the stone platform with parked train cars a few feet away. Some use bags as pillows. A pile of flip-flops sits inches from their bare feet. Another man stretches out on a bench, with his head on a backpack.

Nearby, several men and women are trying to sleep on blankets near the ticket kiosks, despite the bright lights. Dogs lie between some of the people on the ground, also trying to get relief.

Laborers whose homes are too small and hot to sleep in are sleeping on blankets outside the railway station's entrance, trying their best to get some rest in the hot night. Regardless of the noise of vehicles and passengers entering and leaving the station, laborers and residents are lying on towels and sometimes right on the gravel as the relatively open, breezy roads and pavements near the railway station give them the best chance for some shut-eye.

For parents with little children, the hot night is too uncomfortable for sleep, so they wait in the station, huddled around a smartphone.

The struggle for relief and rest has become a defining feature of summer in cities like Banda.

“Climate change is shifting the average,” says Abhiyant Tiwari, climate and health expert at New Delhi-based NRDC India. “While Banda has always been known for hot summers, what is changing right now is the intensity, the duration and the number of people exposed to dangerous heat conditions.”

High nighttime temperatures are especially worrying because they prevent people from recovering physically from the day’s heat, he says.

The top government official in Banda says authorities have responded by opening cooling centers, distributing hundreds of thousands of oral rehydration kits and monitoring hospitals during heat warnings.

Amit Aasery, the district magistrate of Banda, says officials are studying groundwater levels, soil moisture and vegetation loss while working to improve water supplies and public awareness.

But he says there is only so much they can do.

“What is happening here is a global phenomenon,” he says. “It is because of climate change. We are the recipient of this.”

Varieties

Greek Islands Face Drought as Tourist Season Hits

The castle and buildings in the main tourist town on the island, which declared a drought emergency, in Chora, Astypalaia, Greece, July 13, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
The castle and buildings in the main tourist town on the island, which declared a drought emergency, in Chora, Astypalaia, Greece, July 13, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
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Greek Islands Face Drought as Tourist Season Hits

The castle and buildings in the main tourist town on the island, which declared a drought emergency, in Chora, Astypalaia, Greece, July 13, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
The castle and buildings in the main tourist town on the island, which declared a drought emergency, in Chora, Astypalaia, Greece, July 13, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

Seven Greek islands in the Aegean Sea have declared drought emergencies this year to preserve water as climate change makes summers hotter and rainfall more erratic.

Now, authorities are wondering if it will rain next year to sustain the thousands of tourists who strain the supply of water just when locals need it most.

The butterfly-shaped island of Astypalaia, which relies on bottled water for drinking, lies east of the mainland and did not benefit from rain in northern and western parts of Greece that gave the country its wettest winter since 2022.

For Astypalaia in the southeastern Aegean, it was the second driest season since 2020, according to data by local authorities, creating dilemmas for officials.

"If we collected all the water dropped throughout the year in a bucket or in a washbowl, it would be 2.5 centimeters deep," said mayor Nikos Komineas, standing near a man-made lake surrounded by dry hills with sparse low scrub, the island's sole water reservoir built in the mid-1990s.

Authorities cut ⁠off farmer Evdokia Palatianou from a man-made lake to save water in April. The vegetables she grows in her orchard withered as she was forced to rely on brackish water pumped from her well.

"Unless it rains, I won't plant anything," said Palatianou, 71, standing next to a dead tree once full of mandarins on the coastal village of Livadi, the island's main fertile region.

The lake supplying water for household use and irrigation in Livadi and to the main tourist town of Chora, the island's capital, now contains some 150,000 cubic meters, a sixth of its storage capacity.

With daily consumption at about 900 cubic meters ⁠in the summer, it would last around five and a half months.

Authorities declared a water emergency in May to fast-track a temporary desalination plant with a daily output of 600 cubic meters for Chora, and blocked irrigation for farmers in Livadi to safeguard the lake's reserves until autumn, Reuters quoted Komineas as saying.

"We did it with a heavy heart, but anyway, thankfully there's this alternative for them," he said, adding that if rain replenishes the Livadi reservoir, they will reconnect the farmers.

A map compiled by the Copernicus European Drought Observatory marked Astypalaia in orange in June, an early sign of emerging drought.

At the seaside village of Analipsi on the island's east, sheep and goat farmers carry in water to fill up tanks or use low-quality water from boreholes.

A desalination plant that supplies tap water there was unable to cover a population that swells to 7,000 from 1,400 in midsummer, so a second, temporary facility was set up in Chora pending ⁠construction of a permanent one ⁠planned for the end of the year.

Dozens of energy-intensive desalination plants are installed on Greek islands. Κomineas said the temporary plant was a fallback for drought, while admitting it was costly.

"A major worry for me was what will happen if there is no rain once again this year," he said.

Some hoteliers on Astypalaia have already taken action to save water. Carolina Alkalai, 42, who operates a hotel on a hillside in Chora, with views of the castle and the Aegean Sea, offers a 5-euro voucher to guests who skip the daily cleaning service.

"Clients have embraced it," she said. She envisioned a second hotel on the island that would incorporate a cistern able to retain rainwater instead of a pool or a jacuzzi.

Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou has approved 15-million-euros ($17 million) for desalination, grid upgrades and water tanks on nine of Greece's more than 200 inhabited islands, including 1.5 million euros for Astypalaia. In June, he briefed other environment ministers in Luxembourg on water resilience.

"For Greece, water isn't theoretical- it's about security, economic growth and the protection of local communities," he said. The Athens-based National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" says drought could get worse by 2049 as global temperatures rise, exacerbating water scarcity on the vulnerable islands.