Privacy Policy

Last updated 7 November 2026

1. Introduction

Kyoto Cultural Residency is operated by ozen Inc.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect personal information in connection with Kyoto Cultural Residency, including inquiries, applications, booking procedures, pre arrival forms, stay preparation, cultural practice sessions, and stay related communication.

We handle personal information with care and use it only within the scope necessary for the operation, safety, preparation, communication, and improvement of the program.

By submitting an inquiry, application, booking form, pre arrival form, or other information to us, you confirm that you have reviewed, or have had the opportunity to review, this Privacy Policy.

2. Operator

Program Name: Kyoto Cultural Residency

Operating Entity: ozen Inc.

Contact: Junpei Omura / Instagram: @kyotoculturalresidency / Facebook Messenger: facebook.com/omujun / Website: kyotoculturalresidency.com

3. Information We May Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information, depending on the stage of communication, application, booking, stay preparation, and stay operation.

3.1 Basic Identification Information

  1. Full name
  2. Name as shown on passport
  3. Nationality
  4. Date of birth
  5. Gender, if voluntarily provided
  6. Passport number, if required for identification or stay related confirmation
  7. Other identification information necessary for program operation or safety

3.2 Contact Information

  1. Email address
  2. Phone number
  3. Messaging app account or contact method
  4. SNS account, if used for communication
  5. Country or region of residence
  6. Address, if required for payment, legal, or administrative purposes

3.3 Stay and Booking Information

  1. Planned arrival date
  2. Planned departure date
  3. Estimated arrival time
  4. Number of guests
  5. Preferred stay period
  6. Cultural interests
  7. Program preferences
  8. Quiet time or work schedule needs
  9. Communication history with us
  10. Booking status
  11. Payment status
  12. Cancellation or date change history

3.4 Emergency Contact Information

  1. Emergency contact name
  2. Relationship to the guest
  3. Emergency contact phone number
  4. Emergency contact email address
  5. Other emergency contact method, if provided

Please make sure that your emergency contact understands that their information may be shared with us for emergency response purposes.

3.5 Insurance Information

  1. Insurance company name
  2. Policy number
  3. Emergency assistance contact number
  4. Insurance coverage details, if voluntarily provided
  5. Other insurance related information necessary in case of emergency

3.6 Health and Safety Information

We may ask you to voluntarily provide health and safety related information that may be important for emergency response or safe participation in the program.

This may include:

  1. Allergies
  2. Medical conditions
  3. Medication information
  4. Dietary restrictions
  5. Physical limitations
  6. Disabilities or accessibility needs
  7. Injury information
  8. Mental or physical health information relevant to emergency response or safe participation
  9. Other precautions that may be important during cultural practice or daily stay

You are not required to provide more health information than necessary. However, if certain information is important for your safety or emergency response, we ask that you share it accurately.

3.7 Payment and Transaction Information

  1. Payment amount
  2. Payment date
  3. Payment method
  4. Bank transfer record
  5. Transaction reference
  6. Refund information
  7. Invoice or receipt related information
  8. Other information necessary for accounting, tax, or payment confirmation

We generally do not collect full credit card details directly unless a secure payment provider is used.

3.8 Photos, Videos, and Communication Materials

We may receive or create photos, videos, messages, interviews, comments, testimonials, or other materials related to the program.

We will obtain separate consent before using a guest's image, name, voice, interview, photograph, video, creative work, or testimonial for promotional purposes.

3.9 Website, Form, and Communication Data

When you access our website, Notion pages, Google Forms, social media pages, or other online tools, certain technical or usage information may be collected by the relevant platform or service provider.

This may include:

  1. Access date and time
  2. Device information
  3. Browser information
  4. IP address
  5. Referral information
  6. Form submission data
  7. Communication logs

Our website uses Google Analytics and the Meta Pixel to understand how visitors use the site and how they found it, for example which pages are viewed and whether the application form is opened. These tools use cookies or similar technologies and are provided by Google and Meta under their own privacy policies.

The handling of such information may also be subject to the privacy policies of the relevant service providers.

4. How We Collect Information

We may collect personal information through the following methods.

  1. Inquiry forms
  2. Application forms
  3. Pre arrival information forms
  4. Email
  5. WeChat
  6. Instagram DM
  7. Messenger
  8. Other messaging applications
  9. Online meetings
  10. In person communication
  11. Payment or bank transfer records
  12. Communication with teachers, external instructors, facility owners, or related persons
  13. Information voluntarily provided during the stay

5. Purposes of Use

We use personal information for the following purposes.

5.1 Inquiry and Application Management

  1. Responding to inquiries
  2. Reviewing applications
  3. Understanding the guest's interests, schedule, and expectations
  4. Communicating about availability, program details, and next steps
  5. Preventing misunderstandings before booking

5.2 Booking and Contract Management

  1. Confirming guest identity
  2. Managing booking status
  3. Confirming stay period and number of guests
  4. Confirming payment
  5. Issuing invoices, receipts, or related documents
  6. Managing cancellation, date change, or refund requests
  7. Keeping records of agreed terms

5.3 Stay Preparation and Operation

  1. Preparing for arrival
  2. Coordinating check in
  3. Explaining house rules and facility use
  4. Preparing living space
  5. Coordinating cultural practice sessions
  6. Communicating with teachers or external instructors
  7. Supporting daily stay related matters within the agreed scope
  8. Responding to practical issues during the stay

5.4 Safety and Emergency Response

  1. Responding to illness, injury, accident, disaster, or emergency
  2. Contacting emergency contacts
  3. Sharing necessary information with medical services, emergency services, or public authorities
  4. Confirming insurance information where necessary
  5. Managing allergies, dietary restrictions, health precautions, or safety concerns
  6. Protecting the safety of the guest, facility owner, teachers, other guests, neighbors, and related persons

5.5 Cultural Practice and Program Quality

  1. Adjusting cultural practice sessions
  2. Understanding the guest's cultural interests
  3. Coordinating with teachers and external instructors
  4. Improving the program experience
  5. Maintaining a respectful cultural learning environment

5.6 Legal, Accounting, and Administrative Purposes

  1. Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
  2. Accounting and tax record keeping
  3. Responding to disputes, claims, or legal requests
  4. Preventing fraud, misconduct, or violation of terms
  5. Maintaining internal records necessary for business operation

5.7 Communication and Service Improvement

  1. Sending important notices related to the stay
  2. Requesting feedback
  3. Improving forms, documents, guest communication, and program operation
  4. Maintaining appropriate communication after the stay where necessary

We do not use health information, emergency contact information, passport related information, or insurance information for marketing purposes.

6. Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share personal information only within the scope reasonably necessary for the operation, safety, administration, or legal compliance of the program.

6.1 Facility Owner or Manager

We may share necessary information with the facility owner or manager for the following purposes.

  1. Arrival preparation
  2. Safety management
  3. Facility use
  4. Emergency response
  5. House rule enforcement
  6. Cultural practice coordination
  7. Prevention of trouble during the stay

6.2 Teachers and External Instructors

We may share necessary information with teachers or external instructors for the following purposes.

  1. Cultural practice preparation
  2. Schedule coordination
  3. Safety during cultural practice
  4. Necessary awareness of allergies, physical limitations, or other precautions
  5. Communication related to the session

We will share only the information reasonably necessary for the session or safety.

6.3 Emergency Contacts, Medical Services, and Public Authorities

In case of emergency, accident, illness, injury, disaster, safety issue, or legal requirement, we may share necessary information with:

  1. Emergency contacts
  2. Hospitals or medical professionals
  3. Ambulance, police, fire department, or other emergency services
  4. Public authorities
  5. Insurance providers or assistance providers, where necessary

6.4 Service Providers

We may use external service providers for business operation.

These may include:

  1. Google Forms or Google Workspace
  2. Notion
  3. Email services
  4. Messaging applications
  5. Payment or banking services
  6. Accounting services
  7. Cloud storage
  8. Translation or interpretation support
  9. Website or analytics tools, if applicable

These service providers may process personal information only within the scope necessary to provide their services.

6.5 Professional Advisors

We may share necessary information with lawyers, accountants, tax advisors, insurance agents, administrative scriveners, or other professional advisors where necessary for legal, accounting, insurance, compliance, or dispute related purposes.

6.6 Legal Compliance and Protection of Rights

We may disclose personal information where necessary to:

  1. Comply with laws and regulations
  2. Respond to lawful requests from public authorities
  3. Protect the rights, property, safety, or reputation of the Operator
  4. Protect the safety of guests, facility owners, teachers, neighbors, or related persons
  5. Investigate or respond to violation of terms, damage, misconduct, or illegal activity

7. International Use and Storage

Because the program may involve guests from outside Japan, communication may take place across countries.

We may use online tools or service providers that store or process data outside Japan.

Where personal information is transferred or processed outside Japan, we will take reasonable care to use reliable service providers and handle personal information appropriately in accordance with applicable laws.

8. Handling of Health and Sensitive Information

We may collect health, allergy, dietary, insurance, or emergency related information only where it is relevant to stay preparation, safety management, emergency response, or safe participation in cultural practice.

We will not use such information for unrelated purposes.

We will share such information only with persons who reasonably need to know it for operation, safety, or emergency response, such as the facility owner, teachers, external instructors, emergency services, medical professionals, or emergency contacts.

Guests are asked not to submit unnecessary sensitive information.

9. Photos, Videos, Testimonials, and Public Relations

We may take or receive photos, videos, comments, feedback, or testimonials in connection with the program.

We will not use a guest's image, name, voice, interview, photograph, video, creative work, or testimonial for promotional purposes without separate consent.

Personal photography and social media posting by guests are governed by the House Rules and the Stay Agreement.

Guests must not publish information that may identify the exact address, private areas, security information, internal layout, or personal information of the facility owner, teachers, other guests, neighbors, or related persons.

10. Retention Period

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

The retention period may vary depending on the type of information and the purpose of use.

In general:

  1. Inquiry and application information may be retained for communication and business record purposes
  2. Booking, payment, and accounting information may be retained for legal, tax, and accounting purposes
  3. Stay related records may be retained for safety, dispute prevention, and operational improvement
  4. Health and emergency related information will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for safety, emergency response, dispute prevention, or legal compliance

When personal information is no longer necessary, we will delete, anonymize, or securely dispose of it within a reasonable period.

11. Security Measures

We take reasonable measures to prevent unauthorized access, loss, leakage, alteration, misuse, or improper disclosure of personal information.

Such measures may include:

  1. Limiting access to personal information to persons who need it for program operation
  2. Using password protected accounts and secure online tools
  3. Managing access to forms, documents, and records
  4. Avoiding unnecessary sharing of health or emergency information
  5. Reviewing information handling practices where necessary
  6. Deleting or archiving information when it is no longer needed

No online or electronic communication method is completely secure. However, we will make reasonable efforts to handle personal information safely.

12. Guest Rights and Requests

Guests may contact us to request the following, subject to applicable law and reasonable verification of identity.

  1. Confirmation of personal information held by us
  2. Correction of inaccurate information
  3. Deletion of information where appropriate
  4. Suspension of use where appropriate
  5. Explanation of how information is used
  6. Withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent

Please note that we may not be able to delete certain information immediately if retention is necessary for legal, accounting, safety, dispute prevention, or legitimate business purposes.

13. Accuracy of Information

Guests are responsible for providing accurate and up to date information.

If the information provided to us changes, especially emergency contact, arrival time, insurance, allergy, medical, or safety related information, please notify us as soon as reasonably possible.

We are not responsible for issues caused by inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information provided by the Guest.

14. Information About Third Parties

If the Guest provides information about another person, such as an emergency contact or accompanying guest, the Guest is responsible for ensuring that the person understands that their information may be provided to us and used in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

15. Children and Minors

If a minor participates in the program, consent from a parent or legal guardian may be required.

We may request information about the parent or legal guardian where necessary for safety, emergency response, booking management, or legal compliance.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

If we make important changes, we will make the updated policy available through our website, Notion page, email, form, or other appropriate method.

The updated Privacy Policy will apply from the effective date stated at the top of the policy, unless otherwise specified.

17. Contact

For questions, requests, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of personal information, please contact us.

Operator: ozen Inc.

Program: Kyoto Cultural Residency

Please message us on Instagram (@kyotoculturalresidency) or Facebook Messenger (facebook.com/omujun). If you are already in touch with us by email, you can also reply to that email.

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