Privacy Policy

01

Information we collect

We collect information in a few different ways:

• Information you provide directly — such as your name and email address when you submit our contact form, subscribe to our newsletter, or leave a comment on a post.
• Information collected automatically — including your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and time spent on the Site, gathered through cookies and similar technologies.
• Information from third-party services — such as engagement data from embedded Instagram or Pinterest content.

02

How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiries and contact form submissions
• Send newsletter emails to subscribers, if you've opted in
• Understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it
• Detect and prevent spam, abuse, or security issues
• Comply with legal obligations

03

Cookies & tracking technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites function and collect usage information. We use cookies for:

• Essential functionality — such as remembering your cookie consent preferences
• Analytics — understanding how visitors use the Site (see Google Analytics below)
• Advertising — enabling third-party ad networks to show relevant ads (see Google AdSense below)

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect how parts of the Site function.

04

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with the Site — which pages are popular, how long people stay, and how they found us. Google Analytics collects information anonymously and reports website trends without identifying individual visitors.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

05

Advertising & Google AdSense

We may display advertisements on the Site through Google AdSense and other third-party ad networks. These networks may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your visits to this and other websites, in order to provide advertisements about goods and services that may interest you.

For more information on how Google uses data when you use our Site, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.

06

Affiliate links & monetization

Some posts on this Site contain affiliate links (for example, to Booking.com, Amazon, or JR Pass providers). If you click one of these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Affiliate partners may place their own cookies to track referrals and conversions. This is separate from any cookies placed directly by this Site. Affiliate relationships never influence our honest opinions or recommendations — we only recommend products and services we genuinely use or believe in.

Some content may be produced in partnership with tourism boards, hotels, or brands. Any sponsored content is clearly disclosed within the relevant post.

07

Third-party services

We use a number of third-party services to run the Site, each with their own privacy practices:

Embedded content from Instagram and Pinterest may collect data about your interaction with that content even if you don't have an account with those services. We recommend reviewing Instagram's Privacy Policy and Pinterest's Privacy Policy for more information.

08

How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Service providers who help us operate the Site (hosting, email delivery, forms)
• Advertising and analytics partners, as described above
• Law enforcement or regulators, if required by law

09

Data retention & security

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe. Contact form submissions are retained to respond to your enquiry and for our records.

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10

Your rights (GDPR & CCPA)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction or deletion of your data
• Object to or restrict certain processing
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Withdraw consent at any time (e.g., unsubscribe from our newsletter)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion of your data, and opt out of the sale of personal information (note: we do not sell personal information).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@nihontravelguide.com.

11

Children's privacy

This Site is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

12

International visitors

This Site is operated from Japan. If you access the Site from outside Japan, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in Japan or other countries where our service providers operate. By using the Site, you consent to this transfer.

13

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14

Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us at info@nihontravelguide.com or via our Contact page.