Past Creative Diary entries

Sunday, September 13, 2026

SNS let you pass along information you have to others in the form of a “share.” When you find a web page that interests you, you naturally want to share its URL. Lately, however, social networks have become less welcoming of URL sharing. Whether on X or Facebook, posts that share URLs are less likely to be seen by others. One of the web's advantages used to be that a link could take you to another site, so it's disappointing to see platforms try to keep everything inside their own services. Even if we lament that, the SNS services themselves aren't going to change, so Zindies is trying to make the act of sharing into an "image." When sharing a URL there is information called OGP that controls how the share is displayed, but if URLs are difficult to use you can't rely on that. In that case, why not turn the page's content into an image and share that? If it's an image, it's not treated as a URL share and can be posted directly to places like Instagram. Putting a URL into an image won't create a link, but having AI recognize a URL inside an image isn't hard. Also, unlike plain text, you can freely lay out the content, which can increase expressiveness. And so the steady improvements continued.

Saturday, September 12, 2026

I start writing the manuscript I've been asked to write. The deadline is the end of this month. Unlike programs, writing has no performance metrics. Programmers are taught that the shorter and more precise their code or text is, the better. But that only makes sense within the context of instructions meant to make a computer run. You can't use the same method to move a human heart. Long ago a friend who does sociology told me that unless you write a lot you can't really feel you've explained something. Hearing that, I remember thinking there is a different kind of difficulty in a world without theorems or formulas. Remembering that, I sit at my computer and spend time thinking about prose. Come to think of it, I was never good at reports, and I regret having taken this on just a little, but it's also a perfect opportunity to explain Zindies. I want to write something that will make readers interested. I've decided to live for a while under the persona of a "great writer on the eve of a deadline."

Friday, September 11, 2026

Today a small but important improvement. Yesterday, when I visited NAgoya BOOK CENTER, I heard from Mr. Fujisaka that while it's good to have notifications about new works, he'd like to know whether the creator is nearby. Indeed, that makes it easier to approach them and for them to visit the store. So, when a new work is registered, we now display creators who have set their activity area near the store first, and we also show proximity near the store's handling stance. I'm very grateful when people point out things like this. There's still much we can do to make interactions easier and, in turn, make the service easier to use. I'll keep working on it.

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Today I had a business trip to the Kansai area. On my way back to Tokyo I got off in Nagoya to visit Ms. Fujisaka at NAgoya BOOK CENTER. I had visited NAgoya BOOK CENTER last Saturday for a new-release event by Kazufumi Iida, but a few things have happened over the past few days regarding Zindies, so I stopped by to report and consult. On the Zindies side, following my earlier Code4Lib presentation we discussed creating a database and archiving it. I also received feedback that allowing stores to receive emails when new works are registered is useful because it helps them discover titles. They also asked to add an option to contact creators when a creator's activity area is nearby. Creators can set an activity area, but we haven't explained well who will see it, and because it relates to privacy we hadn't communicated much about it. If we tidy this up and have creators fill it in, interactions with stores might become much more active. When I explained Zindies' features, including the store calendar, they started using it right away. It doesn't create a page on Zindies; it only generates an image of a calendar, so it can be pasted into Instagram and the like. I'm grateful that Iruka Shorin, which is near my parents' home, and Zeroichi Village, a coworking space in Oita, have been using it. I think making tools when an idea occurs and closing them if no one uses them might be a good approach. I also asked about flood damage because I was worried, and they said the shop was fine. TV often shows striking footage that made me concerned, but it wasn't nearly that extreme, which was a relief. After that I returned home. I received a message from the operator of a service that might integrate with Zindies, and we'll work out the details. The target is people who make ZINEs. I'm very grateful for the support of many people.

Monday, September 7, 2026

Today I'm in Ise. I presented about Zindies at the Code4Lib JAPAN 2026 conference held on the campus of Kogakkan University. Code4Lib JAPAN is a long-running initiative in the library × technology space. The title of my talk was “Building relationships between creators, shops, and readers using a ZINE database.” You can find the presentation materials at the URL below. https://zindies.co/articles/code4lib-japan-2026 The gist was that simply building a database of works cannot fully represent the world of ZINEs, and it's important to incorporate the “human connections” that appear there. That may not be surprising to people already using the service. However, for those involved with libraries, many may not know the keyword ZINE, or even if they do, they might feel it has nothing to do with them. Imagining that kind of away situation, I gave the talk trying to rally my courage. I don't really know how it was received. A few people did show interest and asked questions, so I'm happy if something of it stuck in their memory. It was a bit far, but I'm glad I went. Ise Jingu (Ise Grand Shrine) was very close by, but unfortunately I didn't have time to sightsee.

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Zindies has been informing about newly registered works via the app's general 'notifications'. However, we hadn't been sending those updates by email. In particular, since stores often want to know about new works, we've decided to start emailing them. Unlike notifications, emails remain in the mailbox, so they're easier to review later. I'll write more details separately on note, but the email content varies depending on whether we already carry works by the creator. If we already carry them, stores can contact the creator right away. If not, the email explains our stance on carrying their work. This isn't a major feature addition, but I hope it becomes an opportunity for creators and stores to interact.

Monday, August 31, 2026

Some time ago I added a feature that can generate a portfolio (PDF) for creators from the creator and work information registered on Zindies. The fact that it can automatically generate convenience-store print codes seems to have been well received, and I'm very grateful for that. Riding that momentum, I thought it would be nice if various pages could be turned into PDFs and printed at convenience stores. I named it the "Thorough PDF Initiative." As a prologue to that, I made it possible to output a list of events held at shops. NAgoya BOOK CENTER hosts many events, so the PDFs are quite a spectacle. The period-type (festival-type) events we recently added also appear, so please take a look if you'd like. Open https://zindies.co/fqpi/events?locale=ja — at the top of the page, to the right of the heart and share icons, there's a new icon that looks like "Map or Pamphlet"; you can download the PDF from there. It's not implemented yet, but it would be nice if single-event pages could also be printed. If booth listings are included, an exhibitor list pamphlet could be produced right away. It's not a ZINE itself, but being able to create printed materials quickly seems useful, so I'll try various approaches.

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Until now, event pages were split into two types: single-day events and multi-day/period events (such as exhibitions or fairs), with separate pages for each. That structure has been in place since the Zindies release, but we've finally been able to unify them. Period events are displayed for the entire duration, so they have more presence than single-day events, which can make single-day events less noticeable. Also, unlike single-day events, ZINE creators are often not present at period events, so I thought it might be better to keep them separate as a type of information. However, because period events were not shown by default (they were toggled via a link), they tended to go unnoticed, and since there aren't many of them at the moment, we decided to display them together. Even so, single-day events are shown higher in the listing. Period events can be created by anyone who is registered as a shop on the site, so if you run that kind of event, please give it a try.

Friday, August 28, 2026

Earlier I announced asking creators and shop owners to try entering the romanized readings of their names and other details. The great thing about the internet is that it can instantly overcome geographic limitations. On Zindies, registered information is automatically translated into multiple languages, so there’s a good chance people on the other side of that divide will see it. Calling it "overseas expansion" sounds grand, but it’s simple as long as you’re not actually getting on a plane. I’d love for this to become a catalyst that helps ZINE connections form around the world. That’s the feeling I have as I spend my days fixing bugs.

Monday, August 24, 2026

I updated Zindies' store listings page. Like the events list, stores can now be displayed by region. There are still relatively few listings, and I feel bad that we haven't been able to introduce the creators who have registered yet, but I added a banner on each page asking shops to share their information. The banner is placed at the end of the store list and is more prominent in areas with fewer listings. I'd be grateful if anyone who sees this could provide information. Please do. 🙏

Saturday, August 22, 2026

I went to Kyoto to attend a study meeting. With some time to spare, I visited Saibundō. To get to the shop you get off at a subway stop called Kitaōji, and from there it's almost a straight shot, but it was unbelievably hot. I wore sunglasses, carried a parasol, and had a tenugui around my neck — I thought I had taken care to protect myself, but I ended up pretty exhausted. I had let my guard down because mornings and evenings in Kyoto are cooler than in Tokyo. I was moved by the coolness when I entered the shop, and I could feel myself recovering just by taking a sip of iced coffee. They told me the rain forecast had been wrong for the past few days. I wondered if the heat from the road surface hadn't been washed away and had built up. After resting a bit I revived, and while exchanging information about ZINEs I checked and fixed the Zindies card that they said wasn't working well. There's not enough documentation, so I need to prepare that properly. While they were showing me the ZINE corner, the title "DISTANCE.zine 01〈WE〉の時代のテクノロジー" and the name Audrey Tang caught my eye. I don't read WIRED much anymore, but I thought this looked like WIRED in ZINE form, so I grabbed it. (I did buy it, honestly.) Apart from that, I showed them the WHOLE ZINE CATALOG (prototype) and received some feedback. For now it contains all the works and creators registered on Zindies, and I plan to use it when I visit shops to explain things, but even with cover photos and descriptions it still can't beat the real thing, so I'm not sure how useful it will be as a catalog — I should think about that a bit more. It was hot, but I'm glad I went. I wonder when I'll be able to go again.

Friday, August 21, 2026

　Today I went to Nagoya. 　First, I visited Kusamura BOOKS Shin-Moriyama (probably in Moriyama Ward). My last visit was about two months ago, and this was my second time. Before speaking to the staff I walked around the store, and the floors were so well stocked that I wondered if it had always been this big. They had not only books but also goods, and to my surprise there was a Starbucks I hadn't noticed last time, with many people studying or working there. 　I had a hard time finding the ZINE corner, and when I did it was in a completely different place from what I remembered, but the atmosphere around it was noticeably different. The individuality that should be inside the books seemed to seep out in front of the shelves. (Maybe that was just me.) For literary or business books—the kind with barcodes—I feel like I know where they belong, but that doesn't apply to ZINEs. They all give off a "Huh? Why am I here again?" kind of message. That's probably the source of the feeling in front of the shelves. 　I think that lack of convention is ZINEs' greatest charm. 　Thinking that, I handed the staff a Zindies pamphlet and a refeel.day card and left. 　Next I went to NAgoya BOOK CENTER. I had a long chat with Zindies member Fujisaka and we planned our next moves. What should we do in an age when AI writes programs? Written down it sounds like a very lofty topic, but we weren't trying to be lofty—we kept coming back to what to do tomorrow, the day after, and over the next six months. Data will certainly be key, but blindly heading in that direction has no point. We need to make it a project that has social meaning. That's roughly what we talked about. 　After the conversation I found and bought a few ZINEs that caught my eye. Encounters like that are always enjoyable.

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

We're building various tools to connect creators and their works with shops. First, we made a "creator portfolio" — a PDF that introduces works and can be easily printed at convenience stores. We've also been trying something called the WHOLE ZINE CATALOG, and today I ordered a prototype of it from a printer. It contains all the creators and their works listed on Zindies, including descriptive text. The idea is to use this as a tool to show shop owners and propose selling the items in their stores. However, the unit cost is high, so for now it's the disappointing situation of taking them back instead of handing them out. I haven't seen the physical copy yet, so my opinion may change once I do. It will be unveiled on 8/21.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Zindies lets creators and shops write diaries. You can write them on the site, or link entries written on refeel.day. We made diaries more prominent on creator and shop pages, but until now there were no share buttons and past entries were hard to browse, which made them difficult to read. We fixed that by assigning a URL to each day's diary, making it easier to favorite and share entries. You can also view a list of past diaries, so you can see what creators and shops have been doing. Not every day brings something notable, but I think continuing over time reveals things you wouldn't otherwise see. Anyone registered as a creator or shop on Zindies can use this feature, so please give it a try.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

　Yesterday I went to ImaZINE held in Nagoya with Fujisaka from NAgoya BOOK CENTER. We went casually as attendees to look around, not as exhibitors. I had also been to ZINE Station that was held in Kyoto a little while ago; both were first-time events and each room felt about the same size. (ImaZINE had two rooms, so there were roughly twice as many exhibitors.) 　Sugita from Be Nice, a publisher/mobile-bookstore(?) style group I've known for a while, was also exhibiting; I bought a ZINE that felt like "Be Nice's exhibition history" while saying hello. I was able to talk with Ruko, who is a labor enthusiast, and Saki Shiori (team!) who was next to her, and it was nice to chat with several people who are close to Fujisaka. 　Before going to ImaZINE I actually visited Iruka Shorin near my parents' home. They knew about Librize and had several ZINEs. I found a "delusion ZINE" by someone called Yumetsuna interesting and tried to buy it, but they told me, "They're exhibiting at ImaZINE today too—please buy it there," so I found it at ImaZINE and got it safely. Iruka Shorin later registered with Zindies, so please try contacting the author as well. 　After ImaZINE we took the subway to Nakamura Park and had a meal with Fujisaka and others. We gathered at "Kushikatsu Taikō", where the yakitori and skewers are delicious, chatted a lot about ZINEs and libraries, and then broke up. 　I was pretty exhausted, but talking with people is fun. Hearing and sharing various ideas made me think that this is how things start to move. 　My next visit to Nagoya is on 9/5. I'll attend an event for Iida Kazufumi's new book, "An Introduction to 'Relaxed Reading' for 90% of Japanese." I'm really looking forward to it.

Saturday, August 8, 2026

We get questions about Zindies fairly often. Most of them lead to ideas for improving the service, and we're grateful for that. When writing answers to those questions, I thought it would be better to make them available as Q&A for anyone to see, rather than replying only to the person who asked. note has a feature called '質問箱' (question box). At first I considered using that name for Zindies as well, but the meaning is different: on note creators or shops receive questions anonymously, whereas on Zindies people send questions to the operations team. Creators and shops also sometimes send requests like "I want this," so I decided to name it 'おたずねBOX'. A section has been added to creators' and shops' management pages where they can submit questions. Besides responding to the person who asked, the operations team can edit the question and answer before publishing them. Until now most inquiries came by email, but that keeps the exchange completely private. Useful information is better shared with everyone. A list is available at https://zindies.co/faq, and creators and shops can submit an 'おたずね' from the link there without returning to their management page, so please feel free to use it.

Friday, August 7, 2026

Today I ended up spending the day just grading the test results from last week's class... Sorry this isn't related to Zindies. 🙇

Sunday, August 2, 2026

We released a feature that lets creators generate portfolio PDFs. It also integrates with convenience-store print services such as Lawson and Famima (i.e., convenience stores other than 7-Eleven). You can generate a QR code on the site and print by scanning that QR code at the convenience store. The integration with convenience stores had been in place for a little while, but I wasn't satisfied with how the actual portfolio PDFs came out and remade them several times. I built it by analyzing data from works registered on Zindies, with conditions such as: creator and work descriptions (excluding extremely long ones) can be fully included, the layout doesn't look bad, and it fits on a single A4 sheet as much as possible. Because it's based on Zindies' pop design, some works might not suit it, but I think it meets the need for quickly creating something. After I wrote an article on note, I received a comment saying someone had used it right away, which made me very happy. I'm glad we made it.

Friday, July 31, 2026

　This week I was teaching a programming class at a university, so Zindies took a break. 　I don't feel like I rested at all — I'm actually exhausted — but for Zindies it ended up being a completely inactive week. 　It looks like it will be a little while before things resume.

Sunday, July 26, 2026

I arrived in Kyoto. Work doesn't start until tomorrow, so I first visited Saibundō (彩文堂) to pay my respects. I was a little relieved to hear that authors can communicate through Zindies. I left our new pamphlet and information about the new service refeel. Today wasn't an event per se, but a publisher had a corner in the shop to introduce books, and I was able to give a brief explanation of Zindies. The ZINEs on display at Saibundō are of a high level. I wondered if this is what it means for books to shape a shop. After that I went to an event called ZINE Square Kyoto held at Miyako Messe. Being the first time, I had hoped it would feel different from BunFuri (文フリ) or ZINE Fes; although it was smaller than those, there were about 60 exhibitors. I marked promising items in the sample corner and visited the booths. I bought ZINEs that included things like product design book reviews. There were some I couldn't buy because I didn't have cash on hand, but I thought Zindies might help as a tool for follow-up. I hadn't attended ZINE events for a while, but I was reminded that being on-site is important to understand what authors and readers want.