About this site & disclaimer
Who writes this site
I live in Tokyo and have spent most of my life in Japan. Over the years I've ended up as the unofficial trip planner for friends visiting from abroad, which meant buying the SIMs, testing the ticket machines and working out which rail pass was actually worth it. This site is where I keep those notes so I stop repeating myself. I write under a pen name because of my day job.
I'm not a travel agent and I don't work for any tourism board. I'm just someone who lives here and got tired of watching friends overpay for a rail pass they didn't need.
How I research and rate things
- If I've used something myself, I say so and describe what actually happened. If I haven't, I say that too and stick to what official sources confirm.
- Prices, coverage and conditions come from the operator's own site or an official government page, never from another blog. The date I checked is written next to the figure.
- Rules that depend on your passport, visa or residence status are flagged as such. Tax-free shopping, the Japan Rail Pass and some SIM plans are not available to everyone.
- Services I have no affiliate relationship with are compared on the same terms, including free government options like Visit Japan Web.
- When something changes — and in Japan fares and pass rules change often — I update the page and change the date on it rather than quietly leaving it.
Affiliate disclosure
This site takes part in affiliate programs. Some links are tracked, and if you book or buy through them the site may earn a commission. This never costs you anything extra, and it does not change the price you pay.
Commissions cover the domain, hosting, and the SIMs and passes bought for testing. Nothing on this site is a paid placement, and no operator gets to review a page before it goes up.
Commissions do not decide the order of the rankings or what gets recommended. Options
that pay nothing are included on the same terms, and sometimes come out on top. Affiliate
links are marked with rel="sponsored" and every page carries a disclosure
notice at the top.
Disclaimer
Everything here reflects what could be verified at the time of writing. Prices, routes, opening hours and terms in Japan change often, and some services differ depending on your nationality or visa status. Always confirm the current details on the official site before you book or buy. No responsibility is accepted for losses arising from use of this information.
Operator and contact
Independently run by one person (pen name used)
Please use the contact page to get in touch. See the privacy policy for how personal data is handled.