Last updated: July 31, 2026
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires bloggers and content creators to clearly disclose any material relationships they have with the brands and products they write about. This page explains how AI From Japan (aifromjapan.com) is monetized and what that means for you as a reader.
The Short Version
Some — but not all — of the links on this site are affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, the merchant pays me a small commission. This costs you nothing extra. Affiliate commission is the primary way this blog supports itself.
Why I Use Affiliate Links
This blog is run by one person, from a small apartment in Kansai. Server costs, content tools, and the time required to test products properly all cost money. Affiliate income lets me keep the site ad-free, refuse sponsored posts, and continue testing products honestly without depending on the goodwill of any single brand.
If a hundred readers click an affiliate link and a few of them sign up for a service that’s a good fit, the resulting commission covers a meaningful portion of the next month’s expenses. It’s a quiet, reader-friendly way to support the work — far better than intrusive display ads or sponsored content.
Affiliate Programs I Participate In
As of this date, AI From Japan participates in the following affiliate programs:
- NordVPN — VPN service. Active since site launch.
- NordPass — Password manager. Active since site launch.
- Surfshark — VPN service. Approved via Commission Junction.
- italki — Online language tutor marketplace. Approved directly.
- JapanesePod101 (Innovative Language) — Japanese learning platform. Approved directly, August 2026.
- Amazon Associates Japan — Amazon Japan storefront for textbooks, hardware, and accessories.
- PrivateVPN — VPN service. Approved via Commission Junction.
- Saily — eSIM provider for travel data in Japan.
- Holafly — eSIM provider. Approved via Impact.
- Ubigi — eSIM provider. Approved directly.
- Commission Junction (CJ) — affiliate network through which we may add additional brands over time.
The list expands as new programs are approved. Programs that are pending or under review are not active until the merchant confirms approval.
Programs Currently Under Review
For full transparency, these are programs I have applied to but which are not yet approved. No link on this site currently earns a commission from them, and any mention of these brands elsewhere on the site is an ordinary, non-commissioned link until that changes:
- ExpressVPN — VPN service, via Commission Junction.
- Hostinger — web hosting, via Commission Junction.
- Airalo — eSIM provider.
Products I Make Myself
Separately from affiliate links, I sell a small number of my own products — currently the WAFU royalty-free Japanese game music packs on itch.io. When an article links to something I made, I earn the full sale price rather than a commission, and I say so plainly in that article. This is a stronger financial interest than any affiliate link on this site, which is exactly why those articles show you the free sampler and the complete production process before asking you to buy anything.
How I Choose What to Recommend
I do not recommend a product because it pays well. I recommend products because I’ve tested them, they actually solved a real problem for me, and I would tell a friend in Japan to use them. There are several products on this site that I praise without an affiliate link (because I’m not approved for their program), and there are several products with paying affiliate programs that I refuse to recommend (because they aren’t good enough for my readers).
If a product is bad, I write that it’s bad — even if I have an active affiliate relationship with the company. You can verify this by reading the “Cons” section of any review on this site. They are honest, not performative.
How Affiliate Links Work in Practice
When you click an affiliate link on this site, the merchant places a tracking cookie on your browser. If you make a purchase within the cookie’s lifetime (typically 30 days), the merchant credits your purchase to my account and pays a commission. The price you pay is the same as if you’d visited the merchant directly.
Affiliate links on this site are marked in three ways:
- The text “(affiliate link)” appears next to or near the link.
- The link’s HTML includes
rel="sponsored nofollow noopener"per Google’s guidelines. - An italicized disclosure appears at the top of every article that contains affiliate content.
Editorial Independence
No brand has editorial control over what is published on this site. I do not show drafts to companies before publication. I do not make changes based on a brand’s request unless I’d make the same change for any reader who pointed out the same issue. I do not run sponsored posts, “guest” articles paid for by brands, or “advertorial” content disguised as editorial.
How to Avoid Affiliate Links
If you’d prefer not to support the site through affiliate links, you can simply visit the merchant’s website directly by typing the URL into your browser, or by searching for the brand on Google. You’ll get the same product at the same price. The blog will not earn a commission, and that’s perfectly fine.
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions about this disclosure or about a specific product recommendation, please reach out via the Contact page.