Editorial Standards
How this site writes, verifies, and recommends.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Hidden Japan Gems is a one-person travel guide to Japan. Every page is written by Nobu. Every recommendation points to a place he has personally visited. Every photo he takes has the location, the month, and usually the weather he stood in. This page explains exactly how I work — so you know what you’re reading, and why to trust it.
Who writes this site
All articles are written and photographed by Nobu, the founder and sole editor of Hidden Japan Gems. Nobu was born and raised in Japan, lived abroad for nine years, and has spent the past five years travelling to every one of the country’s 47 prefectures. Read his full story.
On-the-ground, first-person experience
I do not write about places I have not physically visited. If an article recommends a temple, a ryokan, a hiking route or a restaurant, it means Nobu has been there — typically multiple times and in different seasons. Where a claim relies on a source (opening hours, ticket prices, official rules), I cite it and check it again before publishing and at least once per year afterwards.
If you find a claim I got wrong — a closed trail, a changed timetable, a price increase — I want to know. Email hello@hiddenjapan-gems.com and I’ll update and credit the correction.
No AI images. No AI-invented content.
I don’t use generative AI to invent experiences, places, or photographs. Nobu writes every article in Japanese from places he has actually visited; AI tools assist with the English translation and language editing, and every line is reviewed and approved by Nobu before publishing. Photographs used to document a visit or a firsthand observation are taken by Nobu on location.
The site also publishes supporting images from other sources — material used under Creative Commons terms or sourced through Wikimedia Commons, which carries its source and licence in the caption, and images from stock libraries used under the terms that apply to each asset. These appear for context. They are not evidence that Nobu visited the place shown, and a licence to publish someone else’s photograph does not make it his: an uncredited image should not be read as proof of authorship either way.
I use AI tools only for back-office work — grammar checks, search-index drafting, image resizing — and for the translation workflow described above. AI never invents content or imagery.
How I make money
Hidden Japan Gems is free to read and will stay that way. Revenue comes from three sources, in this order of importance:
- Affiliate partnerships with Agoda (hotels), Klook (experiences), and Trip.com / Travelpayouts (flights). If you book through one of my links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
- Display advertising via Google AdSense, shown in a limited number of in-article positions.
- Occasional sponsored content — always marked clearly at the top of the page and never in a way that changes an honest recommendation.
I only link to accommodations and experiences I have personally used or would use on my own trip. I have never accepted a payment to recommend a specific hotel, and I will not.
What I won’t do
- Run listicles scraped from Reddit or ChatGPT.
- Use AI-generated “hero” imagery to fake location photography.
- Recommend a ryokan or tour I haven’t personally stayed in or taken.
- Publish sponsored content without the “Sponsored” label at the top.
- Sell your email address or share it with advertisers.
How to contact me
For corrections, fact-check requests, partnership inquiries, or press questions, use the email below — I read every message.
Write to Nobu
hello@hiddenjapan-gems.com · I usually reply within two business days. For urgent corrections, put the word “correction” in the subject line.