Affiliate Disclosure
Last updated: July 2025
At Japan Travel Base, we believe in being upfront with you. This page explains how we earn money through affiliate links, what that means for you, and why it never compromises the honesty of our recommendations.
What Are Affiliate Links and How Do They Work?
Some of the links on japantravelbase.com are affiliate links. When you click on one of these links and make a purchase or booking, we may earn a small commission from the company you bought from.
Here’s the simple version: a company gives us a unique tracking link. If you use that link to book a hotel, buy a rail pass, or purchase a tour, the company knows you came from our site and pays us a small referral fee. Think of it like a friend recommending a restaurant — except in this case, the restaurant thanks your friend with a small reward.
Affiliate Programs We Participate In
We work with several trusted travel booking services that we genuinely use and recommend for planning trips to Japan. These include, but are not limited to:
- Booking.com — for hotels, ryokans, and other accommodations across Japan
- Klook — for tours, activities, transport passes, and attraction tickets
- JR Pass and rail pass retailers — for Japan Rail Passes and regional rail passes
- Other travel booking services — including travel insurance providers, SIM card and pocket Wi-Fi retailers, and other platforms relevant to Japan travel
We may add or change affiliate partnerships over time. This page will be updated to reflect those changes.
You Never Pay More
This is the most important thing we want you to know: using our affiliate links does not cost you a single extra yen, dollar, or any other currency. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or go directly to the website. The commission comes out of the company’s pocket, not yours.
In many cases, we also share discount codes and deals when they’re available, which means you might actually pay less by using our links.
Honest Recommendations Only
We only recommend products, services, and bookings that we genuinely believe will help you have a better trip to Japan. If something isn’t worth your money, we won’t recommend it — no matter how generous the commission might be.
When we say a hotel is great, a tour is worth booking, or a specific rail pass will save you money, it’s because we truly think so based on our own experience and research. Our readers’ trust matters far more to us than any affiliate payout.
Editorial Independence
Our content is written independently. No affiliate partner has any say over what we publish, how we rank options, or what we recommend. Companies cannot pay us to write favorable reviews or to prioritize their products over better alternatives.
Our editorial decisions are based on what we believe is most helpful and accurate for travelers planning a trip to Japan. Affiliate relationships do not influence our opinions, ratings, or the order in which products and services appear in our content.
Why We Use Affiliate Links
Running Japan Travel Base takes a significant amount of time and resources — researching, writing, updating content, maintaining the website, and keeping information accurate as things change in Japan. Affiliate commissions help us cover these costs and allow us to keep providing free, high-quality Japan travel guides for everyone.
When you use our affiliate links, you’re directly supporting this site at no extra cost to yourself. We genuinely appreciate it.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships, how we make money, or anything else about this disclosure, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to be transparent about how this all works.
📧 Email us: contact@japantravelbase.com
Thank you for supporting Japan Travel Base and for trusting us to help you plan your Japan adventure.
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