Effective Date: August 18, 2026
株式会社鮨将司 (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates HowToJapan, an online video and educational content service focused on sushi, Japanese cuisine, techniques, culture, and related subjects (the “Service”).
We recognize the importance of protecting personal information and handle personal information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including the Act on the Protection of Personal Information of Japan (“APPI”), to the extent applicable.
This Privacy Policy explains how we may collect, use, disclose, retain, and otherwise process personal information in connection with the Service.
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information processed by the Company in connection with your use of the Service, including our website, video content, memberships, subscriptions, account features, communications, and related services.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to websites, applications, payment providers, platforms, or other services operated independently by third parties, even if they are linked to or accessible through the Service. Such third parties may process information in accordance with their own privacy policies and terms.
Depending on how you use the Service, we may collect or receive the following types of information.
When you create or maintain an account, we may collect information such as:
Name
Email address
Country or region
Account credentials and identifiers
Profile information
Membership or subscription status
Other information you voluntarily provide
The specific information requested may vary depending on the features of the Service, applicable payment methods, and the technology or service providers used by us.
If you purchase a subscription, membership, digital content, or other paid service, payment transactions may be processed by third-party payment processors.
We may receive information related to such transactions, including:
Transaction date
Amount paid
Currency
Payment status
Subscription or purchase information
Billing status
Refund or cancellation information
Limited information relating to the payment method
Complete payment card details are generally handled by the applicable payment processor rather than directly by the Company.
When you access or use the Service, certain information may be collected automatically by us or by service providers acting on our behalf, including:
IP address
Browser type
Device type
Operating system
Device or session identifiers
Approximate location derived from technical information
Pages accessed
Date and time of access
Referring or exit pages
Video viewing activity
Watch history
Favorites
Playlists
Search and browsing activity
Interactions with features of the Service
Error, performance, and diagnostic information
Cookie and similar technology information
If you contact us, we may collect and retain information reasonably necessary to handle your inquiry, including:
Name
Email address
The content of your inquiry
Communications between you and us
Information you voluntarily provide in connection with customer support
We may use personal information to the extent reasonably necessary for the following purposes:
To provide, operate, maintain, and administer the Service
To create and manage user accounts
To authenticate users
To provide access to purchased or subscribed content
To process and manage payments, subscriptions, renewals, cancellations, and refunds
To maintain viewing history, favorites, playlists, and other account-related features
To provide customer support and respond to inquiries
To communicate regarding accounts, transactions, payments, security, system changes, and operation of the Service
To provide information regarding content, services, promotions, or other matters where permitted by applicable law
To analyze the use and performance of the Service
To improve, develop, test, maintain, and optimize content, functionality, user experience, and related services
To detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to fraud, unauthorized use, security incidents, violations of our terms, or other harmful or unlawful activity
To protect the rights, property, security, and legitimate interests of the Company, users, service providers, and other persons
To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims
To maintain business, tax, accounting, payment, and administrative records
To comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, governmental requests, or other legal obligations
To facilitate a corporate transaction, restructuring, financing, transfer, acquisition, sale, merger, or similar business transaction
For other purposes reasonably related to the foregoing purposes or separately disclosed to you where required by applicable law
We will handle personal information within the scope permitted by applicable law and applicable purposes of use.
Where applicable law requires us to identify a legal basis for processing personal information, such processing may be based on one or more of the following, as applicable:
Performance of a contract with you or steps taken at your request in connection with a contract
Compliance with a legal obligation
Our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided such processing is permitted by applicable law
Your consent
Other lawful grounds available under applicable law
The applicable legal basis may vary depending on the information, processing activity, jurisdiction, and circumstances.
Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to expand the application of any law or legal requirement beyond the extent to which such law or requirement otherwise applies to the Company.
The Service may use cookies and similar technologies for purposes including:
User authentication
Maintaining login sessions
Providing purchased or subscribed content
Remembering preferences
Maintaining security
Processing transactions
Understanding use of the Service
Measuring performance
Improving functionality and user experience
Analytics and other purposes permitted by applicable law
Some cookies and similar technologies may be necessary for the Service to operate properly.
Where required by applicable law, we may provide mechanisms allowing users to manage certain non-essential cookies or similar technologies.
You may also be able to manage cookies through your browser or device settings. However, blocking or disabling certain cookies may prevent some features of the Service from functioning properly.
We may disclose, transfer, or otherwise make personal information available to service providers and other parties to the extent reasonably necessary for the operation of the Service and our business.
Such parties may include providers of:
Website and membership platforms
Video hosting, streaming, and content delivery
Cloud infrastructure and hosting
Payment processing
Account authentication
Email delivery and communications
Customer support
Analytics
Security and fraud prevention
IT services
Professional advisory services
Other technical or operational services
The Service is currently operated using technology provided by Uscreen and may use other third-party providers as necessary for its operation.
We may change, add, or replace service providers from time to time as reasonably necessary for business, technical, security, operational, or other legitimate purposes.
Where required by applicable law, we take reasonable steps regarding the handling of personal information by service providers acting on our behalf.
We may also disclose personal information where reasonably necessary and permitted by applicable law, including:
We may disclose information where required or permitted by law, regulation, legal process, court order, governmental request, or request from a competent authority.
We may disclose information where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to investigate or address suspected fraud, misuse, security threats, unlawful conduct, violations of our terms, or threats to the rights, property, or safety of the Company or others.
Personal information may be disclosed or transferred in connection with an actual or proposed merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, transfer of business, sale of assets, insolvency proceeding, or similar transaction.
Where appropriate, information may also be disclosed to professional advisers or prospective transaction parties in connection with such matters.
We may disclose information where you have consented to or directed the disclosure, or where otherwise permitted by applicable law.
The Service is operated by a company located in Japan but is intended to be accessible to users in multiple countries and regions.
We use third-party technology and service providers that may operate systems, infrastructure, personnel, or facilities outside Japan.
Accordingly, personal information may be transferred to, accessed from, stored in, or otherwise processed in countries or regions outside Japan.
The laws and data protection standards applicable in those countries or regions may differ from those applicable in your place of residence.
Where applicable law imposes requirements relating to international transfers of personal information, we will take measures required by such law to the extent applicable to the relevant processing.
We may retain personal information for as long as we reasonably determine to be necessary or appropriate for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, subject to applicable law.
The appropriate retention period may depend on factors including:
The nature and purpose of the information
Whether an account or subscription remains active
Business and operational requirements
Legal, regulatory, tax, and accounting requirements
Fraud prevention and security requirements
The need to resolve disputes
The need to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights or claims
Technical backup and system requirements
Deletion or termination of an account does not necessarily result in the immediate or complete deletion of all information associated with that account.
We may retain information after account deletion or termination where reasonably necessary or permitted by applicable law, including for tax, accounting, payment records, fraud prevention, security, dispute resolution, enforcement, legal compliance, or other legitimate purposes.
Information may also remain temporarily in backup systems or other systems as part of ordinary technical processes.
Where information has been aggregated, de-identified, anonymized, or otherwise processed so that it is no longer treated as personal information under applicable law, we may retain and use such information for legitimate business purposes to the extent permitted by applicable law.
We take security measures that we consider reasonable and appropriate in light of the nature of the personal information we process, the relevant risks, our business operations, and applicable legal requirements.
Such measures may include organizational, personnel, physical, and technical safeguards, as appropriate.
We may also use third-party service providers that maintain their own technical and organizational security measures.
However, no website, Internet transmission, network, information system, service provider, or method of electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Accordingly, while we take reasonable measures designed to protect personal information, we do not guarantee or warrant absolute security, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials and for taking appropriate steps to prevent unauthorized access to their accounts.
Where permitted by applicable law, we may send information regarding HowToJapan, including new content, features, services, promotions, or other relevant updates.
You may opt out of marketing communications by using an unsubscribe function provided in such communications or through other methods made available by us.
Opting out of marketing communications does not prevent us from sending communications that are reasonably necessary for operation of the Service or your account, including:
Account notices
Payment and transaction notices
Subscription notices
Security communications
Password reset communications
Important changes to the Service
Legally required notices
Customer support communications
Depending on your place of residence, the nature of the information, the relevant processing, and applicable law, you may have certain rights concerning your personal information.
Such rights may include, where and to the extent provided by applicable law:
Requesting information regarding our handling of your personal information
Requesting access to certain personal information
Requesting correction, addition, or deletion of certain information
Requesting suspension of use or deletion
Requesting suspension of certain third-party disclosures
Withdrawing consent where processing is based on consent
Objecting to or restricting certain processing
Requesting data portability
Lodging a complaint with an applicable supervisory authority
The availability and scope of such rights vary by jurisdiction and may be subject to conditions, limitations, exemptions, exceptions, or other requirements under applicable law.
Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to grant rights beyond those required by applicable law.
We may request information reasonably necessary to verify your identity or authority before processing a request.
We may refuse, restrict, or otherwise respond differently to a request where permitted or required by applicable law, including where an applicable exception applies or where we are legally entitled or required to retain information.
The Service is not specifically directed to children.
Users are responsible for satisfying any age or legal-capacity requirements applicable to their use of the Service.
We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children in a manner prohibited by applicable law.
If we become aware that personal information relating to a child has been collected or processed in violation of applicable law, we may take such action as we determine reasonably necessary or as required by applicable law.
The Service may contain links to or integrations with websites, platforms, applications, social media services, payment providers, or other services operated by third parties.
The Company does not control and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, availability, or operation of independently operated third-party services.
You should review the applicable privacy policies and terms of such third-party services before providing personal information to them.
We may modify this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in:
The Service
Our business or operations
Technology
Service providers
Data practices
Legal or regulatory requirements
Other relevant circumstances
Unless otherwise required by applicable law, an updated Privacy Policy will become effective when it is posted on the Service or on the date specified in the updated policy.
Where applicable law requires additional notice, consent, or other procedures in connection with a particular change, we will take such steps to the extent required.
We encourage users to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
This Privacy Policy is intended to describe the Company's practices concerning personal information and to provide information required or appropriate under applicable law.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to:
Create contractual or other rights beyond those provided by applicable law
Create duties or obligations beyond those imposed by applicable law
Constitute a guarantee regarding the Service, security, data retention, or availability
Waive any lawful defense, exemption, exception, limitation, or other right available to the Company
If any provision of this Privacy Policy conflicts with a mandatory requirement of applicable law, the mandatory requirement will apply only to the extent of that conflict.
The business operator responsible for the Service and the handling of personal information is:
Operator: Sushi Masashi K.K.（株式会社鮨将司）
Representative: 山口 将司 (Masashi Yamaguchi)
Address:
7F Gaien Icho no Mori
2-9-9 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-0061, Japan
〒107-0061
東京都港区北青山2-9-9 外苑いちょうの杜7F
Service: HowToJapan
Contact Email: info@howtojapan.org
If you have questions, complaints, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal information, please contact us using the contact information above.
We may require reasonable information to verify your identity and the nature of your request before responding.
We will handle requests in accordance with applicable law and subject to any applicable exceptions, limitations, and procedures.