Privacy Policy
NipponStays is a personal publication about where to stay in Japan, written and run by Hideaki Yasukawa in Tokyo. This page explains what data the site collects, who processes it, and how to reach a human about it. Questions go to support@voyager-yk.com.
The short version
NipponStays does not sell personal data and does not run advertising networks. Three things collect information: an analytics tool that counts anonymous visits, a session-replay tool that records how pages are used, and affiliate links that set a cookie when you click through to a booking site. If you subscribe to the newsletter, your email address is stored so the newsletter can be sent.
What is collected, and by whom
| Service | What it handles | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 (property G-ZL937BSH3M) | Pages viewed, approximate location from IP, device and browser type, referring site, and clicks on outbound booking links. IP addresses are shortened by Google before storage. | To see which guides are read and which are not. |
| Microsoft Clarity | Anonymised recordings of page interaction — scrolling, clicks, and rage-clicks — plus aggregate heatmaps. | To find layout and readability problems. |
| Ghost (Ghost Pro) | Hosting, plus basic request logs. If you subscribe, your email address and subscription status. | The site runs on Ghost; the newsletter needs an address to send to. |
| Trip.com, Agoda and Travelpayouts (Klook, Airalo, Radical Storage, Welcome Pickups) | A cookie or URL parameter identifying that the visit came from NipponStays, so a booking can be credited. | Affiliate commission — see the disclosure below. |
| Lemon Squeezy | Payment and order details, only if you buy a paid travel planner. Card details go to Lemon Squeezy and are never seen by NipponStays. | To sell and deliver the planners. |
No other third party receives data from this site. There are no advertising networks, no retargeting pixels, and no data brokers.
Affiliate links and how the site makes money
Some hotel and service links are affiliate links: Trip.com and Agoda for accommodation, and Klook, Airalo, Radical Storage and Welcome Pickups for travel services, the last four through Travelpayouts. If you book through one, NipponStays may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Clicking such a link passes an identifier to the booking site so the referral can be credited; it does not pass your name or email address.
Recommendations are not for sale. Hotels are chosen on merit, and no property or brand has paid to appear here.
Cookies and how to refuse them
The analytics and affiliate cookies described above are set by the third parties named, not by NipponStays. You can block or delete them in your browser's settings, and Google publishes an opt-out add-on for Google Analytics. The site works normally with these cookies blocked — the guides, prices and links behave the same way.
The newsletter
Subscribing stores your email address with Ghost so the newsletter can be delivered. It is never sold, rented or shared. Every issue carries a one-click unsubscribe link, and you can also ask for removal by email.
Your requests
Write to support@voyager-yk.com to ask what is held about you, to correct it, or to have it deleted. Requests are answered by a person, normally within a few days. Deleting a newsletter subscription is immediate; analytics data is aggregated and retained by Google and Microsoft under their own retention settings.
Children
This site is written for adults planning travel and is not directed at children under 16. No age information is collected.
Changes to this page
If the tools above change — a new analytics provider, a new affiliate programme — this page is updated and the date below changes with it. Material changes are noted in the newsletter.
Last updated: 31 August 2026.