Do You Know Japanese Pouch Binding?

Printing your zine with a service like Mixam is great, but making one by hand gives you so much more freedom with paper, binding, and design—and that’s where truly unique creations can happen.

One binding method in particular has the potential to take your zine into a completely different dimension: Japanese pouch binding, the style I’m introducing today.

I’ve already come up with an idea for a zine I want to make using it. By the time you finish reading this newsletter, you might have a brand-new idea too.

🕰️ Photography turns the past into something ongoing, not frozen

I just uploaded a brand-new interview video on YouTube. (Watch it here.)
This time I sat down with photographer Anju Miki @bibouroku__333, who told me, “I want to live longer through photography.” 

At first I wasn’t sure what she meant.
But the more she explained, the more it made sense: a photo might capture a moment in the past, but if people comment on it later, or if your own perspective changes as you grow, that past keeps shifting—almost like it’s alive.

Photography makes your past an ongoing past, and through that you get to live a broader, longer life than if you weren’t making photos at all.

It was a really fascinating conversation, so definitely check it out.

Photography Makes the Past Ongoing - ANJU MIKI | FAR EAST DARKROOM

📓 Do you know Japanese pouch binding?

In the video, we also talk about Anju’s debut zine TRAVEL. It’s made with a binding style called Japanese pouch binding. Have you heard of it?

When I first looked it up in English and found that the term included “Japanese,” I was surprised. Why “Japanese”?
Anyway, pouch binding works like this: one sheet of paper is folded in half, then stacked and bound together. The inside fold forms a “pouch,” which is where the name comes from.

This method has been used for centuries, especially with thin, translucent paper like washi that can’t be printed on both sides.

What’s funny is that pouch binding was once super common in Japan—just not in the way you’d expect. Up until a few years ago, you could find it in convenience store magazines. But only in the adult ones.

The law has changed now, so you won’t see porno mags in convenience stores anymore. But back then, the explicit pages were pouch-bound to prevent people from reading them in the store.
You had to buy the magazine, bring it home, and slice open the folded pages with a cutter to see what was inside. (In other words, the photos were printed on the “hidden” side of the pouch pages.)

Honestly, I wish I could show you one of those old pouch-bound mags right now. Next time I’ll try to hunt one down at a specialty porn bookstore in Jimbocho, Tokyo’s book town🏩

The cool thing is that pouch binding gives you a unique page-turning experience and adds thickness to a zine. Definitely keep it in mind as an idea for your own projects—you might even want to experiment with making a pouch-bound zine yourself.

And if you want to actually hold an example in your hands for inspiration, you can grab Anju’s TRAVEL from the FED. shop. It’s a limited run, shipping free while supplies last—so don’t wait too long!

🚨 404 not found Issue 02 is coming back—updated!

As you know, I’ve been working on the 404 PROJECT since 2023. Issue 02 sold out all 150 copies within six months. Even after that, people kept asking me if I’d reprint it.

At first I considered just doing another run. But writing these newsletters has taught me so much about zine-making that I couldn’t resist the urge to push it further.

So instead of a straight reprint, I decided to create an updated version: Issue 2.1.

Some of the same photos from Issue 02 are still there, but with new layouts and sequencing that give them a totally different feel. Plus, I added new images, and for the first time in the 404 series, the cover is printed in color. It’s the same series, but a different work altogether.

Like the other issues, this one also has an ISBN, which means I’ll be donating it to Japan’s National Diet Library. It’ll stay archived here permanently, which feels exciting—it’s like leaving a little cultural footprint in Japan.

Pre-orders are now open on the FED. site!
Also, since I know shipping costs can be tough, I’m trying something new: 10% off when you buy two or more items. If you’ve been thinking about supporting our zine work, this is the perfect time. Thank you!

👉 GRAB YOUR COPY: 404 NOT FOUND ISSUE 2.1 - TWIST THE BORING

🕺 See You Again Next Tuesday

That’s all for this week’s newsletter.

Thanks a ton for reading to the end! If this resonated with you, share it with a friend. And if you feel like it, drop a like or leave a comment—I’d really love to hear what you think!

See you again next time!

My Instagram: @_nuts.tokyo_
My YouTube: @fareastdarkroom