Writing Workshops
Dismantling Propaganda
A radical writing, zine-making and risograph-printing workshop in Tokyo, Japan
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Dates
July 6 – 13 , 2025
Cost
$1,600USD
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 classes, collective study sessions and risograph printing workshops in Tokyo, culminating in the creation of your very own 16-page zine.
Led by a team of writers, printmakers and political educators, this weeklong intensive invites participants from around the world to explore the many propagandas we’ve been marinated in and collectively work to dismantle them.
Together, we’ll interrogate dominant narratives and the technologies they’ve been delivered through, from settler colonial expansion and pro-natalism to the myth of the nation-state. 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 scaffolding and support from a diverse lineup of instructors, each participant will write, design and risograph print their own two-colour 16-page A5 zine: a piece of persuasive and reparative media that can exist outside of digital surveillance and push back against something deeply felt. Each person will take home five copies of their work.
The program will unfold in Bakuroyokayama between a cosy classroom, a co-working space, a hip print-making studio and a modular micro-living space – all part of the MIDORI.so creative hub.
Workshops and seminars will run for about four hours each day, leaving plenty of time to explore the slow charm of our neighbourhood: think third-wave coffee shops, family-run shokudō, natural wine bars, vintage florists and the kind of clothing stores that still price in pencil.
In the evenings, expect group dinners, late-night chats about the futures we’re fighting for and probably a round or two of karaoke.
7 places only.
Schedule
Day 1: Welcome
Afternoon check in and welcome dinner
Day 2: Critical Media Literacy
Propaganda 101
Channels, mediums and technology
Day 3: Reparative Media
Countering narratives
Effective writing
Day 4: Zine Content
Concept pitch
Research and writing
Day 5: Introduction to Riso
History of risograph printing
Zines and DIY publishing culture
Layout and design basics
Mock layout test
Day 6: Design and Print Prep
Final design
Digital layout
Spectrolight demo: colour separation and halftones
Day 7: Printing and Binding
Hands-on risograph printing
Binding and finishing
Zine exchange, reflections and feedback
Day 8: Farewell
Goodbye breakfast and check out
Instructors
Born in Iran, Yasmine 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.
Gemma is a writer and editor who’s spent a lot of time living on unceded land – originally in Australia and now in the United States. DIY media is her jam, be it wheatpasting, zine-making, freelancing or starting publications. With experience in organising and a background in all kinds of journalism, she enjoys walking everywhere, scribbling illegibly in her journal, and sad banjo music.
Karella Mara Raffinan 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 is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator who is now based in Tokyo after spending the last few years in Toronto, Canada. He also works at MIDORI.so Studio in Bakuroyokoyama supporting creatives with a whole range of printing projects.
Inclusions
6 days of seminars and workshops taught by writers, political educators and printmakers.
5 printed copies of your own 16-page a5 zine, printed on a risograph machine in two colours
7 nights’ semi-private accommodation
5 days of coworking space membership at midori.so Bakuroyokoyama (access from 10am – 6pm each day)
Accommodation
Our accommodation space is brand-spanking new and slated to open to the world on June 15, so until then, you’ll just have to use your imagination based on the below renders.
Nestled above a cafe and lounge, the rooms feature custom-built wooden pods that serve as both sleeping quarters and personal workspaces. The space hosts seven guests in total across three floors, with up to three people per floor.
Application Process
We are looking to assemble a diverse group of folk who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how media shapes reality and work collaboratively to counter that outside of digital surveillance.
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.
Interested applicants should fill in a contact form telling us a little about who they are and why they wish to participate in this program. We will endeavour to get back to you within two working days.
Writing Workshops
Dismantling Propaganda: Radical Writing, Zine-Making and Risograph Printing
Tokyo, Japan
Location:
Bakuroyokoyama, Tokyo, Japan
Dates:
July 6 – 13 , 2025
Cost:
$1,600USD
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 classes, collective study sessions and risograph printing workshops in Tokyo, culminating in the creation of your very own 16-page zine.
Led by a team of writers, printmakers and political educators, this weeklong intensive invites participants from around the world to explore the many propagandas we’ve been marinated in and collectively work to dismantle them.
Together, we’ll interrogate dominant narratives and the technologies they’ve been delivered through, from settler colonial expansion and pro-natalism to the myth of the nation-state. 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 scaffolding and support from a diverse lineup of instructors, each participant will write, design and risograph print their own two-colour 16-page A5 zine: a piece of persuasive and reparative media that can exist outside of digital surveillance and push back against something deeply felt. Each person will take home five copies of their work.
The program will unfold in Bakuroyokayama between a cosy classroom, a co-working space, a hip print-making studio and a modular micro-living space – all part of the MIDORI.so creative hub.
The studio is equipped with silkscreen setups, a fabric inkjet printer and a risograph printer, with an emphasis on exploring how to make rather than just what to make.
Workshops and seminars will run for about four hours each day, leaving plenty of time to explore the slow charm of our neighbourhood: think third-wave coffee shops, family-run shokudō, natural wine bars, vintage florists and the kind of clothing stores that still price in pencil.
In the evenings, expect group dinners, late-night chats about the futures we’re fighting for and probably a round or two of karaoke.
7 places only.
Day 1: Welcome
Afternoon check in and welcome dinner
Day 2: Critical Media Literacy
Propaganda 101
Channels, mediums and technology
Day 3: Reparative Media
Countering narratives
Effective writing
Day 4: Zine Content
Concept pitch
Research and writing
Day 5: Introduction to Riso
History of risograph printing
Zines and DIY publishing culture
Layout and design basics
Mock layout test
Day 6: Design and Print Prep
Final design
Digital layout
Spectrolight demo: colour separation and halftones
Day 7: Printing and Binding
Hands-on risograph printing
Binding and finishing
Zine exchange, reflections and feedback
Day 8: Farewell
Goodbye breakfast and check out
Born in Iran, Yasmine 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.
Gemma is a writer and editor who’s spent a lot of time living on unceded land – originally in Australia and now in the United States. DIY media is her jam, be it wheatpasting, zine-making, freelancing or starting publications. With experience in organising and a background in all kinds of journalism, she enjoys walking everywhere, scribbling illegibly in her journal, and sad banjo music.
Karella Mara Raffinan 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 is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator who is now based in Tokyo after spending the last few years in Toronto, Canada. He also works at MIDORI.so Studio in Bakuroyokoyama supporting creatives with a whole range of printing projects.
6 days of seminars and workshops taught by writers, political educators and printmakers
5 printed copies of your own 16-page a5 zine, printed on a risograph machine in two colours
7 nights’ semi-private accommodation
5 days of coworking space membership at midori.so Bakuroyokoyama (access from 10am – 6pm each day)
Our accommodation space is brand-spanking new and slated to open to the world on June 15, so until then, you’ll just have to use your imagination based on the below renders.
Nestled above a cafe and lounge, the rooms feature custom-built wooden pods that serve as both sleeping quarters and personal workspaces. The space hosts seven guests in total across three floors, with up to three people per floor.
We are looking to assemble a diverse group of folk who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how media shapes reality and work collaboratively to counter that outside of digital surveillance.
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.
Interested applicants should fill in a contact form telling us a little about who they are and why they wish to participate in this program. We will endeavour to get back to you within two working days.
