Privacy Policy

The Wikitopia Institute, ISH ("Institute") is committed to your privacy. This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes how the Institute, in providing the services, products, and content on this website (collectively, the "Service"), handles information about the users of the Service ("Users", or individually, "User").

If you have any questions regarding this Policy, or if you wish to exercise your rights as a User described in this Policy, please contact Yuichiro Takeuchi (Director, Wikitopia Institute) at this email address.

1.   Information We Collect

• 1.   Through use of the Service, the Institute collects the following information provided by the User based on their consent:
• 1.   Email address and password that the User registers as part of their account information
• 2.   Information that the User uploads to the Service with the intent to publicly share, such as post data (text, images, audio, location, etc.), profile data (username, avatar, etc.), comments on posts by other Users, etc.
• 3.   Information submitted by the User while communicating with the Institute regarding the Service
• 2.   In addition to the above, through use of the Service, the Institute automatically collects the following information:
• 1.   Information about the device that the User uses to access the Service, such as IP address, browser type, operating system, etc.
• 2.   Information about the User's history of use of the Service, such as login history, search history, page view history, etc.

2.   How We Use the Information

• 1.   The Institute will use the collected information about Users for the following purposes, to the extent necessary in order to pursue its legitimate interests:
• 1.   For the provision, operation, correction of defects, and improvement of the Service
• 2.   To communicate with Users about maintenance schedules, feature updates, and other information regarding the Service
• 3.   To respond to inquiries from Users
• 4.   To identify Users who have violated the Terms of Service or attempt to use the Service for unauthorized or inappropriate purposes, and refuse their use of the Service
• 5.   For regulatory compliance
• 6.   For other purposes related to the above
• 2.   In addition, the Institute will use information that the User has uploaded to the Service with the intent to publicly share for the following purposes, to the extent necessary in order to pursue its legitimate interests:
• 1.   For publicity of the Service
• 2.   For academic research and contribution to society
• 3.   For for-profit and non-profit activities contributing to city development and urbanism
• 4.   For other purposes related to the above

3.   Sharing Information with Third Parties

• 1.   The Institute, in operating the Service, employs third-party service providers to perform some necessary functions on its behalf. The Institute may grant such service providers with access to information about Users, to the extent needed to perform the functions commissioned by the Institute. These service providers are not permitted to use information about Users for purposes other than performing the functions commissioned by the Institute.
• 2.   The Institute may provide personal information about Users to third parties, in cases where the Institute determines it to be necessary for regulatory compliance, or appropriate in order to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Institute, Users, or third parties.
• 3.   In cases where the Institute's business is transferred to another business entity due to a corporate merger, an acquisition, or other events, information about Users will constitute a part of transferred assets.
• 4.   The Institute may share information that the User has uploaded to the Service with the intent to publicly share with the Institute's partners, for purposes described in this Policy. In such cases, information shared with partners will be subject to the same protections as stipulated in this Policy.
• 5.   Information that the User has uploaded to the Service with the intent to publicly share can be viewed not only by the Institute, but by anyone over the Internet. The Institute cannot prevent others from viewing such publicly shared information.

4.   International Transfer of Information

• 1.   The Institute, in providing the Service, may transfer information about Users to businesses or data centers in the United States, Japan, and other countries and regions. In such cases, the Institute ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights of Users based on the receiving country's data protection laws. For Users located within the European Economic Area (EEA), in cases where information about Users is transferred outside of the EEA, the Institute makes efforts to provide information about Users with similar safeguards as required by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

5.   Security

• 1.   The Institute will take appropriate security measures to protect information about Users and to prevent their misuse, loss, or tampering.

6.   Data Retainment

• 1.   Regarding information provided by the User based on their consent, such as email address, username, etc., the Institute will store such information as long as the User's account is active.
• 2.   Regarding information automatically collected by the Institute through use of the Service, such as IP address, login history, etc., the Institute will store such information for a maximum of 24 months.

7.   Cookies

• 1.   The Service uses cookies. Cookies refer to digital files that are saved in the browsers that Users use to access the Service. The Institute only uses cookies that are strictly necessary for Users to use the Service.
• 2.   Most browsers accept cookies by default. Users can choose to block cookies by changing their browser settings. However, some functions of the Service may become unusable if cookies are blocked.

8.   Age Requirements

• 1.   Children under the age of 13 may not use the Service.
• 2.   In addition to the above, the User must be old enough to be able to legally consent to the processing of their personal data in their country. In some countries, the Institute may allow the User's parent or legal guardian to consent to the processing on the User's behalf.

9.   User Rights

• 1.   Regarding information about the User collected by the Institute, which was provided by the User based on their consent, the User has the right to revoke their consent at any time.
• 2.   The User has the right to request access to information about the User collected by the Institute.
• 3.   The User has the right to request modifications to information about the User collected by the Institute.
• 4.   The User has the right to request deletion of information about the User collected by the Institute.
• 5.   The User has the right to object to the Institute's processing of information about the User that it conducts in order to pursue its legitimate interests. The Institute will halt processing of the information about the User, unless there are urgent and legitimate reasons not to do so.
• 6.   The User has the right to request restrictions to the processing of information about Users collected by the Institute.
• 7.   Regarding information about the User collected by the Institute, which was provided by the User based on their consent, the User has the right to request the Institute to transmit the information to the User or third parties. The Institute will transmit the information about the User, to the User or specified third parties, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• 8.   The User can exercise the above rights free of charge. The Institute will notify the User of progress within three months of the request.
• 9.   The Institute may choose not to respond to the User's request, in cases where the request is excessive or clearly baseless, or in cases where the same request has been submitted many times in succession.

10.   Revisions to the Privacy Policy

• 1.   This Policy may be revised without notice to Users, except for matters stipulated by law or in this Policy.
• 2.   The revised Policy will take effect from the time it is posted on this website. However, in cases where the Institute deems the revision to be material, the Institute will notify Users, and provide Users with an opportunity to review the revised Policy before continuing to use the Service.