Article 1 (Definitions)

The terms used in these Terms of Service have the following meanings:

“These Terms” refers to these Terms of Service, which apply to all users and members of the services accessed through our website.

 

“The Company” refers to Ray’s Lighthouse.

“The Services” refers to all services provided to users and members through the Ray’s Lighthouse website (https://www.konichiwa-my-dude.com/). The Services are categorized as follows:

Service Categories

 

(1) The following services offered exclusively on the Company’s website:

i. Translation services

ii. Japanese language lessons for foreigners

iii. Camera services

iv. Events

 

Article 2 (Scope of These Terms and Use of Services)

These Terms set forth the conditions under which the Services are provided and the rights and obligations between Users, Members, and the Company, and apply to all use of the Services.

The Privacy Policy (stated in Article 9), service-specific rules and conditions, notices, and other supplementary regulations (collectively “Rules, etc.”) are incorporated into these Terms. In the event of any inconsistency between these Terms and the Rules, etc., these Terms shall take precedence.

Users and Members must carefully read, understand, and agree to these Terms in their entirety before using the Services. Use of the Services constitutes acceptance of these Terms.

Individuals under 18, persons of limited legal capacity, or those with significantly impaired judgment are ineligible to use the Services and must not apply for an ID or begin using the Services.

If Users or Members utilize an ID for the Services, they must comply with these Terms and the specific rules of each Service. Except in cases of the Company’s willful misconduct or negligence, the Company bears no responsibility for the manner in which Users or Members use the Services.

Article 3 (Display and Amendment of These Terms)

The Company will make these Terms available on its website or by equivalent means and will provide them in written form upon request from Users or Members.

Under Article 548‑4 of Japan’s Civil Code concerning standard-form contracts, the Company may amend the Terms if:

(a) the amendment aligns with the general interests of Users and Members, or

(b) the amendment is reasonable and does not contradict the intended purpose of these Terms.

In such cases, the Company will announce the amendments—including content changes and effective dates—via its website or equivalent methods, and will notify existing ID holders in writing.

For amendments under sub‑paragraph (b) above, the Company will notify Users and Members before the effective date using the aforementioned methods.

 

Chapter 2: Regarding IDs, etc.

Article 4 (Obtaining an ID)

 

Users/Members must complete the Company’s prescribed registration process to obtain an ID. They must provide truthful and accurate information when registering, and ensure there are no errors or omissions in those details.

The Company reserves the right to refuse registration in cases including, but not limited to:

(i) Provided information is false or incomplete;

(ii) The applicant is under 18, of limited legal capacity, or has markedly impaired judgment;

(iii) The Company believes the applicant has ties to any anti-social group;

(iv) The applicant or an associate has violated these Terms in the past;

(v) The Company deems registration inappropriate.

The Company is not obligated to disclose reasons for refusal.

Article 5 (Changes to Registration Information)

Users/Members must promptly update their registration information if any changes occur, ensuring the information remains truthful and accurate.

If Users/Members fail to update their information and suffer any disadvantage, the Company shall not be held responsible.

 

Article 6 (ID Management)

Each User/Member may hold only one ID; sharing or linking with multiple IDs is prohibited.

Users/Members must properly manage their ID and must not lend, transfer, sell, or allow third parties to use it.

The Company reserves the right to assume that any use of Services with a valid ID is by the ID holder themselves.

If an ID is leaked, lost, or used by a third party, the User/Member must contact the Company immediately and follow subsequent instructions.

Users/Members are responsible for issues arising from inadequate ID management or unauthorized use, except in cases of the Company’s willful misconduct or negligence.

 

Article 7 (ID Deletion or Suspension)

Users/Members may request ID deletion by following the Company’s specified procedure.

Without prior notice, the Company may suspend or delete an ID or restrict access to Services if:

(i) the criteria in Article 4 (2) or Article 19 (1) apply;

(ii) the registration information is found false;

(iii) no use of the ID or Services occurs for over three months;

(iv) the User/Member fails to respond to the Company’s inquiries for over 30 days.

The Company bears no responsibility for damages resulting from such suspension or deletion. If an active contract is terminated under these conditions, no refunds will be provided, except in cases of the Company’s willful misconduct, negligence, or legal obligation. The Company may claim damages accordingly.

Users/Members acknowledge that deletion of their ID results in the loss of all associated rights and information.

 

Article 8 (Handling of Personal Information)

The Company will handle personal data included in user registration and other data submitted by Users/Members in accordance with its separately established Privacy Policy and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

 

Chapter 3: About the Services and Content

Article 9 (System Environment, etc.)

 

The required operating environments for accessing Company Services using devices will be indicated on the Service

pages.

Users/Members acknowledge that Services may not function properly outside of recommended environments and agree to provide such environments themselves.

Users/Members are responsible for any costs related to internet connection and environment maintenance.

Users/Members agree that Service usage may be limited by device count, and even in recommended environments, they may not be able to access all content depending on device or network conditions.

 

Article 10 (Payments)

All payments for Services must be made through payment methods designated by the Company (as of July 21, 2023: PayPal, Stripe, or credit card).

Users/Members must comply with terms set by the payment providers used. Any disputes between Users/Members and payment providers must be resolved directly between them, without Company involvement, except where required by law.

 

Article 11 (Service Fees for Content)

Users/Members may access content by paying the applicable fees via authorized payment methods.

A contract for content use is considered concluded at the earliest of: payment completion; delivery of a confirmation email; or commencement of content use. Except in cases of the Company’s misconduct, negligence, or legal requirement, no refunds or cancellations will be permitted once the contract is concluded.

 

Article 12 (Reservations and Cancellations)

Users/Members may reserve specified non-content Services via the Company’s reservation system.

Reservation contracts are confirmed six weeks prior to the service start date—or immediately if booked within six weeks—and payment must follow. Except in cases of the Company’s misconduct, negligence, or legal requirements, no cancellations or refunds will be accepted after conclusion.

To cancel a reservation, Users/Members must complete the cancellation procedure before six weeks prior to the service start date. Contracts already confirmed cannot be canceled.

Unless canceled in accordance with Article 12 (3), the agreed fee is due six weeks prior to service start.

For interpretation with a local guide or Japanese-language programs, the User/Member must enroll in insurance that meets Company standards. Failure to do so by service start time will be treated as User‐cancellation—no refunds will be issued, and the Company assumes no liability, except in cases of its own misconduct or legal requirements.

If a User/Member meets any criteria under Article 4 (2) or Article 19 (1), or if their registration is found false during use, the Company may terminate the contract immediately under Article 7 (2). Any damages incurred will not merit refund, except in cases covered above; the Company may claim damages.

 

Article 13 (License Grants and Restrictions)

All copyrights, intellectual property rights, portrait and publicity rights, personality rights, and ownership rights across Services and related content belong to the Company or third‑party rights holders. Users/Members may not transfer, inherit, lend, or otherwise dispose of these rights.

References to “purchase,” “sell,” “provide,” or similar terms do not transfer any ownership or intellectual property rights to Users/Members. Users/Members only receive a non‑exclusive license to use the content under these Terms.

 

Article 14–16 (Service Suspension & Disclaimer)

 

Article 14: The Company may suspend or interrupt service for maintenance, faults, natural disasters, or other reasons. It is not liable for resulting damages unless caused by its willful misconduct or gross negligence.

 

Article 15: The Company may modify or terminate Services at its discretion, with reasonable prior notice. It bears no liability for any damages arising therefrom.

 

Article 16: Services are provided “as is,” without any warranty regarding accuracy, reliability, usefulness, legal compliance, or fitness for any purpose. The Company is not liable for any damage caused by use or inability to use the Service unless due to its intentional or unlawful acts. Damages are capped at the amount paid by the User/Member under the relevant transaction.

 

Article 14 (Service Suspension, Termination, and Changes)

The Company may, without prior notice, suspend or interrupt the Services in whole or in part for any of the following reasons:

(i) Regular or emergency maintenance or system updates

(ii) System malfunction, damage from hacking or cyber-attacks

(iii) Natural disasters such as earthquakes, lightning, fires, power outages, or other force majeure events

(iv) Suspension or termination of services by telecommunications carriers or internet service providers

(v) When the Company deems it necessary for operational or technical reasons

The Company shall not be held responsible for any disadvantage or damage suffered by Users or Members due to such suspension, interruption, or changes to the Services, unless caused by the Company’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.

Article 15 (Changes to and Termination of Services)

The Company may modify or discontinue all or part of the Services at its discretion. In such cases, Users and Members will be notified in advance through appropriate means. The Company assumes no liability for any resulting damages unless caused by its willful misconduct or gross negligence.

Article 16 (Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability)

The Company makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, usefulness, legality, or fitness for a particular purpose of the Services or any content provided.

The Company is not liable for any damages suffered by Users or Members due to:

(i) Use or inability to use the Services

(ii) Unauthorized access or alterations to data

(iii) Any other damages related to the Services

Except where such damages are caused by the Company’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.

Even in cases where the Company is liable for damages under the above, compensation will be limited to the total amount paid by the User or Member for the transaction in question.

Chapter 4: Prohibited Conduct

Article 17 (Prohibited Acts)

Users and Members shall not engage in any of the following when using the Services:

Acts that violate laws, ordinances, public order, or good morals

Criminal acts or acts linked to criminal activities

Providing false or misleading information

Unauthorized reproduction, duplication, distribution, transmission, or modification of content or intellectual property

Acts that infringe upon the rights, property, privacy, or honor of the Company, other Users, Members, or third parties

Disrupting the operation of the Services or damaging the Company’s reputation

Using the Services for business purposes without prior approval

Accessing the Services by unauthorized means

Impersonating another person or entity

Acts deemed inappropriate by the Company

Article 18 (Responsibility for Damages and Compensation)

If a User or Member violates these Terms and causes damage to the Company or a third party, they shall compensate for any resulting losses or damages (including legal and administrative costs) at their own expense.

Article 19 (Termination of Use)

The Company may immediately restrict or terminate a User or Member’s use of the Services without prior notice if they:

Fall under any of the categories in Article 4(2)

Commit any of the prohibited acts listed in Article 17

Violate any other provisions of these Terms

Are otherwise deemed by the Company as inappropriate for use of the Services

In such cases, the Company bears no responsibility for any resulting damages.

Chapter 5: Miscellaneous

Article 20 (Communication and Notices)

Notices from the Company to Users or Members shall be made by posting on the website or through other means deemed appropriate by the Company. Unless otherwise specified, such notices shall take effect at the time of posting.

Article 21 (No Transfer of Rights or Obligations)

Users and Members may not transfer, assign, pledge, or otherwise dispose of their status or any rights or obligations under these Terms to a third party without the Company’s prior written consent.

Article 22 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction)

These Terms shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of Japan.

Any disputes arising from or related to these Terms shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Nagoya District Court in the first instance.

Article 23 (Language Priority and Severability)

In the event of any discrepancy between the Japanese and English versions of these Terms, the Japanese version shall prevail.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect, and the invalid provision shall be replaced by a valid and enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original.