About Field Notes Japan

Last updated: 23 Oct 2026

Field Notes Japan is a set of travel notes for people exploring Japan, with practical details on how to get there. From the famous sights to lesser-known places, every note tells you which train to take and where to get off, what to look for when you arrive, and when it’s at its best.

Who runs it

Field Notes Japan is planned, designed, built and run by Daichi K, an independent developer based in Japan. It has no corporate or sponsor backing.

Contact: [email protected]

How the notes are made

  1. Choosing places. A place becomes a candidate only when it can be confirmed in at least two sources, such as official sites or local authorities. Daichi K reviews each candidate and decides whether to cover it.
  2. Drafting from official sources. We use AI (Claude, by Anthropic) to prepare the Japanese and English drafts from information published in Japanese by official sites, local authorities and transport operators. For each note, we record the source pages and the date we checked them.
  3. Automated checks before publishing. Before publication, automated checks look for duplicate places, photo-use requirements and our style rules. Notes that fail these checks are not published. These checks cover format; they do not verify facts on the ground.

How we use AI

We use AI to turn Japanese-language official information into notes that travellers can use in English and Japanese. AI prepares the text drafts and generates the landmark illustrations on our map, other artwork, and illustrations of Aoi, our guide.

We never use AI to create photographs of real places. We use only real photographs whose terms permit reuse, and we credit the photographer.

Checking and corrections

At the end of each note you’ll find links to the source pages and the date we checked them (for notes whose source records we keep, as of October 2026). Opening hours, prices and transport can change, so please also check the official information before you go.

If you spot a mistake, please email us at the address above. We’ll check it and correct it.

Advertising

We do not accept advertising, paid listings or referral fees. Payment does not influence which places we cover.