Writing Workshop
Dismantling Propaganda: Risograph Zine-Making
A self-publishing intensive in Japan
| Location | Tokyo / 東京 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Oct 16 – 25, 2026 |
| Cost | From $1,500USD |
This hands-on program blends media literacy with DIY publishing to unpack the mechanics of propaganda and teach strategies for flipping the script. Participants will create, print and assemble their own Risograph zines.
Description ↯
Join a series of conversation-driven writing salons, collective study sessions and Risograph printing workshops in Tokyo, culminating in the creation of your very own zine.
Led by an international team of writers, political educators, designers and printmakers, this 10-day program invites participants to deconstruct the narratives that shape our world and the technologies they've been delivered through. Together, we'll unpack how these forces show up in the news we read, the histories we inherit, and the stories we tell ourselves and others.
With plenty of scaffolding and support, each participant will write, design and Risograph print their own two-colour A5 zine: a work of resistance crafted to exist outside of digital surveillance. You'll take home five copies of your work.
By day, the program will unfold in Bakuro-yokoyama between a classroom, a co-working space and a print-making studio: all part of the MIDORI.so creative hub.
Accommodation-wise, you'll be staying 20 minutes' walk from our classroom at Tokyo Hikari Guesthouse in Kuramae: a cute spot run by a caring family of hiking enthusiasts whom we have known for a long time.
Classes will run for about three hours each day, leaving plenty of time to explore the slow charm of the area: think mom-and-pop-run shokudo, third-wave coffee shops, cosy ramen dens, vintage florists, and a bar where natural wine is served in seashells.
In the evenings, expect group dinners, late-night chats about the futures we're fighting for and probably a round or two of karaoke.
16 places only.
Instructors ↯
Minsky
Born under an authoritative regime, Minsky was forced to learn about resistance from an early age. Previously a big consumer of a constant stream of news as a trader, she began to notice how information was packaged, repeated, and emotionally charged to nudge perception in subtle ways. This curiosity led her to explore propaganda, transmission technologies, and the quiet power of mediums themselves—from Bloomberg terminals to Instagram reels.
Jam
Jam is a writer and editor with a background in investigative journalism, gender studies and tourism – the latter of which being a prime means of whitewashing histories. From a town meaning "place of lies" in the local language in Australia, and now living in the US, her current obsessions are local politics, cyber security and DIY media, from wheatpasting to zinemaking.
Karella
Karella is an interdisciplinary artist and curator from Toronto who is now based in Tokyo. She combines historic and experimental printing techniques with sculptural elements to create immersive environments. Her work explores community, culture, and heritage through the lens of her diasporic experience.
Tokio
Tokio is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator who is now based in Tokyo after spending the last few years in Canada. He also works at MIDORI.so Studio in Bakuro-yokoyama supporting creatives with a whole range of printing projects.
Inclusions ↯
- Six days of seminars, salons and workshops. Topics explored include a history of zines and DIY publishing, borders and boxes, making sense of the playing field, building power without permission, how to scream beyond the void, Risograph printing, layout and design, colour separation and halftones, binding and finishing + more.
- 5 copies of your own A5 zine, printed on a Risograph machine on recycled paper using soy-based ink
- 9 nights' accommodation at Tokyo Hikari Guesthouse
- Coworking day passes at MIDORI.so Bakuroyokoyama (access from 10am – 6pm each weekday)
Accommodation ↯
Tokyo Hikari Guesthouse is right by the city's river. It sleeps 16 people, and has a kitchen and washing machine. You can walk from here to class in 20 minutes.
There is one eight-bed dorm, one four-bed room, one three-bed room and one single room. Allocations will be based on preference and then availability.
The price of the program is paid in USD (American dollars), and depends on your sleeping preferences.
| Room type | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 8-shared dorm | $1,500 USD | Bunk beds, 8 spots available |
| 4-share dorm | $1,600 USD | Bunk beds, 4 spots available |
| Triple-share room | $1,650 USD | Single and loft beds, 3 spots available |
| Private room | $2,000 USD | 1 spot available |
Once you get in to the program, a $250 non-refundable deposit will be required to confirm your place, and the rest will be due eight weeks before the program starts. Payment plans extending the due date by another eight weeks are available upon request.
If we have to cancel, the program is fully refundable. If you have to cancel, the program is refundable less the deposit until eight weeks before.
It is also an Astray requirement that participants in our workshops take out travel insurance. Consider policies with pre-trip cancellation benefits in case you are unable to come last minute for any reason.
What Might You Make? ↯
It's up to you! Don't feel like you need to come prepared with an idea: we'll be doing a stack of activities and explorations together right from the start to interrogate the messaging we've each received over the course of our lives.
Our last zine-making workshop focused on identity, abstraction, recontextualisation and resistance, and saw us work with a team of writers from Singapore, India and the U.S.
In KACHA SUTA, meaning raw thread in Bengali, NY-based writer Joy explores the breadth of her relationship to the clothing label 'Made in Bangladesh' – looking at conditions for women working in garment factories and the appropriation of Desi fashion into so-called Scandinavia core and Coachella wear.
Vishnu published KNOW YOUR HINDUTVA to shed light on the rise of Hindu nationalism in India, critically examining key narratives, fabricated histories and the weaponisation of 'jihad' to expose the underlying Islamophobic propaganda fueling the Hindutva ideology (as distinct from Hinduism).
In an act of resistance against capitalism and cultural attitudes to mental health in Singapore, linguist Cleo plunges readers into organised chaos with IN MY HEAD – breaking down stigmas, narratives of othering and the realities of being a young person who refuses to conform in a neoliberal surveillance state.
Pulling ideas from centuries-old Japanese gossip, Connie created her own version of Sei Shōnagon's PILLOW BOOK. Inspired by scathing judgments of the Heian court and charming observations of beauty, Connie's zine explores the tension between two opposing narratives on women's fashion: the status-obsessed utilitarianism of the industry, and the condemnation of fashion as consumerist sin. Like Shōnagon, Connie defends the pursuit of beauty and craftsmanship for its own sake.
Cool, huh?!
FAQ ↯
How do I apply?
Fill in a contact form at the bottom of this page telling us a little about who you are and why you're keen to participate in this program. We're very curious about what the dominant narratives are in the place/s you grew up and now live!
We will strive to get back to you within two working days via email, and either Jam or Yasmine will tee up a quick phone call so that we can become human to each other, answer any questions you may have, and make sure we're the right fit for each other.
I have specific access/support needs; how will you accommodate me?
We're always up for a chat about what you need to feel supported, and have welcomed many folks in the past with specific needs: wheelchair users, d/Deaf participants, people with autism and sensory sensitivities, and mums with toddlers in tow.
Basically, we just want to make sure your time with us is possible and pleasurable, so just get in touch by filling in a contact form or by emailing zines@astray.com.au, and we can go from there!
How does payment work?
A $250USD non-refundable deposit is needed to secure your place, then the rest is due a week before the program starts. We're happy to be flexible with payment plans if you need one.
We accept bank transfers to our American or Australian bank accounts, and we also have WISE, which in our experience is the cheapest and easiest way to make international transfers (we're a US company). We can also accept credit card payments via Stripe if you're desperate, but it's our least preferred method coz the fees SUCK.
I'd like to read some reviews.
People document their time with us in all sorts of ways, and we have a collection of testimonials in various forms here.
What are your terms and conditions?
Click here.
Apply
We are looking to assemble a diverse group of folks who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how media shapes reality and work collaboratively to counter that outside of digital surveillance.
Maybe you're already familiar with guerilla media; perhaps you're an organiser in your own community; maybe the only writing or activism you've ever done is scrawl something on the back of a toilet door. Everyone is welcome provided you come with curiosity, reflectiveness and a willingness to connect and converse with others.
At Astray, we are determined to foster a space that is safe and inclusive for all – meaning we do not tolerate any form of bigotry, discrimination, abuse, marginalisation or insulting behaviour on the grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion, background, skin colour, race, religious belief, job, sexuality, gender identity, socioeconomic class, caste, disability or age. Your wellbeing is our priority.
Thankfully, in the 11 years we've been running programs, this has so rarely been an issue, and we tend to find that everyone keen to get involved with Astray is open-minded and open-hearted.