Methodology & Sourcing
This page explains where our articles come from and how they are made. Our value is not the translation itself — it is the editorial work of aggregating, selecting, and translating what Japanese locals actually say.
What we source from
The core of every article is public comments on Japanese-language YouTube videos. That is where Japanese people speak candidly to each other — the local consensus, before it is polished for tourists.
We do not use Google Maps or Tabelog reviews as a source (for policy, aggregation, and risk reasons). We may add official map links for basic venue info, but we never store rating scores.
How we choose a video
We pick videos whose comments are dense with local-knowledge signals ("as a local," "I live here," "born and raised") and concrete place names. We avoid bait-driven or appearance-focused celebrity-YouTuber videos.
How we translate
We excerpt rather than reproduce comments in full. We show the original Japanese (verbatim) alongside the English translation for transparency. We do not spin the meaning or invent statements that were never made.
How we count
The story is the aggregate: how many comments agreed, and how many likes the top voice earned. Every number is the real like count on YouTube — we never fabricate it. Which comments we choose, how we cluster them, and what we summarize — that editorial judgment is our added value.
What we don’t do
- Fabricate or infer comments (we only translate statements that exist)
- Reproduce comments in full or exhaustively (we excerpt, translate, and send traffic to the source)
- Convert like counts into star ratings (AggregateRating) or otherwise misrepresent numbers
- Scrape Google Maps or Tabelog reviews
Corrections & removal
For factual errors, rights concerns, or removal requests, please use the contact form. We review and respond (correct or remove) promptly.