Support Yugawara Club.
I'm Matt. Every page of this guide is researched, checked, photographed and written by me. Support the work.
I do this from the heart. Your support is what keeps it going.
Become a monthly supporterWhy I do this.
I lived in Yugawara from 2020 to 2023, and I still come down whenever I can. My day job is IT. I write this guide to give back to a town I love, and I pay for it out of my own pocket: the cameras and editing software, the AI tools, the car and the trains, the hosting, and the time. There are no ads. Some booking links for places to stay pay a small commission, and those are marked “PR”. Nothing is hidden.
A one-time tip is a thank-you for a page that helped. Monthly support buys the hours to go and check the town and write the next page: a closed bath, a new bus, a place that still needs a note. Cancel anytime. The guide stays free.
What your support pays for
The research
Every page, by hand
Each bath, restaurant and stay is checked against official sources, photographed and written up in English and Japanese. That's hours every week on top of a day job.
Keeping it true
A guide you can rely on
Hours change, baths close, new places open. I go and check, fix pages, and write up the town's events in English when they only exist in Japanese.
The kit and the miles
All out of my own pocket
The cameras I shoot photos and video on, photo and video editing software, the AI tools I build the site with, hosting and the domain. My car, fuel and upkeep for getting around, and trains and hotels when I travel to check places.
The expertise
Work I'd normally charge for
The design, development and editorial work behind this site is what clients usually pay me for. Here, it goes to Yugawara.
Goal: 20 monthly supporters. That would let me give the guide steady time every week, not just what's left over.
Become a monthly supporter