JF Japanese e-Learning Minato

Terms of Service

These “Terms of Service of JF Japanese e-Learning Minato” (hereinafter referred to as “These Terms”) are applied to any relationship between The JAPAN FOUNDATION JAPANESE-LANGUAGE INSTITUTE, KANSAI (hereinafter referred to as “the Institute”) which operates the website of “JF Japanese e-Learning Minato” (hereinafter referred to as “This Site”) and Users who use This Site and every service provided through This Site (including the “Japanese Online Course,” and hereinafter the service provided through This Site is referred to as “the Service”). In addition, hereinafter Users who visit This Site and use the Service are referred to as “Users”, and Users who sign up with the Service are referred to as “Registered Users”.
Minors shall only visit and have access to This Site and use the Service with parental approval. In the case where Users access multiple pages of This Site, they contact the Institute by using the online form of This Site, and they begin proceedings of signing up with the Service, the Institute deems that they have acknowledged and agreed with all of These Terms at the time of the accessing, etc.
Registered Users are able to use Japanese Online Courses (including courses offered for a fee) that overseas offices of The Japan Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “Overseas Offices”) operate separate to the Services that the Institute operates. In addition, in the case where Registered Users use the services that Overseas Offices operate, he/she shall acknowledge and comply with terms, conditions, and/or guidelines that the Overseas Offices state along with These Terms.

Chapter 1. Registered User

Article 1. (Definition of Registered User/Registration)

1-1. Applicants who hope to sign up with the Service (hereinafter referred to as “Applicants”) shall acknowledge and agree with all articles of These Terms.
1-2. Applicants shall apply to sign up with the Service through methods that the Institute specifies.
1-3. Applicants shall write or input true and updated information on the application form at the time of their application. In Addition, the Institute is able to require Applicant to submit attached documents, such as copy of driver’s license, certificate, etc. and they shall comply with the requirements of the Institute.
1-4. Applicants officially become Registered Users and the service contract between the Registered Users and the Institute (hereinafter referred to as “Service Contract”) starts at the time that the Institute sends them the acceptance notice relating to use of the Service,
1-5. The Institute is able to reject registration applications by Applicants who fall under the following circumstances, or if the Applicants have already become Registered Users, the Institute is able to disqualify them from the Service.
1. (1) If the name given is fictitious;
2. (2) If they are already registered as Registered Users;
3. (3) If they belong to or are relate to antisocial organizations stated in “Regulations Relevant to Response against the Antisocial Organizations of the Japan Foundation (Regulation NO. 52, 2015)”;
4. (4) If they have been penalized by the Institute before;
5. (5) If they are minors and if they apply to register to the Service without any approval from their parents, legal guardians, etc.;
6. (6) If any error, omission or false entry exists in their application forms;
7. (7) If they do not comply with any instruction of the Institute;
8. (8) If they violate These Terms and/or other terms, guidelines, etc. of This Site;
9. (9) If the Institute judges them to be unsuitable as Registered Users;

Article 2. (User Account)

2-1. When Registered Users specify their User IDs and passwords for using the Service, they should specify a letter string that is difficult for a third party to guess.
2-2. Registered Users shall maintain their User IDs and passwords for login the Service (hereinafter User ID and password are referred to as “User Account”) closely.
2-3. In the event of accordance between User Accounts entered by anyone in using the Services and the User Accounts mentioned above, the Institute deems such use to be by the Registered Users who maintain the User Accounts.
2-4. Registered Users shall pay all damages, costs and expenses caused by inaccurate maintaining of, error, or omission in the use of their User Accounts.
2-5. If Registered Users forget their User Account or perceive that their User Account has been used by any third party, they shall apply to reissue User Account by the method that the Institute specifies.

Article 3. (Prohibition of Transfer of Rights)

3-1. Registered Users must not assign, transfer, lend or sell their User Accounts to any third party. In addition, all Users must not allow any third party use of their User Accounts.
3-2. If any third party fraudulently uses the User Account of Registered Users, the Institute accepts no liability for damages to the Registered Users who maintain the User Accounts arising from the fraudulent use of the User Accounts.
3-3. Registered User who maintains the User Account used by any third party of previous section shall pay all damages, costs and expenses of the Institute and/or any third party arising from the fraudulent use of the User Account.

Article 4. (Alternation of Registration Information)

4-1. In the case where the need to change or modify Users’ information registered for using the Service (hereinafter referred to as “Registration Information”) arises, the Registered Users shall change or modify their Registration Information immediately through the method that the Institute specifies.
4-2. The change or modification should be made by the Registered User themselves.

Article 5. (Period of the Service/ Withdrawal)

5-1. The period for which the Service is available is of unlimited duration unless either the Institute or Registered Users makes any change.
5-2. Registered Users who wish to delete their User Accounts (withdraw from the Service) shall apply to delete their User Accounts by the method that the Institute specifies.
5-3. If either the Registered Users’ Application for the deletion of the User Accounts has been completed, or the Institute has deleted their User Accounts based upon the provisory clause of section 5-1, the Institute is able to delete all or part of the information and/or data that relates to the Registered Users and that is archived or accumulated on server(s) for providing the Service (including Registration Information, information on my-page that the Institute provides to each Registered User (hereinafter referred to as “My-Page”), information that relates to the Japanese Online Courses, etc.).
5-4. If any damage or loss is incurred by Registered Users who apply to delete their User Accounts and/or by any third party from the deletion of information as mentioned in 5-3 and from any acts that relate to the deletion of their User Accounts, the Institute assumes no liability for the damage or loss.
5-5. Registered Users who apply to delete their User Accounts, even after they lose qualification as Registered Users (this also means termination of Service Contract), shall pay all damages, costs, and expenses of the Institute and/or any third party caused by any action they have taken, and discharge the Institute from any liability.
5-6. Registered Users who apply to delete their User Accounts lose all rights related to using the Service at the time of completion of the application.

Article 6. (Adjournment of the Service)

6-1. When Registered Users will be unable to use the Service over a long period of time, they are able to temporally adjourn use of the Service. The Application of adjournment shall be by the method that the Institute specifies.
6-2. When Registered Users apply to adjourn use of the Service, the Institute shall keep and maintain their information and data related to use of the Service, including information that relates to the Japanese Online Courses.
6-3. When Registered Users desire to resume use after adjournment, they are able to take the Japanese Online Courses, etc., continuously; however, this shall not apply to any courses, lectures, lessons, etc. that closed during their adjournment.

Chapter 2. The Service

Article 7. (Contents of the Service)

7-1. The Contents of the Services shall be stated separately by the Institute. However, the main contents of the Service are as follows.
1. (1) To provide the Japanese Online Courses (including courses provided via other domains by the Institute);
2. (2) To provide User participatory service such as SNS service, Noticeboard, etc., that Registered Users and Instructors of the Japanese Online Courses (hereinafter referred to as “Instructors”) are able to study, educate, and exchange information about the language, culture, society, etc., of Japan;
3. (3) To provide a message interchange service between Registered Users and the Institute, Instructors, and so on;
7-2. The Institute is able to add new contents to, change the contents of, and/or remove the contents from the Services without preliminary notice to Users, including Registered Users

Article 8. (Condition of Use the Service)

8-1. Users should use the Services at their own responsibility.
8-2. Users shall connect to and use the Service by controlling and/or operating tablets, smartphones, PCs, OSs, browsers, communication devices, microphones, etc., that have the environment that the Institute recommends (hereinafter “environment that the Institute recommends” is referred to as “Recommended Environment”). Users shall also prepare all devices with the Recommended Environment at their own responsibility and expense.
8-3. In the case where Users use the Service by operating devices that do not have the Recommended Environment and the Institute, Instructors, other Registered Users, and any third party suffers damages or losses arising from the Users use of the Service, they shall be responsible for all the damages or losses and shall discharge the Institute from any liability.
8-4. The Institute provides some parts of the Service, such as the Live-Lessons of the Japanese Online Courses, via communication services that a third party operates (hereinafter referred to as “Other Service”) such as Skype™, etc. Users shall preliminarily acknowledge and agree that user accounts for the Other Service are required for using the Service.
8-5. When Users use some parts of the Service, such as the Live-Lessons of the Japanese Online Courses, they acknowledge and agree with any terms, guidelines, etc., of Other Service along with These Terms.
In addition, Users shall use the Other Service at their own responsibility, and if any communication failure, delay, etc., or other troubles related to the Other Service prevent Users from using the Service, the Institute assumes no liability for the interference.
8-6. In the case where Users do not perform the obligations previously stated and some damage and/or loss arises through their fault, they shall solely assume liability for all damage at their own responsibility and expense, and shall discharge the Institute from any liability.

Article 9. (Copyright/ intellectual property right of Information)

9-1. Copyright (including rights defined in Article 27 and 28 of the “Copyright Law of Japan”), utility model rights, and/or other intellectual property rights of know-how, texts, data, images, movies, and other information provided through the Service (hereinafter referred to as “Know-how, etc.”) shall belong to the Japan Foundation.
In addition, Users’ enforcement of the moral right of author related to know-how, etc., against the Institute and any third party selected by the Institute shall be limited.
9-2. Users are able to use Know-how, etc., within a limited scope of purpose for personal use. Users must not use the Know-how, etc., for the purpose of profit; make a number of copies beyond the scope of purpose of personal use; (whether with or without consideration) provide and/or distribute documents with the Know-how, etc. (including copies), to any third party, etc.
9-3. Even if Users use the Know-how, etc., within the scope of purpose of personal use, the following are prohibited:
1. (1) To reproduce copies of documents, assignments, etc., presented through the Service in large numbers beyond the realm of personal use by Users themselves;
2. (2) To make derivative works, such as new know-how, learning tools, etc., from the Know-how, etc., and circulate it;
3. (3) To post or publish any of the Know-how, etc., in magazines, on other websites, in blogs, etc.;
4. (4) To publish any of the Know-how, etc., on the Internet or to upload it onto an internet server;
5. (5) To do any act prohibited by the Institute.
9-4. Users shall comply with and observe the provisions of this article even after they lose qualification as Registered Users.
9-5. The Institute is able to take measures (such as issuing warnings, complaints, claims for damage, claims for prohibition, claims for restoration of honor, etc.) based upon the Copyright Law of Japan and/or laws and regulations related to intellectual and industrial property against any Users who violate the provisions of this Article. In addition, the Institute is able to penalize the Users according to Article 18.

Chapter 3. Japanese Online Course

Article 10. (Application, Use, Cancellation of Japanese Online Course)

10-1. The Institute provides multiple courses as Japanese Online Courses to Registered Users. The courses are provided based upon curriculum that the Institute specifies.
10-2. The duration, the frequency of classes and Live-Lessons, the number of participants for the Live-Lessons, the standards or conditions for completion, etc., of the course shall be specified for each course.
10-3. Registered Users select a course from among the Japanese Online Courses and applies for the course by the method that the Institute specifies. In addition, they are able to take multiple courses at the same time.
10-4. In case where surplus applications are received by the Tutor Support Course, the Institute shall decide the students of the Tutor Support Course by lot, and Registered Users shall acknowledge and agree with the decision of the Institute.
10-5. Registered Users who apply for the Tutor Support Course are able to cancel taking the course until starting date of the course. In addition, the cancellation is by the method that the Institute specifies.
10-6. Registered Users must not cancel their participation in the Japanese Online Courses on or after the starting date of the course.

Article 11. (Live-Lesson)

11-1. When the Institute provides the Live-Lessons for students who take the Tutor Support Course, the Institute shall notify the students of the date and Instructor of the Live-Lesson via the method that the Institute specifies.
11-2. Registered Users shall apply to the Live-Lessons that they hopes to participate in by the method that the Institute specifies.
11-3. Registered Users who participate in the Live-Lessons shall preliminarily notify the Instructor in charge of the Live-Lessons (hereinafter referred to as “Instructor in charge”) of their user account of the Other Service that they uses in the Live-Lessons.
11-4. Registered Users shall complete the start-up of their PC, smartphone, etc., login to the Other Service by using their user account in that service and check all operations of microphone, camera, etc., before the starting time of the Live-Lessons.
11-5. When the Instructor in charge is not able to teach the Live-Lesson for any reason, a substitute Instructor shall be placed in charge of the Live-Lesson, and all Registered Users who participate in the Live-Lesson hereby acknowledge this and agree to the operation of the Live-Lesson by the substitute Instructor.
11-6. The Institute and Overseas Offices (when Registered Users take Japanese Online Course that the Overseas Offices provide) are able to record Live-Lessons without any notice to Registered Users who participate in the Live-Lessons for the purpose of verifying of content of the Live-Lessons, the purpose of overseeing the Live-Lessons, and the purpose of improving service, etc., and they acknowledge this and agree to the recording.

Article 12. (Prohibition at the Time of Live-Lesson)

12-1. Registered Users must not be absent from, late for, or leave early from Live-Lessons with no prior notice.
Therefore, in These Terms, “late for the Live-Lesson” means to log into the Live-Lesson after the starting time; “leave early from Live-Lesson” means to log out from the Live-Lesson before the finish time, and “absent from Live-Lesson” means not to log into the Live-Lesson within the time frame.
12-2. If only one Registered User applies to participate in the Live-Lesson, and he/she has not logged into the Live-Lesson after a lapse of 15 minutes from the starting time, the Instructor in charge shall deem that the Registered User is absent from the Live-Lesson and shall terminate the Live-Lesson.
12-3. When Registered Users participate in Live-lessons, they must not:
1. (1) Record and/or tape the Live-Lesson;
2. (2) Stream the Live-Lesson onto the Internet by using podcast, U-stream™, etc.;
3. (3) Slander the Institute, Instructor(s), other User(s) and/or any third party;
4. (4) Cause damage(s) to the Institute, Instructor(s), other User(s) and/or any third party;
5. (5) Interfere with the Live-Lesson;
6. (6) Over-use violent and/or sexual expressions;
7. (7) Display image(s) that normally repel others and/or any image(s) that may be deemed inappropriate;
8. (8) Solicit other Users to join a religious group, or to advertise religious activities, political organizations, multilevel marketing, etc.;
9. (9) Contact Instructor(s) and/or other User(s) without using the Service;
10. (10) Allow any third party to participate in the Live-Lesson;
11. (11) Log out of the Other Service for no justifiable reason;
12. (12) To do anything that makes other participants uncomfortable.
12-4. If Registered Users do anything in violation of section 12-3, the Institute and/or the Instructor in charge may suspend or terminate the Live-Lesson immediately. In addition, in this case, the Institute is able to penalize the Registered User(s) responsible according to Article 18.
12-5. In the case where the Institute, the Instructor in charge, other participants, or any third party suffers damages and/or losses arising from Registered Users’ violation of section 12-3, even after they lose qualification as Registered Users, they shall pay all damages or losses and also discharge the Institute from any liability.

Chapter 4. Posting and Other Communicastion Services

Article 13. (Important Reminder Relating to Posting and Other Communication Services)

13-1. The Institute provides a posting service (hereinafter referred to as “Posting Service”) that Registered Users are able to have communication that relates to the studying of or education regarding Japanese (such as posting texts, etc. on message boards, sending and/or receiving messages, sending course assignments, recording and/or reporting on progress of learning, communicating in real time during Live-Lessons, etc.) with other Registered Users and/or Instructors.
13-2. When Registered Users use the Posting Service, they shall take all responsibility for information that they provide (hereinafter “information provided by Registered Users” is referred to as “User-Provided Information”).
13-3. Notwithstanding the conditions of Article 9, the copyright and responsibility of the User-Provided Information shall belong to the Registered Users who provide the User-Provided Information.
In addition, in the case where any third party makes claims, inquiries, etc., about the User-Provided Information, the Registered Users who provided the User-Provided Information shall resolve the problem, claim, and/or inquiry at their own responsibility.
13-4. When Registered Users create a “Community” by using the Posting Service, and when no User-Provided Information has been posted for over 1 year on the Community, the Institute may delete the Community without any prior notice to the Registered Users who created it.
13-5. When Registered Users hope to delete a Community and/or Noticeboard that they have created, they must inform the Institute accordingly. However, the deletion of the Community and/or Noticeboard is determined and enforced at the discretion of the Institute, and the Registered Users shall accept and acknowledge the decision and action of the Institute about the deletion.
13-6. All Registered Users must not provide any information that falls or may fall under the following:
1. (1) To provide any text, image, etc., that infringes upon the portrait right, copyright, trademark right, and any other intellectual property right of any third party;
2. (2) To provide any text, image, etc., that infringes upon the privacy of any third party;
3. (3) To provide any text, image, etc., that encourages, abets and/or aids criminal behavior, self-injury, suicide, etc.;
4. (4) To provide any text, image, etc., that contains violent and/or sexual expression/graphics;
5. (5) To provide any text that violates the rules and guidelines related to quotation (when Registered Users quote articles, texts, etc., of any third party);
6. (6) To provide any image or movie that contains depictions of scenes that make others uncomfortable, such as dead bodies, bloodshed, waste material, etc.;
7. (7) To provide any text, image, etc., that constitutes any action prohibited in These Terms and/or other terms, etc., on This Site;
8. (8) To provide any text, image, etc., that violates or may violate the laws of Japan or offends or may offend against public order and morals;
9. (9) To provide any text, image, etc., that loses touch with the spirit of the Service;
10. (10) To provide any text, image, etc., that violates any provisions of “Handling of Information Posted on Social Media” of “The Japan Foundation Social Media Policy”;
11. (11) To provide any text, image, etc., that the Institute deems unsuitable.
13-7. In the case where the Institute finds User-Provided Information that may fall under the provisions of section 13-6 (hereinafter referred to as “Prohibited Information”), the Institute may delete the Prohibited Information without any notice to the Users who posted the Information.
In addition, the Institute may also demand improvement or caution any Registered Users who repeatedly provide Prohibited Information, and in the case where they ignore the caution etc., the Institute shall penalize the Registered Users according to Article18.
13-8. When Registered Users violate the provisions of Article 13-6 and when they are sued by any third party for infringement of any right, etc., in relation to the User-Provided Information they posted, they shall swiftly resolve the problem at their own responsibility and expense, and discharge the Institute from any liability.
13-9. The provisions of this article will be applied continuously even after Users lose their qualification as Registered Users.

Article 14. (Usage of User-Provided Information)

14-1. The Institute may use User-Provided Information posted by Registered Users or provide the User-Provided Information to other sites, other publishing companies, academic conferences, symposiums, etc. for the purpose of promotion of This Site, the purpose of assisting in the operating activities of the Institute, and/or the purpose of study and improvement of the field of Japanese-language education without any prior notice to the Registered Users.
14-2. In the case where the Institute performs a secondary-use of the User-Provided Information to other sites or other publishing companies based upon section 14-1, the Institute shall amend the User-Provided Information into a format that renders it impossible to identify the individual or to acquire any Personal Information.
14-3. In the case where the Institute uses portraits of Registered Users (such as the use of recorded Live Lessons, seminars, etc. where all or part of faces, nameplates, etc. of participants of the Live Lessons are not obscured by mosaics, airbrushing, etc.), the Institute should obtain prior written consent from all of the Registered Users whose portraits are used by the Institute.
14-4. In the case where the Institute and a third party uses the User-Provided Information of Registered Users based upon section 14-1, they shall license the Institute and the third party to use their User-Provided Information at no charge and with no restriction on duration, and Registered Users must not ask the Institute for any license fee, royalties, etc.
14-5. In the case where the Institute performs a secondary-use of the User-Provided Information, the Institute reserves the right to edit or process the User-Provided Information at the Institute’s own discretion. In addition, Registered Users shall acknowledge and agree to the editing by the Institute.

Chapter 5. Important Reminder of Browsing

Article 15. (Preparation of Devices, packet communication fees)

15-1. This Site and the Service are provided to Users via the Internet. Users shall set up and operate all devices, communication tools, softwares, etc., to connect and use This Site and the Service properly at their own responsibility and expense.
15-2. Users shall acknowledge and agree that packet communication fees, etc., may accrue to connect and use This Site and the Service. In addition, Users shall be responsible for paying all of their packet communication fees, etc.

Article 16. (Disclaimer of Warranties, Exclusion of Liability)

16-1. The Institute exercises every reasonable effort to ensure the quality, accuracy, and legitimacy of all information on This Site. However, if any problem, damage, loss, etc., arises from an article or the content on This Site, the Institute assumes no liability and responsibility for the problem, etc.
16-2. The Institute exercises every reasonable effort to prevent all information on This Site from containing defects, errors, and false or other factually inaccurate information. However, the Institute assumes no liability and responsibility for any problem, damage, loss, etc., arising from the defects, etc.
16-3. The Institute assumes no liability for any problem, damage, loss, etc., experienced by Users arising from use of the Service other than for the provisions of Articles 16-1 and 16-2.
16-4. Notwithstanding the conditions of this article and other provisions of These Terms, even if the Institute shall assume liability for damages to Users based upon the laws and regulations of Japan, the Institute indemnifies them for only direct, actual, and normal damages, except for damage arising from the intentionality, or through the gross negligence, of the Institute.

Article 17. (Prohibition of Reprinting Information, Prohibition)

17-1. Except for the provision of Article 13-3, copyright (including rights defined in Articles 27 and 28 of “Copyright Law of Japan”), trademark rights, and/or other rights of texts, images, and other information on This Site shall belong to the Japan Foundation.
In addition, User’s enforcement of the moral right of author related to the texts, etc., against the Institute and any third party selected by the Institute shall be limited.
17-2. Users must not reprint or upload any information on This Site to other sites, blogs, magazines, etc. without any prior notice to the Institute. In the case where they quotes information from This Site, they shall obtain prior consent from the Institute and specify name of the Institute or This Site as a reference source according to the instructions of the Institute.
17-3. Users must not do any of the following in using This Site and all services provided through This Site (including the Service):
1. (1) To do anything that may cause damage to The Institute or any third party, such as hacking, sending of viruses, sending of spam mail, etc.;
2. (2) To convert or alter programs, etc., on This Site illegally;
3. (3) To violate the laws of Japan or the laws of your country, or to do anything that may violate those laws;
4. (4) To do anything that offends or may offend against public order and morals;
5. (5) To input or send false information or make false declarations;
6. (6) To cause any damage to the Institute;
7. (7) To interrupt the operating of This Site and the Service;
8. (8) To do anything that the Institute deems unsuitable.

Chapter 6. General Rules

Article 18. (Penalties)

18-1. In the case where Registered Users fall under the following, the Institute is able to suspend their User Accounts, restrict their access to the Service, and/or disqualify them as Registered Users without any notice. In such a case, the Institute assumes no liability related to the penalizing of the Registered Users.
1. (1) When they do anything in contravention of the provisions of Article 17;
2. (2) When they violate the provisions of Article 9 and infringes upon the intellectual property right of the Institute;
3. (3) When they perform any malicious acts in contravention of Article 12, or when they repeatedly do anything in contravention of Article 12;
4. (4) When they repeated post Prohibited Information in contravention of Article 13;
5. (5) When they use their User Accounts illegally, or allow any third party to use their User Accounts;
6. (6) When they inputs or sends false information and make false declarations;
7. (7) When they do anything in contravention of any of the provisions or articles of These Terms;
8. (8) When they disobey any instruction related to important things about usage of the Services by the Institute;
9. (9) When the Institute deems them to be unsuitable as Registered Users.
18-2. The provisions from section 5-3 to section 5-6 shall apply mutatis mutandis to all Registered Users disqualified from the Service.

Article 19. (Provisions of breach of duties)

19-1. In the case where Users delay or fail to perform the obligations of These Terms, they shall be held responsible for all damages, costs, and expenses caused by the breach of their obligation and shall also discharge the Institute from any liability.
19-2. In the case where Registered Users delay or fail to perform the obligations of These Terms, the indemnity liability of the previous section should be applied continuously after they lose their qualification as Registered Users.

Article 20. (Treatment of Registered Information)

20-1. The Institute may use Registered Information only for the purpose of operation of the Service or other services that the Institute operates or offers.
20-2. The Institute shall not disclose or offer Registered Information to any third party; however, this shall not apply to the following:
1. (1) When Registered Users have agreed to disclosure;
2. (2) When the information is disclosed or offered as masked data;
3. (3) When the disclosure is permitted by the laws and/or regulations of Japan;
4. (4) When the disclosure is required by a public agency based upon the laws and/or regulations of Japan;
5. (5) When the Institute delegates some or all of the Service to any third party for the purpose of providing the Service;
6. (6) When the Institute relegates some or all of the Service to any third party.
20-3. The Institute manages and uses all information that falls under the category of “Personal Information” as defined in “Act concerning Protection of Personal Information” of Japan based upon the “Privacy Policy” on This Site. In addition, Users shall acknowledge and agree with all provisions of the Privacy Policy.
20-4. The Institute may send information related to any service that the Institute provides to Users by using the Personal Information, history information of online courses, etc. In addition, Users shall acknowledge and agree to such use of Personal Information.
20-5. Registered Information and/or Personal Information of Users shall be handled according to the provisions of the Privacy Policy as well as These Terms.

Article 21. (Method of Notice)

21-1. Method of notification from the Institute to Users shall be by sending e-mails, displaying notices on My-Page, or by any other method that the Institute considers as being adequate.
21-2. When the Institute gives important notice of the Services, the Institute shall send e-mails or e-mail newsletters to all of Users (including Users who have specified that they do not wish to receive e-mails or e-mail newsletters that comes from the Institute).
21-3. Notices sent by e-mail shall be considered concluded at the time of completion of sending the e-mail to the address specified by Users.
21-4. In the case where Users change the settings of programs related to the e-mail address that they specified in Registration Information to block spam mails, they shall change the setting to permit reception of e-mails from the Institute. Therefore, the Institute accepts no liability for damages to Users who does not receive the notice because they have changes the settings.
21-5. Notices displayed on My-Page shall be considered concluded at the time of completion of displaying on My-Page.
21-6. In the case where the Institute gives notice to Users by any method of this Article, unless otherwise receiving any adverse claim, the Institute shall deem that the Users have agreed to the notice without any dissent on the day it was made.
21-7. Even if Users do not receive notices from the Institute caused by an intentional act or an act of negligence of the User, such as incorrectly inputting their e-mail address, neglecting to change their address, etc., the Institute shall deem that the Users have agreed to the notice without any dissent on the day it was made.

Article 22. (Interruption of the Service)

22-1. In the event of the following circumstances, the Institute may temporarily interrupt all or part of the Service:
1. (1) In the case where This Site is suspended because of the occurrence of natural disaster, riots or civil commotion, wars, etc.;
2. (2) In the case where the Institute conducts maintenance of the system, server, etc., of the Service;
3. (3) In the case where the Institute judges that it is necessary to temporarily suspend the Service;
22-2. The Institute shall accept no liability for any damage to Users arising directly or indirectly from the temporary interruption mentioned in section 22-1.

Article 23. (Termination of the Service)

23-1. The Institute may terminate This Site and/or the Service with at least 1 month prior notice of the termination date.
23-2. The above-mentioned notice of termination shall be made by the methods outlined in Article 21.
23-3. In the case where the Institute finds it difficult to continue providing the Service and to give notice as per section 23-1 and section 23-2, the Institute may terminate This Site and/or the Service without adequate notice to the Users.
23-4. The Institute shall accept no liability for any damage to Users and/or third parties arising directly or indirectly from the termination of the Service.

Article 24. (Relations between These Terms and Other Rules on This Site)

24-1. All guidelines, cautions, terms, and so on (referred to as “Guidelines”) that the Institute provides for the Services shall complement and constitute a part of These Terms; however, this shall not apply to anything in the Guidelines that violates These Terms or has any defect.
24-2. In the case where any contradiction of provision between the Guidelines and These Terms exists, the provision of These Terms shall prevail.

Article 25. (Jurisdiction/Governing Law)

25-1. In the case where a dispute among Users and the Institute arises from association with These Terms, both the Users and the Institute shall confer with one another in good faith.
25-2. In the case where a dispute among Users and the Institute is not resolve to their mutual satisfaction by the terms of the previous section, both the Institute and the Users agree that the Osaka District Court shall have competent and exclusive jurisdiction for the first instance.
25-3. Users shall acknowledge and agree that These Terms, Guidelines, and policies (including Privacy Policy) that the Institute establishes for providing the Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of Japan.
25-4. The Institute provides Users with translations of the Japanese-language version of These Terms. However, Users shall agree that the translations shall be provided for their convenience only, and that the Japanese-language original of These Terms shall govern the relationship between the Institute and the Users.

Article 26. (Change of These Terms)

26-1. The Institute may amend These Terms without any prior notice to Users.
26-2. Users should check These Terms every time they use the Service. In the case where Users use the Service after any amendment of These Terms, the Institute shall deem that Users have checked the updated version of These Terms, and that they acknowledge and agree to the amendment of These Terms.

Effective as of July 27, 2016
Amended as of August 4, 2017
Amended as of February 27, 2020