How we source, write and correct what we publish.
Sourcing
Our starting point is the primary source in its original language: a distillery press release, a PR TIMES announcement, a filing, or reporting from an established Japanese trade publication. Every article links to what it was built from, and Japanese-language sources are marked as such.
We do not republish other outlets’ articles. Where we build on someone else’s reporting, we credit and link to it.
Translation and interpretation
Working across two languages introduces risk, so we handle it explicitly. Product names, distillery names and technical terms are given in romanised form with the Japanese original on first mention. Where a Japanese term has no clean English equivalent, we explain it rather than approximate it. Where a source is ambiguous, we say the source is ambiguous instead of guessing.
Use of AI
We use AI tools in producing this publication, including for translating and summarising Japanese-language material and for drafting. Every piece is written against primary sources and checked before publication, and the publisher is responsible for everything that appears here. We disclose this because readers are entitled to know how the work is made.
Accuracy and corrections
We do not state a figure, date, award or age statement we cannot support from a source. Where information is unconfirmed, we label it as unconfirmed.
When we get something wrong, we fix the article and add a dated correction note at the foot of it. We do not quietly edit errors away. To report one, get in touch.
Independence
No distillery, importer or retailer pays for coverage, reviews copy before publication, or has any say in what we cover. Samples and press trips, if ever accepted, are disclosed in the article itself.
Commercial relationships
We earn money from display advertising and from affiliate links to retailers. Advertising is sold programmatically and advertisers have no influence on editorial. Affiliate relationships are disclosed on every page that carries them — see our affiliate disclosure.