Last Updated: February 17, 2026
Our Commitment to Transparency
At Japan By Local, we believe in complete transparency with our readers. This page explains how we earn money and how it affects (and doesn’t affect) the content we create.
How We Make Money
Japan By Local is a free resource for travelers planning their trip to Japan. To keep this site running and continue creating helpful content, we participate in several affiliate programs.
When you click on certain links in our articles and make a purchase or booking, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our links or go directly to the provider’s website.
Affiliate Partners
We currently work with the following affiliate programs:
- Klook — Tours, activities, and attraction tickets
- Viator — Guided tours and experiences
- GetYourGuide — Tours, activities, and skip-the-line tickets
- Booking.com — Hotel and accommodation bookings
- Agoda — Hotel bookings (Asia specialist)
- Amazon Associates — Travel gear, guidebooks, and accessories
We may add or change affiliate partners over time. This page will always reflect our current partnerships.
Our Editorial Policy
Affiliate relationships never influence our recommendations. Here’s our promise to you:
-
We only recommend what we’d suggest to a friend. Every recommendation on this site is something we genuinely believe will improve your trip to Japan.
-
We highlight free alternatives. Many of the best experiences in Japan are free. We always include free options alongside paid ones.
-
We provide honest opinions. If something is overpriced, overhyped, or not worth the trip, we’ll tell you. Our credibility as locals is more important than any commission.
-
We disclose affiliate links. Articles containing affiliate links include a disclosure notice at the bottom.
-
Local experience comes first. Our recommendations are based on years of living in Japan, not on which program pays the highest commission.
FTC Compliance
In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines (16 CFR Part 255), we disclose all material connections between Japan By Local and the companies whose products or services we recommend.
Questions?
If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships or editorial policy, please contact us. We’re happy to discuss how we keep our content honest and helpful.
Thank you for supporting Japan By Local. Your trust means everything to us, and we work hard to earn it with every article we publish.