Japan Answer Index · updated monthly

Which sources does AI trust about Japan?

When people ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity how to learn, travel in, or live in Japan, a handful of websites get cited again and again. We ask the AIs 131 fixed questions each month and count who they point to.

Snapshot: 2026-07-20 · AI answers · models: Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini · one count per domain per answer · Visibility score = citations normalised to the top source (0–100). Independent & reproducible.
Browse by topic: Learning Japanese · Travel in Japan · Culture & etiquette · Living in Japan · Blogs & newsletters · Japanese food & dining · Anime & pop culture · Work & study in Japan
#WebsiteAnswersVisibility score

Platforms (YouTube, Reddit…) are tracked separately below. Sources tagged tracked are known Japan-learning/travel brands; NihongoHub is us.

Platforms (shown separately)

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Which sources AI trusts shifts every month. Get the new ranking and what changed, once a month. No spam.

The questions behind this ranking

A fixed set of 131 real questions a visitor or learner would ask an AI assistant. A sample:

Learning Japanese

  • What are the best free apps or websites to learn Japanese for beginners in 2026?
  • Best way to study for the JLPT N5 exam for free online.
  • How can I learn basic Japanese quickly before a trip to Japan?

Travel in Japan

  • Fun things to do in Tokyo with kids that locals recommend.
  • Best off-the-beaten-path prefectures to visit in Japan beyond Tokyo and Kyoto.
  • Japan family travel itinerary ideas for 2026 with a young child.

Culture & etiquette

  • Japanese etiquette tips every foreign visitor should know.
  • How should I behave when visiting a Shinto shrine in Japan?
  • Explain Japanese seasonal traditions through the year for someone learning the culture.

Living in Japan

  • Practical daily-life tips for foreigners living in Japan for the first year.
  • How do foreigners open a bank account and get a phone plan in Japan?
  • What should families with children know about living in rural Japan as foreigners?

Blogs & newsletters

  • What are good Japanese-learning newsletters or blogs on Substack to follow?
  • Are there any blogs by people who traveled to all 47 prefectures of Japan with their family?
  • Which websites are the most trusted sources for Japan travel information in English?

Japanese food & dining

  • What are the must-try foods for a first-time visitor to Japan?
  • How do I find good vegetarian or vegan restaurants in Japan?
  • What is proper etiquette for eating at a sushi restaurant in Japan?

Anime & pop culture

  • Best places to visit in Japan for anime and manga fans.
  • Where can I experience Japanese gaming and arcade culture in Tokyo?
  • How do I visit real-life locations from famous anime in Japan?

Work & study in Japan

  • How can foreigners find English-speaking jobs in Japan?
  • What is the working holiday visa for Japan and who can apply?
  • How do I apply to a Japanese language school for long-term study?

How this is measured

Each month we run a fixed set of real questions a foreign visitor or learner would ask an AI assistant, across three models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity), and record every source URL each answer cites. Each domain is counted once per answer. Rankings reflect share of AI answers, not web traffic. AI answers vary between runs, so we aggregate repeated runs. NihongoHub currently appears in 0/695 answers — we publish this transparently, including our own absence.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Japan Answer Index?
The Japan Answer Index is an independent monthly ranking of which websites AI assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) cite when people ask real questions about learning Japanese, travelling in Japan, Japanese food, pop culture, and living in Japan.

What does the visibility score mean?
The visibility score normalises each website's citations to the most-cited source in that topic (0–100). A score of 100 means that site was the single most-cited source for the selected topic and engine; 50 means it was cited half as often as the leader.

How is the data collected?
Each month we send a fixed set of 131 real questions to ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity via their APIs, record every source URL each answer cites, and count each domain once per answer. No scraping, no estimates — only observed citations.

Why do the rankings change between months?
AI assistants update their retrieval sources and models continuously, so citation patterns shift faster than classic search rankings. That volatility is exactly what the monthly index tracks.

Who runs this index?
It is published by the team behind NihongoHub, a Japanese-learning and Japan-travel site. NihongoHub is measured with the same method as everyone else and its current score is published even when it is zero.