This page says how LOCAL SIDE JAPAN is written, what is checked, how the site makes money, and what to do if something on it is wrong. It is short because the rules are simple.
Who writes it
One person: Kizuku, who lives and works on the east side of Tokyo and runs the Sunamachi Ginza Sumo Stable in Koto City. There is no editorial team and no freelance writers. Research and drafting use software tools; every fact, price and recommendation is checked and signed off by the writer, and the opinions are his. About the site →
What is checked, and against what
- Prices, hours and closing days are checked against the operator’s own site or the ward or metropolitan government page, never against another travel site. The date of the check is printed at the bottom of every article.
- Tour and ticket prices on booking sites are read on the day of the check and quoted as approximate, because they move with the exchange rate.
- History and statistics cite the primary source in the text or the note at the end: government statistics, museum and temple histories, academic references.
- Places are ones the writer has been to. Where an article is a researched introduction rather than a firsthand visit, it says so at the end.
How the site makes money
Some articles contain affiliate links to Viator, GetYourGuide and Klook. If you book through one, the site earns a commission; you pay the same price. Every article with such links says so in its first paragraph. Three rules govern them: the free or direct-booking route is always described first; a tour is only linked if the writer would recommend it to a friend, and the article says what it is not good for; and nothing is ranked by what pays. No operator has paid for coverage, provided a free experience, or seen an article before publication. The writer’s own sumo experience is mentioned only with that interest declared, and is not recommended as a neutral pick.
Photographs and diagrams
Photographs are the writer’s own or Creative Commons images from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one with the license. Diagrams are made for this site and may be reused with a credit and a link.
Corrections
Prices and hours change. If something on the site is wrong or out of date, use the contact details on the About page; corrections are made within a few days and the check date on the article is updated. Articles are re-checked when a reader reports a change, when a new article links to them, and at least once a season for the places that charge money.
Last updated September 20, 2026.