IPPO Terms of Use

This English text is a translation provided for reference only. The Japanese text is the authoritative version and prevails in the event of any discrepancy.

These Terms of Use (the "Terms") set out the conditions for the provision of the Japanese-language learning service "IPPO" (the "Service") by GLOBAL ASTRA, Inc. ("we", "us" or the "Company") and the rights and obligations between us and Registered Users. Please read the Terms in full and agree to them before using the Service.

Article 1 (Application)

1The Terms govern all relations between us and Registered Users concerning use of the Service.

2The Terms constitute standard contract terms (teikei yakkan) under Article 548-2 of the Civil Code of Japan.

3Individual rules, guidelines and notices that we publish on our website or within the Service form part of the Terms and prevail in the event of any inconsistency.

Article 2 (Definitions)

• "Service" means the Japanese-language learning service named "IPPO", provided through a web browser.
• "Registered User" means an individual registered as a user of the Service under Article 3.
• "Service Agreement" means the agreement for use of the Service concluded between us and a Registered User on the basis of the Terms.
• "Paid Plan" means the plan named "IPPO Premium" provided in consideration of the fees we specify, comprising a monthly plan and an annual plan.
• "Content" means the teaching materials, questions, audio, video, images, text and programs we provide through the Service.
• "Submitted Data" means data entered, posted or transmitted by a Registered User through the Service, including text, images and audio.
• "AI Features" means features of the Service that optimise the selection of questions, adjust review intervals using the Leitner method, score answers automatically and otherwise process data automatically to support learning. For the purposes of the Terms, "AI Features" do not include any feature that generates responses or assessments using generative AI or any other external artificial intelligence service.

Article 3 (Registration)

1A person wishing to use the Service may apply by agreeing to comply with the Terms and providing the information we specify in the manner we specify.

2An applicant under 18 years of age must obtain the consent of a parent or other legal representative before applying. Where we consider a Registered User to be under 18, we may contact the Registered User or their legal representative to confirm whether such consent has been given.

3We decide whether to accept an application in accordance with our criteria and notify the applicant. Registration is complete, and the Service Agreement is formed, upon that notice.

4We may refuse registration or re-registration where the applicant: (i) has provided false, erroneous or incomplete information; (ii) is under 18 without the consent of a legal representative; (iii) is an adult ward, person under curatorship or person under assistance without the required consent; (iv) is reasonably judged by us to fall within, or to be associated with, the anti-social forces referred to in Article 19; (v) is reasonably judged by us to have breached an agreement with us in the past, or to be related to such a person; (vi) has previously been subject to a measure under Article 13; or (vii) is reasonably judged by us to be unsuitable for registration on grounds equivalent to the foregoing.

Article 4 (Changes to Registered Information)

A Registered User must notify us without delay, in the manner we specify, of any change to their registered information. We are not liable for disadvantage arising from a failure to do so.

Article 5 (Account and Password Management)

1Registered Users are responsible for managing their account, password and user ID, and must not allow a third party to use them or transfer, lend, rename or sell them.

2An account must not be shared by more than one person.

3Registered Users bear the risk of loss arising from inadequate management or misuse of a password or user ID, or its use by a third party, unless the loss is attributable to us.

4A Registered User must notify us immediately upon becoming aware that their account is being used by a third party.

Article 6 (Operating Environment and Updates)

1The Service is provided through a web browser. Registered Users are responsible, at their own cost, for the devices, web browser, communication lines and other environment required to use the Service, including any communication charges.

2We do not warrant that the Service can be used on every device, operating system or browser version. We publish our recommended operating environment on our website.

3We may update the Service without the prior consent of Registered Users. All or part of the Service may be temporarily unavailable during or around an update.

4If a Registered User clears their browser cache or stored data, information saved on the device may not be recoverable. Doing so does not constitute withdrawal under Article 14 or cancellation of a Paid Plan and has no such effect.

Article 7 (Paid Plans and Fees)

1Paid Plans comprise a monthly plan with a contract period of one month and an annual plan with a contract period of one year.

2Registered Users shall pay the fees displayed on our website or within the Service, by the payment method we specify. Displayed fees are inclusive of consumption tax.

3For the monthly plan, the first payment is taken on completion of the application and thereafter every month. For the annual plan, one year of fees is taken in a single payment on completion of the application and thereafter every year.

4A Paid Plan renews automatically for the same period and on the same conditions unless the Registered User cancels before the end of the current contract period.

5A Registered User may cancel a Paid Plan at any time after logging in, in the manner we specify. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current contract period, and the Paid Plan remains available until then.

6We do not refund fees already received. No prorated or other refund is made where a Registered User cancels during a contract period, except where a refund is required by law or where we failed to provide the Service for a substantial period for reasons attributable to us.

7We offer a free plan. A free plan does not convert automatically into a Paid Plan; a separate application by the Registered User is required.

8We may revise fees. We will notify Registered Users at least 30 days before a revision takes effect, and a Registered User who does not accept the revision may cancel before that date.

9Late payment bears default interest at 14.6 per cent per annum.

10The statement required under the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions in respect of Paid Plans is set out in Appendix 1.

Article 8 (Scope of Licence to Content)

1We grant Registered Users a non-transferable, non-exclusive right to use the Content for their own private study for the duration of their use of the Service.

2Without our prior written consent, Registered Users must not reproduce, publicly transmit, distribute, transfer, lend, translate, adapt or create derivative works from the Content, use it for commercial purposes, or use it as a dataset for machine learning or other information analysis.

3Registered Users must not collect or extract Content by automated means.

Article 9 (AI Features)

1The Service includes the AI Features defined in Article 2. We may determine their content and scope from time to time.

2We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose of the output of AI Features.

3Such output does not guarantee or advise on the result of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test or any other examination, on residence status, or on any legal or medical matter. Registered Users must confirm such matters with the competent authority or a qualified professional.

4We do not transmit Registered Users' input to generative AI or to any other external artificial intelligence service. If we do so in the future, we will amend the Terms and our Privacy Policy in advance to identify the recipients, their countries of location and the purposes of use.

5Registered Users must not enter residence card numbers, passport numbers, bank account numbers, medical history, other sensitive information, or the personal information of third parties into any input field of the Service.

6Information entered into the Service is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Article 10 (Prohibited Conduct)

Registered Users must not engage in conduct that falls, or that we reasonably judge to fall, within any of the following: violation of law or conduct related to a crime; fraud or intimidation against us, other users or third parties; conduct contrary to public order and morals; infringement of intellectual property, portrait, privacy, reputation or other rights of us, other users or third parties; transmission of excessively violent, cruel or obscene expression, expression promoting discrimination, suicide, self-harm or improper drug use, anti-social expression, or expression damaging the reputation or credit of others; transmission of computer viruses or other harmful programs; transmission of chain letters; imposing an excessive load on the network or systems of the Service; reverse engineering or other analysis of our software or systems; unauthorised access to our network or systems; impersonation, or use of another user's ID or password; advertising, solicitation or business activity on the Service without our prior consent; collection of information about other users; continued entry of input unrelated to study into AI Features, or use of output to the detriment of us or third parties; conduct likely to obstruct operation of the Service; provision of benefit to anti-social forces; causing, facilitating or attempting any of the foregoing; and other conduct equivalent to the foregoing that we reasonably judge to be inappropriate.

Article 11 (Suspension of the Service)

1We may suspend or interrupt all or part of the Service without prior notice where: urgent inspection or maintenance of the systems is required; operation becomes impossible due to failure of computers or communication lines, operational error, excessive concentration of access, unauthorised access or hacking; operation becomes impossible due to force majeure such as earthquake, lightning, fire, storm, flood, power failure or epidemic; continued provision becomes difficult due to a change of law or administrative guidance; or we reasonably judge suspension to be necessary on equivalent grounds.

2We will endeavour to announce scheduled maintenance in advance on the Service or our website.

Article 12 (Ownership and Submitted Data)

1All intellectual property rights in our website and the Service belong to us or to our licensors. The licence to use the Service under the Terms does not constitute a licence of those rights.

2Intellectual property rights in Submitted Data remain with the Registered User.

3Registered Users grant us a royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, translate and adapt Submitted Data solely to the extent necessary to provide, maintain and improve the Service. The licence does not extend to use beyond that scope, sublicensing to third parties, or publication.

4Registered Users represent and warrant that they hold the lawful rights to submit the Submitted Data and that it does not infringe the rights of third parties.

5In the ranking feature of the Service, a Registered User's display name and pass rate are shown to other Registered Users, and Registered Users agree to this. Registered Users may change their display name at any time within the Service. Profile information other than the display name, learning history and answers are shown only to the Registered User and to the administrator of the organisation that registered them.

Article 13 (Cancellation of Registration)

1We may delete or hide Submitted Data, suspend use of the Service, or cancel registration, without prior notice or demand, where a Registered User: breaches any provision of the Terms; is found to have registered false information; is more than one month late in paying fees; suspends payment or becomes insolvent, or an application is filed for bankruptcy or similar proceedings; has not used the Service for 12 months or more; fails to respond to our enquiries for 30 days or more; falls within any item of Article 3.4; or is reasonably judged by us to be unsuitable to continue using the Service on equivalent grounds.

2Except in urgent cases, we will endeavour to give the Registered User an opportunity to remedy the matter before taking such measures.

3Upon any such event, the Registered User loses the benefit of time for all obligations owed to us and must pay them immediately.

4We are not liable for loss caused to a Registered User by measures taken under paragraph 1, except where we have acted with intent or gross negligence.

Article 14 (Withdrawal)

1A Registered User may withdraw from the Service and cancel their registration by completing the procedure we specify.

2Upon withdrawal, any obligations owed to us become immediately due.

3User Information after withdrawal is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Learning data and other data are deleted 90 days after the date of withdrawal and cannot be restored.

Article 15 (Changes to and Termination of the Service)

1We may change the content of the Service or terminate its provision.

2Where we terminate the Service in its entirety, we will in principle give notice at least 30 days in advance, on the Service or to Registered Users, save in unavoidable urgent cases.

3In that case, where the period of a Paid Plan extends beyond the termination date, we will refund fees for the remaining period on a pro rata basis.

Article 16 (Nature of the Service, Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability)

1The Service supports the study of Japanese. It does not provide legal services concerning residence status or immigration procedures, does not provide the preparation of, or consultation on, documents submitted to public offices within the meaning of the Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist Act, and does not provide advice on such matters. Registered Users must confirm such matters with the competent authority or a qualified professional.

2We do not warrant, expressly or impliedly, that the Service is fit for a Registered User's particular purpose, has the expected functions, accuracy or usefulness, is continuously available, or is free from defects.

3We do not guarantee learning outcomes, improvement in Japanese ability, examination results or any other result from use of the Service.

4Where loss is caused to a Registered User by reasons attributable to us, our liability is limited to ordinary damages and capped at the total fees paid by that Registered User to us during the 12 months preceding the loss, or at JPY 10,000 where no fees were paid during that period.

5The preceding paragraph does not apply where we have acted with intent or gross negligence.

6Where a Registered User causes loss to us by breaching the Terms, the Registered User shall compensate us for that loss, including reasonable attorneys' fees.

7Registered Users are responsible for resolving disputes with other users or third parties arising in connection with the Service or our website.

Article 17 (Confidentiality)

Registered Users must keep confidential any non-public information disclosed by us in connection with the Service with a request that it be treated as confidential, except with our prior written consent.

Article 18 (User Information and Use of Data)

1We handle User Information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, and Registered Users agree to such handling.

2We may use and publish information and data provided by Registered Users as statistical information processed so that individuals cannot be identified. Such statistical information does not constitute personal information and we may provide it to third parties.

3We may use User Information (including personal information) for analysis by artificial intelligence and for the training and improvement of machine learning models, for the purposes of expanding and improving the Service, developing new services and enhancing convenience for users.

4Where we do so, we will first convert the information into a form from which specific individuals cannot be identified in accordance with the standards prescribed by law, namely pseudonymously processed information, anonymously processed information or statistical information.

5Before commencing use under paragraph 3, we will amend our Privacy Policy to state that fact and to identify the method of processing and the scope of use.

Article 19 (Exclusion of Anti-Social Forces)

1Registered Users represent and warrant that they are not, and have no socially condemnable relationship with, organised crime groups or their members, quasi-members, related companies, corporate racketeers, groups engaged in criminal activities under the pretext of social movements, or other equivalent persons ("Anti-Social Forces").

2Registered Users must not, themselves or through a third party, make violent or unreasonable demands, use threatening language, spread rumours, or use deception or force to damage our credit or obstruct our business.

3Where we reasonably judge that a Registered User has breached the preceding paragraphs, we may terminate the Service Agreement immediately without notice, and we are not liable for any loss so caused.

Article 20 (Amendment of the Terms)

1We may amend the Terms without the individual consent of Registered Users under Article 548-4 of the Civil Code where the amendment: (i) conforms to the general interest of Registered Users; or (ii) does not contradict the purpose of the Service Agreement and is reasonable in light of the necessity for the amendment, the appropriateness of the amended content and other relevant circumstances.

2We will fix the effective date of the amendment and, before that date, publish the fact of the amendment, its content and its effective date on our website, within the Service, by e-mail or by other appropriate means.

3We will endeavour to give such notice at least 30 days before the effective date, except for minor amendments or amendments made in response to changes in law.

4Where an amendment legally requires the consent of Registered Users, we will obtain that consent in the manner we specify.

Article 21 (Communications and Notices)

1Enquiries and notices between us and Registered Users are made in the manner we specify.

2A notice from us to a Registered User takes effect: (i) where sent by e-mail, when we send it to the e-mail address in the Registered User's registered information; (ii) where given through the notification function of the Service, when we send the notice; and (iii) where posted on our website or within the Service, when the posting is made.

3Registered Users must keep their contact details up to date. A notice takes effect in accordance with the preceding paragraph even if it fails to arrive because the Registered User did not update their contact details.

Article 22 (Assignment)

1Registered Users may not assign, transfer, pledge or otherwise dispose of their position under the Service Agreement or any right or obligation under the Terms without our prior written consent.

2Where we transfer the business relating to the Service to a third party, we may transfer to the transferee our position under the Service Agreement, our rights and obligations under the Terms and the registered information and other customer information of Registered Users, and Registered Users consent to such transfer in advance. Business transfer here includes company splits and any other case in which the business is transferred.

Article 23 (Severability)

If any provision of the Terms or part of it is held invalid or unenforceable under the Consumer Contract Act or other laws, the remaining provisions and the remaining part of the affected provision continue in full force and effect.

Article 24 (Surviving Provisions)

Articles 5.3, 8, 12, 13.3, 14.2, 14.3, 16 to 19 and 22 to 26 survive termination of the Service Agreement.

Article 25 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction)

1The Terms and the Service Agreement are governed by the laws of Japan.

2The Tokyo District Court has exclusive jurisdiction in the first instance over any dispute arising out of or in connection with the Terms or the Service Agreement, except to the extent such an agreement is restricted by the Consumer Contract Act or other laws.

Article 26 (Language)

The Japanese text of the Terms is authoritative. Translations are provided for convenience only, and the Japanese text prevails in the event of any discrepancy.

GLOBAL ASTRA, Inc.

N&E BLD. 7F, 1-12-4 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

info@global-astra.com

Appendix 1 Statement under the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions

This appendix is a reference translation of a disclosure required under Japanese law. The Japanese text prevails.