Privacy Policy

Effective date: 20 May 2026
Last updated: 20 May 2026

The Japan Index respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us when you visit www.thejapanindex.com.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we may share it with, and the choices you have regarding your personal information.

1. Who we are

This website is operated by The Japan Index / KURO//MEDIA, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

For privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, you can contact us at:

Email: michael@kuromedia.jp
Website: www.thejapanindex.com

2. Information we collect

We may collect the following types of information:

Information you provide directly

When you use our website, you may choose to provide personal information, including:

Your name
Email address
Subject and message details submitted through our contact form
Newsletter signup information
Business, collaboration, PR, media, or partnership enquiry details
Any other information you choose to include when contacting us

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device type
Pages viewed
Time and date of visit
Referring website or source
Approximate location information
Cookie and tracking information

This information helps us understand how visitors use the website and improve our content and services.

3. How we use your information

We may use your information to:

Respond to your enquiries
Send newsletters or updates where you have signed up to receive them
Share information about Japan travel, food, hotels, flights, events, and experiences
Manage business, media, sponsorship, or collaboration enquiries
Improve our website, content, and user experience
Monitor website performance and analytics
Protect the security of our website
Comply with legal obligations
Prevent spam, misuse, fraud, or unauthorized activity

4. Newsletter and email marketing

If you sign up for our newsletter or updates, we may use your email address to send you content about Japan travel, events, hotels, restaurants, cafés, attractions, deals, and related updates.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly at [add your contact email].

We do not sell your email address to third parties.

5. Cookies and tracking technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

Make the website function properly
Remember visitor preferences
Understand how visitors use our website
Measure website traffic and performance
Improve content and marketing
Support embedded content, such as social media or video content

You can usually control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some parts of the website may not work properly if cookies are disabled.

6. Third-party services

We may use third-party service providers to help operate our website and services. These may include:

Website hosting providers
Email marketing tools
Analytics providers
Spam prevention or security tools
Social media platforms
Video platforms
Affiliate, booking, reservation, or advertising partners
Payment or business service providers, where applicable

These third parties may process personal information according to their own privacy policies.

7. Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including hotels, restaurants, attractions, booking platforms, reservation services, affiliate partners, social media platforms, and other external websites.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or policies of third-party websites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing personal information.

8. Affiliate links, sponsored content, and partnerships

Some content on The Japan Index may include affiliate links, discount codes, sponsored features, hosted experiences, PR invitations, or partner links.

If you click a third-party link, that third party may collect information about your visit or transaction. Their collection and use of your information is governed by their own privacy policy.

9. Social media and embedded content

Our website may include links to or embedded content from platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Threads, TripAdvisor, or other services.

When you interact with these platforms through our website, they may collect information about you, including through cookies or tracking technologies. Your use of those platforms is subject to their own privacy policies.

10. How we share information

We may share personal information only where necessary, including with:

Service providers who help us operate the website
Email newsletter or marketing platforms
Analytics and website performance providers
Business partners where needed to respond to enquiries or manage collaborations
Legal, regulatory, or professional advisers
Authorities, if required by law or to protect our rights

We do not sell personal information.

11. International data transfers

Because we use online tools and third-party service providers, your information may be processed or stored in countries outside Japan, including countries that may have different data protection laws.

Where required, we take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is handled securely and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

12. How long we keep your information

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

For example:

Newsletter information is kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it.
Contact form enquiries may be kept for as long as needed to respond, manage our relationship, or maintain business records.
Analytics information may be kept in aggregated or anonymized form.
Certain records may be kept longer where required for legal, accounting, security, or compliance reasons.

13. How we protect your information

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

However, no website or online transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted through the internet.

14. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including the right to:

Request access to the personal information we hold about you
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Ask us to delete your personal information
Withdraw consent for marketing emails
Object to or restrict certain processing
Request a copy of your information
Lodge a complaint with a relevant data protection authority

To exercise your rights, contact us at [add your contact email].

We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.

15. Children’s privacy

Our website is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [add your contact email], and we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

16. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

We encourage visitors to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we handle personal information.

17. Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle personal information, please contact:

The Japan Index / KURO//MEDIA
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Email: michael@kuromedia.jp
Website: www.thejapanindex.com