Privacy Policy & Site Terms

Last updated: July 11, 2026

Japan with Kids ("this site", "we", "our") is a one-person blog written by a dad based in Japan, for parents planning family trips here. Because this is a small personal site — no user accounts, no newsletter, no comment section — this single page serves as both our privacy policy and our site terms. By using this site, you agree to what's written here. We've kept it in plain English on purpose.

1. Affiliate links (how this site earns money)

Some articles contain affiliate links to travel-booking partners such as Booking.com. If you click one and complete a booking, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — the price you pay is exactly the same. Every article that contains affiliate links carries a disclosure notice at the top, in line with U.S. FTC guidelines. For the full picture, including our promise about honest reviews, see the Affiliate Disclosure.

2. Information we collect

We collect as little as possible. There are three kinds of information:

Contact form. If you write to us, we receive the name, email address, and message you choose to send. That's the only information you can actively give this site — there is nothing else to sign up for.

Standard server logs. Like nearly every website, our hosting provider automatically records basic technical data when a page is served — such as IP address, browser type, and the page requested. We use this only in aggregate (if at all) to keep the site running; it is not combined with anything that personally identifies you.

Analytics. We use Google Analytics to understand, in aggregate, how the site is used — see section 4 for exactly what this collects and how to opt out.

We do not run user accounts, newsletters, comments, or any form of e-commerce checkout on this site.

3. How we use your information

Contact-form messages are used for one thing: replying to you. They are never sold, shared with third parties, or added to a mailing list. We do not use your information for any marketing.

4. Cookies, analytics, and advertising

Analytics (Google Analytics 4). This site uses Google Analytics 4, a web-analytics service provided by Google, to understand in aggregate how visitors use the site — for example, which articles are read most and roughly which countries readers come from. It sets cookies and collects data such as your approximate location (from a shortened IP address, not stored in full), your device and browser type, and the pages you view. We use this only in aggregate to improve the site. We have not enabled Google Signals or any advertising features, so this data is not used to personalize ads, and we do not send your name or email address to Google. You can opt out of Google Analytics on every website by installing Google's Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, or by blocking cookies in your browser. How Google handles this data is described in the Google Privacy Policy.

Affiliate cookies. If you click an affiliate link, the partner site (for example, Booking.com) may set cookies in your browser to attribute your booking. Those cookies are set by the partner under its own privacy policy, not by us.

Advertising. This site does not display advertising and sets no advertising cookies of its own. If we ever add display ads, we will name the specific service on this page and update the date at the top before it goes live. You can disable or delete cookies at any time in your browser settings.

5. Third-party links

Our guides link to many external sites — hotels, parks, booking services, official tourism pages. We don't own or control those sites and are not responsible for their content, accuracy, availability, or privacy practices. Once you leave this site, the destination's own policies apply, so review them if you plan to enter personal information there.

6. Children's privacy (COPPA)

This site is written for parents and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and the contact form is intended for use by adults. When you write to us, please don't include your child's personal details (full name, birthday, school, and so on) — first names or ages in a trip question are fine, but nothing identifying. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

7. Your privacy choices (US, Australia, EU/UK)

Wherever you live, you may ask us to show you, correct, or delete any personal information we hold about you — which, in practice, can only be a contact-form email. Just ask via the Contact page and we will honor reasonable requests from any region.

For California residents: we do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA. For Australian visitors: we handle your information with the same care described on this page, consistent with the spirit of the Australian Privacy Principles. For EU/UK visitors: our basis for processing contact-form data is your consent, given when you submit the form, and you may withdraw it at any time by asking us to delete your message.

8. Data retention, security, and international transfer

Contact-form messages are delivered to our private email inbox and kept only as long as needed to handle your inquiry. This site is served over HTTPS and does not operate its own database of user information. We take reasonable precautions, but no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we can't promise absolute security. Because this site is operated from Japan and served through a global hosting network, your data may be processed outside your home country.

9. Travel information changes — verify before you book

Everything on this site reflects our real experiences at the time of writing, but prices, opening hours, menus, pool rules, and entry requirements change without notice. Content here is general information and personal opinion — it is not professional travel, medical, safety, or immigration advice. Please verify important details (especially anything involving your family's safety or money) with official sources before you book or travel.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss, damage, or expense arising from your use of this site, your reliance on its content, or your use of any third-party service linked from it. Products and services linked from this site are sold by their respective providers, not by us.

11. Copyright and use of our content

All original text and photos on this site are our property. Please don't republish them without permission — short quotations with a link and credit are welcome, and you are free to link to any page without asking. Our content may not be scraped or used to train AI or machine-learning models without our written consent.

12. Governing law

This site is operated from Japan, and these terms are governed by the laws of Japan.

13. Changes to this page

We may update this page from time to time — for example, if we add an analytics tool or a new affiliate partner. The "last updated" date at the top always reflects the current version, and continued use of the site after a change means you accept the updated terms.

14. Contact

Questions about privacy, a data request, or anything else on this page — reach out via the Contact page. We answer every message.