Japan NeighborYour Japan-side Desk
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Terms of Service

Effective date:

The Service provides enquiries, verification, local visits, communications about warranty and repair, contact with companies and shops in Japan, and other agreed Japan-side support.

We explain the specific work, fees, expenses, start date and other conditions in advance for each case.

Submitting an enquiry form and checking whether we can help do not incur a charge.

Submitting the form alone does not constitute an application for a paid service or the formation of a contract.

For paid services, we explain the proposed work, fees and other necessary conditions. A contract is generally formed when you agree to those conditions and the required payment is completed.

If we agree otherwise, that agreement applies.

Fees are based on the indicative prices on this website or an estimate for your case.

For individual estimates, we present the total amount you will actually pay in advance.

If changes or additions to the scope require extra fees, we explain the work and fees before proceeding. We do not charge additional fees without your consent.

Some cases may require a paid assessment before action begins. We review documents and circumstances and identify the necessary contacts, procedures and next steps.

Simple cases do not require this stage.

If the service fee is JPY 8,800 or more, the JPY 3,300 initial assessment fee will be fully credited toward the service fee. Both amounts include tax.

Travel, parking, rail or air fares, accommodation, postage, packing, administrative fees and other expenses necessary to carry out the work may arise.

We explain necessary expenses in advance wherever possible.

If an amount cannot be fixed in advance, we explain the calculation method or estimated amount.

Generally, after you confirm the work and fees, payment is made online through Stripe or another payment service before work begins.

If we agree otherwise, the agreed conditions apply.

After confirming payment, we begin work according to the scope and schedule agreed for your case.

Completion times may vary due to third-party replies, facility opening days, manufacturers’ decisions, shipping, traffic or other circumstances outside our control.

Our fees are for carrying out the agreed communications, checks, visits, procedures and other work.

Unless specifically agreed, we do not guarantee:

  • That a lost item will be found
  • That a company or facility will reply
  • That a repair or warranty claim will be approved
  • That stock will be secured
  • That a refund or another particular outcome will be obtained

Even if the desired outcome is not achieved, fees apply to the agreed work that has been performed.

We ask you to:

  • Provide the necessary information as accurately as possible
  • Make requests on your own behalf or with proper authority
  • Avoid requests that infringe third-party rights, laws or facility rules
  • Respond in a timely manner to requests for decisions or additional approval

If missing or inaccurate information makes additional work necessary, we may discuss the revised scope and fees with you.

We may decline or stop a request if we determine that it involves:

  • Unlawful conduct
  • Fraud, impersonation or false statements
  • Unauthorised access or other acts without proper authority
  • Threats, harassment, stalking or related conduct
  • Unjustified infringement of another person’s privacy or rights
  • Work involving a high level of danger
  • Work substantially beyond the scope of our service
  • Other circumstances in which we reasonably consider the work inappropriate

If you cancel before paid work begins, we generally refund the service fees you have paid.

However, we may deduct non-cancellable expenses already incurred at your request, such as travel or accommodation reservations.

Once paid work has begun, fees for work already started or completed and expenses already incurred are not refundable. If any work has not yet started, we review whether that portion is refundable and the amount.

Where fees need to be divided by task or stage, we specify those amounts in the estimate.

For cases involving local visits, cancellation conditions may differ after departure or arrival. In those cases, we specify the cancellation conditions and amounts for each stage in the estimate, and payment is made after you agree.

Where the law requires a refund or other action, the law takes priority.

Local visits primarily cover Gifu, Tokai and Chubu, but we may provide visits elsewhere in Japan depending on the case, schedule and travel costs.

For distant cases, we provide an estimate in advance that includes travel, accommodation and other necessary costs.

Communication with customers is generally by email or other written means.

The Service is not an emergency reporting, ambulance, police or other emergency service.

If there is danger to life or physical safety, a crime or another urgent situation, please contact the local police, fire service, medical institution or another appropriate organisation directly.

We may use Stripe, Formspark, shipping companies and other external services to carry out our work.

The provider’s own terms may apply to the use of those external services.

We carry out our work with reasonable care.

Where the Service is liable, to the extent permitted by law, liability covers ordinary and direct losses and is generally capped at the service fees received from you for the case concerned.

This limitation does not apply to intentional misconduct, gross negligence or other circumstances where the law does not permit a limitation of liability.

We may change these terms to reflect changes in our service, laws or other circumstances.

We will clearly announce important changes on this website.

These terms and contracts relating to the Service are governed by Japanese law.

If a dispute arises, we will first discuss it in good faith. If it remains unresolved, it will be resolved by a court with jurisdiction under applicable law.

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