About Hinode Notes

Hinode Notes is a small, independent publisher based in Japan. We write practical guides for people visiting Japan: how fares, passes, rules and booking systems actually work right now.

Much of that information is published only in Japanese, on operator and government websites that rarely make it into English. We read those pages so you don't have to, and we show you where every fact came from.

How we work

• Official sources first. Facts come from official sources such as rail operators, ministries and ticket office pages. They are listed at the end of each guide.
• Dated. Each guide shows the date its facts were last checked. Japan changes fares and rules often. When a source changes, we update the guide and the date.
• No invented experiences. We don't write "I tried this" or "we tested" unless someone actually did. Our guides explain how things work and how to choose between options. They are not personal reviews.
• AI-assisted, source-checked. Drafts are written with the help of AI tools. Before a guide is published, its numbers and rules are checked against the sources it cites, and a person approves it.

PDF guides

For trips that need more than one article, we publish longer PDF guides with full routes, fares and checklists. They are sold through our Gumroad store.

Money

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide what we recommend. See the affiliate disclosure.

Contact and corrections

Email hello@hinodenotes.com. If you spot an error or something out of date, please tell us. Corrections come before anything else.