WELC Language Services (hereinafter referred to as "Party A") establishes the following Terms of Service (hereinafter referred to as "Terms") regarding the use of the online Japanese language education services (hereinafter referred to as "Service") provided by Party A through www.welcjp.com. Applicants and users of the Service (hereinafter referred to as "Party B") shall use the Service in accordance with these Terms and the Privacy Policy separately established by Party A.

Article 1 (Scope of Application)

1. The scope of these Terms includes not only Party A's website (hereinafter referred to as "Site") but also content and information transmitted by Party A to Party B through various means including email.

2. In cases where separate terms (hereinafter referred to as "Individual Contract") are established between Party A and Party B, the provisions of the Individual Contract shall take precedence.

Article 2 (Service Registration)

1. Party B shall register for the Service through means specified by Party A. In registering for the Service, Party B agrees to and shall comply with the following:

(1) Use of Google Meet for online lessons and individual consultations

(2) Maintaining communication environment suitable for using the Service

(3) Payment of usage fees according to payment methods and procedures specified by Party A

(4) Consent to the handling of personal information as stipulated in Article 3

2. Registration for the Service shall be completed upon notification of acceptance by Party A via email. However, Party A may restrict the use of the Service until confirming payment from Party B.

3. Party A may refuse registration applications or cancel completed registrations if Party B falls under any of the following:

(1) Does not exist or is suspected of not existing

(2) Registration contains false information, errors, or omissions

(3) Has previously had registration canceled by Party A

(4) Credit card or other payment service specified during registration is unusable

(5) Other cases deemed inappropriate by Party A

Article 3 (Handling of Registration Information)

1. Party A shall use Party B's registration information for the following purposes:

(1) Provision, operation, and improvement of the Service

(2) Management of lesson reservations, changes, and cancellations

(3) Customization and optimization of lesson content

(4) Billing and payment processing

(5) Sending notifications and announcements related to the Service

(6) Providing customer support

(7) Creation of statistical data related to the Service (limited to forms that cannot identify individuals)

2. Party A shall appropriately manage Party B's personal information in accordance with laws, guidelines, etc., regarding personal information protection, based on the following policies:

(1) Implementation of appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access, loss, destruction, falsification, leakage, etc., of personal information

(2) When outsourcing personal information handling, establishing selection criteria for contractors and conducting necessary and appropriate supervision

(3) Not providing personal information to third parties without consent of the individual, except as required by law

(4) Developing internal regulations regarding personal information handling and conducting employee education and training

3. Party A shall not disclose Party B's registration information to third parties without prior consent from Party B, except in the following cases:

(1) When disclosure is required by law

(2) When disclosure is requested by public institutions

(3) When providing information to third parties commissioned to provide part of the Service

4. Party B shall strictly manage registered information.

5. Party B shall bear responsibility for any damages arising from forgetting, losing, or inadequately managing registration information, and Party A shall bear no responsibility.

6. Party B may request disclosure, correction, deletion, or suspension of use of their personal information. Such requests shall follow procedures established by Party A.

7. Regarding matters concerning handling of registration information not specified in these Terms, Party A shall follow its Privacy Policy.

Article 4 (Changes to Registration Information)

Party B shall promptly notify Party A via email of any changes to registration information. Party A shall bear no responsibility for any disadvantages or other burdens incurred by Party B due to failure to report changes in registration information.

Article 5 (Prohibited Actions)

1. Party B shall not engage in or attempt to engage in the following actions when using the Service:

(1) Transfer, lend, buy, sell, change the name on, establish security interests in, or provide as collateral the right to use the Service

(2) Infringe upon Party A's honor, credit, copyright, patent rights, utility model rights, design rights, trademark rights, portrait rights, or privacy

(3) Illegal acts or acts contrary to public order and morals

(4) Acts that interfere with Service operations

(5) Reselling the Service, or providing it to a third party for commercial gain. This does not apply to an organization purchasing lessons for its own employees, or to a person purchasing lessons as a gift under Article 6.

(6) Soliciting or encouraging illegal acts from Service instructors

(7) Acts causing economic or psychological damage or disadvantage to Service instructors

(8) Criminal acts or acts connected to criminal activity

(9) Harassment of instructors or disruptive behavior that interferes with lesson progress. The determination of harassment shall be made by Party A after fact-finding

(10) Probing instructors for confidential information not generally disclosed by Party A

(11) Recording, saving, reproducing all or part of the Service by any means or method, including taking screenshots, except with prior written permission from Party A

(12) Soliciting instructors for religious, political, or multilevel marketing activities

(13) Using abusive language, threats, obscene expressions, discriminatory acts, or interfering with operations toward Party A or instructors

(14) Other acts deemed inappropriate by Party A

2. If Party B engages in any of the above actions, Party A may cancel Party B's registration and, if Party A suffers any damages, take legal action including claiming compensation.

Article 6 (Service Regulations)

1. Party B shall provide their own computer, internet environment, headset, and webcam (optional) necessary for taking lessons and individual consultations.

2. Fees paid by Party B to Party A shall not be refunded for any reason, except as otherwise provided in specific course offerings (such as the 'Satisfaction Guarantee' in Article 6.15), in which case the terms of those specific offerings shall prevail.

3. Each lesson shall be 55 minutes long. Unless otherwise specified, lesson duration shall not be changed or interrupted under any circumstances.

4. Lesson cancellations and rescheduling shall be governed by the following:

(1) Party B may reschedule a lesson to another time agreed upon by Party A if cancellation is made at least 1 hour before the scheduled lesson start time. There is no limit to the number of cancellations.

(2) If cancelled less than 1 hour before the lesson start time, the lesson shall be considered used and cannot be rescheduled.

(3) Rescheduled lessons must be conducted within the course contract period specified in Article 6, Paragraph 10. Any rescheduled lessons not completed by the end of the contract period shall expire, and Party B's right to take these lessons shall be terminated.

(4) Rescheduled lessons shall be arranged at times mutually convenient for both Party A and Party B, and may not necessarily be available at times preferred by Party B.

(5) Rescheduled lessons may be further rescheduled according to the provisions of (1) in this paragraph.

5. If Party A cancels a lesson due to their circumstances (such as instructor's communication device issues or health conditions), the lesson shall be rescheduled to another time agreed upon by Party B.

6. If a lesson is interrupted for more than 5 minutes after its start due to Party A's circumstances (such as communication issues or health conditions), Party B shall be granted one additional lesson. No refunds shall be provided for lesson interruptions due to Party B's circumstances.

7. If Party B fails to start the lesson within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time, regardless of whether they respond to inquiries from Party A (via email, etc.), Party A may consider Party B absent and end the lesson.

8. Lessons shall be conducted at the same day and time each week as agreed upon at the start of the course. However, the day and time may be changed at any time through mutual agreement, regardless of which party initiates the request.

9. Lesson reservations for the next session shall be considered confirmed when Party B receives the lesson report email from Party A containing the next lesson's date and time.

10. Course contract periods vary depending on the number of lessons included. All lessons in a package must be completed within the expiration period specified on the sales page for that specific course. Party B's right to take any lessons not completed within the contract period shall be forfeited.

11. Party A may outsource parts of Service-related operations as necessary.

12. Party B agrees in advance that Party A may use comments written by Party B about the Service and lessons for promotional and advertising purposes, including posting on the Site.

13. Party A shall bear no responsibility for non-delivery of emails due to Party B's incorrect email address registration, errors, or failure to manage spam settings or reception settings.

14. Regarding third-party attendance and participation in lessons:

(1) Party B must obtain prior approval from Party A to have a third party attend lessons

(2) If a third party attends without approval, Party A may immediately terminate the lesson, and such lesson shall be considered completed

(3) Even approved third parties may not participate in lessons (speaking, asking questions, etc.) unless specially permitted by Party A

(4) Party B shall ensure third parties comply with these Terms and shall bear full responsibility for their actions

(5) Attendance of minor children is permitted without prior approval as long as it does not interfere with the lesson. However, Party B shall be responsible for managing the minor's behavior

15. Satisfaction Guarantee

The first-session satisfaction guarantee applies to all private coaching engagements and to The Family Table Course. Such request must be submitted to Party A via email within 24 hours after the completion of the first session. Upon issuance of a refund, Party B’s access and rights to any teaching materials (including course books and customized digital flashcards) shall be immediately terminated or withheld.

16. Purchases Made as a Gift. Where a third party purchases the Service for the benefit of another person, that purchaser shall be referred to as "Party C," and the following shall apply.

(1) The service contract is formed between Party A and Party B, the person who receives the lessons. Party C is the payer and is not a party to the service contract.

(2) The validity period of the package begins on the date of Party B's first lesson, and not on the date of purchase.

(3) Party B shall take the first lesson within six months of the date of purchase by Party C. If no lesson has been taken within that period, Party A may terminate the Service, and no refund shall be made.

(4) Where a refund is made under the first-session satisfaction guarantee set out in the preceding paragraph, Party A shall refund Party C, who made the payment, and not Party B.

(5) Party A shall handle the personal information of both Party C and Party B to the extent necessary to provide the Service, in accordance with Article 3.

(6) A gift may not be transferred to another person, resold, or exchanged for cash.

Article 7 (Fees and Payment)

1. Party B shall pay fees set by Party A using specified payment methods. Fees are established for each course and consultation service and must be paid in advance.

2. Party A accepts payments through designated payment services such as Stripe. Party B shall be deemed to have agreed to these Terms upon completing payment through the designated payment service.

3. Payment transactions are also subject to the terms of service of each payment service provider. Please refer to each payment service provider's terms for details.

4. Party A may revise fees due to changes in economic conditions, service content, or other circumstances.

5. When revising fees, Party A shall notify existing Party B by email at least one month before the revision date. Revised fees apply only to new course contracts and renewals made on or after that date.

6. Fee revisions shall not apply to already paid fees and shall apply only to new course contracts and renewals starting from the revision date.

7. If Party B does not accept the fee revision, they may terminate Service use by notifying Party A before the revision date. In such cases, refunds for unused lessons shall be handled according to Article 9, Paragraph 2.

Article 8 (Service Completion)

1. Upon completion of all contracted services, Party B shall lose all rights related to the Service and may not make any claims against Party A.

2. Party B shall bear all legal responsibility for any damages caused to Party A or third parties due to their actions related to the Service, even after service completion.

Article 9 (Service Changes, Interruption, or Termination)

1. Party A may change, interrupt, or terminate the Service by notifying Party B's registered email address in advance. Additionally, Party A may interrupt the Service without notice in the following unavoidable circumstances:

(1) Significant changes in domestic or international political/social conditions, war, terrorism, riots, revolution, or social unrest

(2) Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods

(3) Public health emergencies such as disease outbreaks or pandemics

(4) Major system or communication failures of internet service providers, cloud service providers, or telecommunications carriers

(5) Security threats such as cyber attacks, computer viruses, or unauthorized access

(6) Power outages or other major infrastructure failures

(7) Sudden termination or breach of contracts with third parties necessary for Service provision

(8) Service restrictions due to legislation, administrative guidance, or court orders

(9) Other serious circumstances comparable to the above where Party A determines Service continuation is significantly difficult

2. If Service is interrupted or terminated due to Party A's own circumstances, Party A shall refund the full amount corresponding to unused lessons and services to Party B.

3. Party A shall not be liable for any disadvantages or damages suffered by Party B or third parties due to Service changes, interruption, or termination beyond the refund compensation specified in the preceding paragraph.

Article 10 (Information Distribution)

Party A may distribute notifications, advertisements, and surveys to Party B via email.

Article 11 (Alternative Platforms)

1. Lessons and individual consultations are conducted using Google Meet. Where Google Meet cannot be used, or where Party B's organization requires a different platform, Zoom or Microsoft Teams may be used instead, as agreed between Party A and Party B.

2. When Zoom or Microsoft Teams is used, Party B agrees to the following:

(1) Comply with the terms of service and guidelines of the platform used

(2) Install the application, where required, and confirm that it works in Party B's own environment before the lesson

(3) Bear all costs and responsibility for installing, setting up and using the platform

(4) Join the lesson through the meeting link provided by Party A, under a display name by which Party A can identify Party B

(5) Take full responsibility when receiving files through the platform's chat function or opening URLs outside the Site

(6) Not share the meeting link with any third party. Attendance by third parties is governed by Article 6, Paragraph 14

(7) Keep the application updated to a version supported by its provider

3. Party A bears no responsibility for malfunctions or interruptions of Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and has no obligation to respond to inquiries about these services.

Article 12 (Liability for Damages)

1. If Party B violates these Terms, they shall compensate for damages at their own responsibility and expense.

2. The maximum amount of compensation for damages that Party B can claim against Party A for Service defects or deficiencies shall not exceed the amount of usage fees paid by Party B to Party A.

Article 13 (Copyright and Ownership)

1. All copyrights and ownership rights to trademarks, logos, descriptions, and content related to the Service belong to Party A. Party B shall not use such trademarks, etc., reprint them in magazines or other websites, modify them, reproduce them, or distribute them to third parties without prior express consent from Party A.

2. If Party B violates the preceding paragraph, Party A may take legal action (including warnings, criminal complaints, damage claims, injunctions, reputation recovery measures) based on copyright law, trademark law, etc.

3. Provision of Materials

The provision of teaching materials, including course books and digital flashcards, is contingent upon the continued engagement of the Services. No materials will be provided or permitted for use if a refund is issued under the Satisfaction Guarantee (Article 6.15) to protect Party A's intellectual property and customized curriculum.

Article 14 (Disclaimer)

Party B agrees in advance that Party A shall not be liable for any damages arising from or related to the following:

(1) When the Service cannot be reserved or used at a specific time desired by Party B (2) The learning effects, effectiveness, accuracy, truthfulness, etc. of the Service (3) The effectiveness, safety, and accuracy of services or teaching materials from other companies introduced or recommended by Party A in relation to the Service (4) Use of the Service outside the recommended usage environment (5) When the Service cannot be used due to malfunctions or issues with Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or services provided by Party A's partner companies (6) Damages such as virus infections caused by files received or opened at Party B's own risk as per Article 11, Paragraph 2, item (5) of these Terms (7) When the Service cannot be used due to loss or inability to use passwords, etc. due to Party B's negligence (8) The content or use of third-party websites linked from the Service not operated by Party A (9) Troubles that occur between Party B and teachers regarding matters unrelated to lessons

Article 15 (Time Display in the Service)

All times in the Service, including lesson times, course expiration dates, payment due dates, and deadlines for various applications, shall be displayed in Japan Standard Time (GMT+9:00).

Article 16 (Changes to the Terms)

1. Party A may change these Terms where the change benefits Party B, or where the change does not conflict with the purpose of the contract and is reasonable in light of the circumstances.

2. When Party A changes these Terms, Party A shall post the revised Terms and their effective date on the Service at least fourteen (14) days before that date. Where the change is material, Party A shall also notify Party B by e-mail at the address Party B has registered.

3. The revised Terms take effect on the stated effective date. If Party B does not accept the revised Terms, Party B may terminate the contract by notifying Party A before that date, and Party A shall refund the amount corresponding to any unused lessons.

4. A change to lesson fees shall not affect any lesson package purchased before the effective date of the change.

Article 17 (Language)

1. Party B shall use either Japanese or English when making inquiries or asking questions to Party A. Party A will not respond to inquiries or questions in languages other than Japanese or English, and Party B agrees in advance that Party A shall not be liable for any damages arising from or related to this.

2. These Terms are prepared in English. Where a translation of these Terms is provided, it is for reference only, and the English version shall prevail in the event of any discrepancy. Party B agrees to and acknowledges this in advance.

Article 18 (Governing Law and Exclusive Jurisdiction)

These Terms shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of Japan. Furthermore, Party A and Party B agree in advance that the court having jurisdiction over the location of Party A's head office shall have exclusive jurisdiction in the first instance over any disputes arising from or related to the Service or these Terms between Party A and Party B.