Last updated: 14th August, 2026
The short version
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a commission. It costs you nothing extra. I buy the knives I review with my own money.
The longer version
thejapankitchen.com participates in affiliate programs operated by Japanese knife retailers and by Amazon Associates. These programs pay a referral fee when a reader buys a product through a link on this site.
This disclosure is made in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
What that means in practice
I buy the knives. Every knife given a verdict here was bought with my own money and used for at least a month of real cooking first. If that ever changes for a specific item — a sample, a loan, a discount — that article will say so at the top, not in a footnote.
I label what I haven’t used. Comparison articles sometimes include knives I don’t own. Those are marked clearly and compared on published specifications and documented reputation only. I don’t invent a usage story for a knife I’ve never held.
Commission rates don’t determine rankings. Some retailers linked here pay well. Some pay nothing and get linked anyway, because they were the right place to buy that particular thing. If a recommendation changes, it’s because my experience with the product changed — not because the payout did.
Every review names a real drawback. Not a decorative one. An actual reason a specific person should buy something else instead. A recommendation with no downsides isn’t a recommendation; it’s an advertisement.
Questions
If you want to know whether a particular link is an affiliate link, ask: [email protected]. I’ll tell you.