Honest Yen is an information site about travelling in Japan. We compare official sources and operator information and write it up in plain English. This page explains how we cover our running costs, and what that does — and does not — change about what we publish.
What affiliate links are
Some articles contain affiliate links. If you book or buy through one of them, we receive a commission from the seller. You pay exactly the same price you would have paid without the link. Nothing is added to your cost.
Who we partner with
We work with booking platforms covering things travellers to Japan actually need: accommodation, flights, rail passes, local activities, and connectivity (SIM and eSIM). Articles containing affiliate links carry a disclosure notice at the top of the page.
How we decide what to recommend
Commission rates do not determine the order of our recommendations. Our criteria are:
- Claims must rest on verifiable sources — official fare tables, operator announcements, government pages.
- We state the conditions under which each option wins (party size, trip length, route), rather than naming a single winner.
- If a non-affiliate option is the better choice, we say so.
In practice, many links in our articles point to official operator and government pages that earn us nothing.
What we don’t do
- We do not claim first-hand experience we don’t have. These are researched guides, not trip reports, and every figure carries a footnote to its source.
- We do not invent discounts or benefits.
- We do not accept payment in exchange for favourable coverage.
How current this is
Prices and operating conditions change often. Each article states the date its information was checked. Always confirm the final price and conditions on the seller’s page before paying.
Contact
Questions about our partnerships or our articles? Reach us through the contact page.