PRIVACY POLICYPrivacy Policy

HIBIKI Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") has established the following Privacy Policy (hereinafter referred to as "this Policy") regarding the handling of users’ personal information in connection with the services provided on this website (hereinafter referred to as "the Service").

Article 1 (Personal Information)

"Personal information" means personal information as defined in the Act on the Protection of Personal Information. It refers to information about a living individual that can identify a specific individual through a name, date of birth, address, telephone number, contact details or other descriptions contained in that information. It also includes information that can identify a specific individual on its own (personal identification information), such as data relating to physical appearance, fingerprints or voiceprints, and insurer numbers on health insurance cards.

Article 2 (Collection of Personal Information)

The Company may ask users to provide personal information such as their name, date of birth, address, telephone number and email address when they register to use the Service. The Company may also collect transaction records and payment information that include users’ personal information and relate to transactions between users and business partners or other parties. Such information may be collected from the Company’s business partners (including information providers, advertisers and advertising distributors; hereinafter referred to as "Business Partners") or other sources.

Article 3 (Purposes of Collection and Use of Personal Information)

The purposes for which the Company collects and uses personal information are as follows:

  1. To provide and operate the Company’s services.
  2. To respond to inquiries from users (including verifying their identity).
  3. To send emails about new features, updates, promotions and other information concerning the services users are using, as well as other services provided by the Company.
  4. To contact users as necessary regarding maintenance, important notices and other matters.
  5. To identify users who violate the Terms of Use or attempt to use the Service for improper or unjust purposes, and to deny them access to the Service.
  6. To enable users to view, modify or delete their own registration information and view their service usage status.
  7. To charge users fees for paid services.
  8. For purposes incidental to the above purposes of use.

Article 4 (Changes to the Purposes of Use)

  1. The Company will change the purposes of use of personal information only where the new purposes can reasonably be considered related to the original purposes.
  2. If the purposes of use are changed, the Company will notify users of the new purposes by a method it specifies or publish them on this website.

Article 5 (Provision of Personal Information to Third Parties)

The Company will not provide personal information to third parties without obtaining users’ prior consent, except in the cases listed below or as otherwise permitted under the Act on the Protection of Personal Information or other applicable laws and regulations.

  1. When it is necessary to protect a person’s life, physical safety or property and it is difficult to obtain the consent of the individual concerned.
  2. When it is particularly necessary to improve public health or promote the sound development of children and it is difficult to obtain the consent of the individual concerned.
  3. When it is necessary to cooperate with a national government body, a local government or a party entrusted by either of them in carrying out duties prescribed by laws and regulations, and obtaining the individual’s consent may interfere with the performance of those duties.
  4. When the Company has notified individuals of, or publicly announced, the following matters in advance and has submitted a notification to the Personal Information Protection Commission:
  1. That the purposes of use include provision to third parties.
  2. The categories of data to be provided to third parties.
  3. The means or methods of provision to third parties.
  4. That provision of personal information to third parties will be stopped at the individual’s request.
  5. The method for accepting requests from the individual.

Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, recipients of personal information will not be regarded as third parties in the following cases:

  1. When the Company outsources all or part of the handling of personal information to the extent necessary to achieve the purposes of use.
  2. When personal information is provided as part of a business succession resulting from a merger or other reason.
  3. When personal information is jointly used with specified parties, provided that the individual has been notified in advance of the following matters, or those matters have been made readily accessible to the individual: the fact of joint use; the categories of personal information to be jointly used; the scope of the parties that will jointly use it; their purposes of use; and the name of the person or entity responsible for managing that personal information.

Article 6 (Disclosure of Personal Information)

When an individual requests disclosure of their personal information, the Company will disclose it to that individual without delay. However, the Company may withhold all or part of the information if disclosure would result in any of the following. If the Company decides not to disclose the information, it will notify the individual of that decision without delay. A fee of JPY 1,000 per request will be charged for disclosure of personal information.

  1. A risk of harm to the life, physical safety, property or other rights and interests of the individual or a third party.
  2. A risk of significant interference with the proper conduct of the Company’s business.
  3. A violation of laws or regulations.

Article 7 (Correction and Deletion of Personal Information)

  1. If a user’s personal information held by the Company is incorrect, the user may request that the Company correct, add to or delete that information (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Corrections") in accordance with the procedures specified by the Company.
  2. If the Company receives a request under the preceding paragraph and determines that the request should be granted, it will make the relevant Corrections without delay.
  3. The Company will notify the user without delay when it has made Corrections under the preceding paragraph or has decided not to make Corrections.

Article 8 (Suspension of Use or Erasure of Personal Information)

  1. If an individual requests the suspension of use or erasure of their personal information (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Suspension or Erasure") on the grounds that the information is being handled beyond the scope of the purposes of use or was acquired through improper means, the Company will conduct the necessary investigation without delay.
  2. If, based on the results of the investigation under the preceding paragraph, the Company determines that the request should be granted, it will carry out the relevant Suspension or Erasure without delay.
  3. The Company will notify the user without delay when it has carried out Suspension or Erasure under the preceding paragraph or has decided not to do so.
  4. Notwithstanding the preceding two paragraphs, if Suspension or Erasure would involve substantial expense or would otherwise be difficult, and alternative measures necessary to protect the user’s rights and interests are available, the Company will take those alternative measures.

Article 9 (Changes to the Privacy Policy)

  1. The Company may change this Policy without notifying users, except where otherwise provided by laws and regulations or this Policy.
  2. Unless otherwise specified by the Company, the revised Privacy Policy will take effect when it is posted on this website.