Privacy Policy
Last updated: May 2026
1. Introduction
Japademy is committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about how we collect, use, and share it. This Privacy Policy explains our practices across all Japademy services, including our online courses, private lessons, video courses, and in-person courses.
Please read this policy carefully. By using the Japademy website at japademy.com or purchasing any of our services, you confirm that you have read and understood how we handle your personal information.
2. Who We Are
Japademy operates through two separate legal entities. The entity responsible for your personal data depends on the service you use.
For all online services — including Live Online Courses, JLPT Prep Courses, Private Lessons, and Video Courses — your contract is with:
Japademy Japanese Learning Inc.
Incorporated in Alberta, Canada
Business Identification Number: 747504827
Contact: hello@japademy.com
For Yokosuka In-Person Courses — your contract is with:
合同会社JAPADEMY (Godo Kaisha JAPADEMY)
Incorporated in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Company Registration Number: 3021003017357
Contact: hello@japademy.com
Where this policy refers to "Japademy," "we," "us," or "our," it refers to whichever entity acts as the data controller for the service you use. Both entities operate under this shared policy and apply the same standards of data protection.
The two entities share certain infrastructure and operational tools. Where data is exchanged between them, this is governed by a formal intercompany agreement and is described further in Section 8.
3. Personal Data We Collect
We collect the following categories of personal data, depending on how you interact with us:
Identity data: Your full name, and where relevant your country of residence and time zone.
Contact data: Your email address, and your phone number if you provide it when booking a trial lesson or contacting us directly.
Transaction data: Details of products and services you have purchased, the amounts paid, dates of purchase, and payment reference numbers. We do not store your full card details — payment card information is processed and stored securely by our payment processor.
Learning data: Your course level, lesson attendance, learning progress, teacher notes, and any feedback you provide or receive in connection with your enrollment.
Booking data: Lesson scheduling information, including preferred times, teacher assignments, and booking history for private lessons.
Communication data: Emails, messages, and any other correspondence you send to us, including feedback, complaints, and support requests.
Marketing and consent data: Your preferences regarding marketing communications, records of consent given or withdrawn, and records of any opt-outs.
Technical data: Your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and information about how you navigate and interact with the Website, collected automatically when you visit.
Cookie data: Information collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies, as described in Section 6.
We do not collect sensitive personal data such as health information, racial or ethnic origin, or political opinions, and we ask that you do not send us such information.
4. How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data through the following means:
Directly from you, when you: create an account, purchase a service, complete an enrolment form, book a trial lesson, fill in a feedback form, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us by email or through the Website.
Automatically, when you visit the Website. Our website uses cookies, analytics tools, and advertising pixels that collect technical and behavioural data as you browse. See Section 6 for full details.
From third parties, in limited circumstances — for example, when a parent or guardian contacts us to enroll a minor, or when a payment processor confirms a transaction.
5. How We Use Your Data and Our Legal Basis for Doing So
We use your personal data for the following purposes. Where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies — that is, for users located in the European Economic Area — we identify the legal basis for each use.
To deliver our services. We use your identity, contact, transaction, learning, and booking data to process your enrollment, schedule and deliver lessons, provide access to course materials, and communicate with you about your course. (Legal basis: performance of a contract with you.)
To process payments. We use your transaction data to confirm and record payments, issue receipts, and handle refund requests. (Legal basis: performance of a contract; compliance with legal obligations.)
To maintain financial and tax records. We are required by law in both Canada and Japan to retain records of commercial transactions for specified periods. (Legal basis: compliance with legal obligations.)
To improve our services. We use aggregated learning data, feedback, and technical data to understand how our courses perform, identify areas for improvement, and develop new products. Where possible, this analysis is conducted on anonymised or aggregated data that cannot identify you. (Legal basis: our legitimate interests in improving and developing our business.)
To send you marketing communications. With your consent, we may send you emails about new courses, promotions, language learning tips, and Japademy news. You can withdraw consent at any time. (Legal basis: your consent.)
To manage our relationship with you. We use your communication data to respond to enquiries, handle complaints, and keep records of our interactions. (Legal basis: performance of a contract; our legitimate interests in managing our business.)
To operate our advertising campaigns. We use technical data and, where you have consented to cookies, behavioural data to show you relevant advertising on third-party platforms such as social media and search engines. (Legal basis: your consent via cookie preferences, and our legitimate interests in promoting our services.)
To protect against fraud and misuse. We may use technical and transaction data to detect and prevent fraudulent activity. (Legal basis: our legitimate interests in protecting our business and users.)
Purposes of Use under Japanese Law (APPI). For users whose data is processed by 合同会社JAPADEMY, we use your personal information for the following purposes pursuant to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (個人情報の保護に関する法律): providing and managing in-person course services; communicating with students and their parents or guardians; processing payments; maintaining business records required by law; and improving our courses and operations.
6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
What cookies are. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow websites to remember your preferences and understand how you interact with them.
The types of cookies we use:
Essential cookies are strictly necessary for the Website to function. They enable core features such as page navigation, secure login, and shopping cart functionality. You cannot opt out of these cookies without affecting how the Website operates. Session cookies of this type are automatically deleted when you close your browser.
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the Website — which pages are visited most, where users come from, and how they navigate between pages. This data is collected in aggregate and is used to improve the Website. These cookies persist for up to 24 months.
Marketing and advertising cookies are set by us and by third-party advertising platforms to track the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and to show you relevant advertisements on other websites and social media. These cookies may link your activity on our Website to profiles maintained by advertising platforms.
Functionality cookies remember your preferences (such as language settings) to provide a more personalised experience.
Managing cookies. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse new cookies, accept or reject cookies from specific websites, and delete cookies already stored. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Website. Detailed instructions are available in your browser's help documentation.
For marketing and advertising cookies, you may also opt out through the settings provided by the relevant advertising platform.
Third-party tracking. The Website may include pixels, scripts, or other tracking technologies operated by third-party advertising and analytics providers. These technologies allow those providers to collect data about your visits to our Website and other websites for advertising and measurement purposes. Their use is governed by the privacy policies of those third parties.
7. Sharing Your Personal Data
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only in the following circumstances:
Between Japademy entities. Japademy Japanese Learning Inc. and 合同会社JAPADEMY share operational infrastructure and certain tools. Where necessary for the delivery of services, data may be accessed by both entities under a formal intercompany agreement that requires each entity to handle data in accordance with this policy.
With service providers. We share personal data with third-party companies that help us operate our business. These include providers of: payment processing services; email and marketing communications platforms; video conferencing tools used for online and in-person lessons; learning management and course hosting platforms; student booking and scheduling systems; website analytics; and advertising platforms. These providers act on our behalf as data processors and are required by contract to handle your data only as directed by us and in accordance with applicable law.
With your teachers. Your name, course level, learning progress, and relevant learning notes may be shared with the teacher assigned to your lessons. Teachers are bound by confidentiality obligations.
For legal and regulatory purposes. We may disclose personal data where required to do so by law, regulation, court order, or at the request of a government authority in Canada or Japan.
In connection with a business transfer. If Japademy is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you in advance of any such transfer and any change to this policy that results from it.
We do not share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
8. International Data Transfers
Japademy serves students globally, and your personal data may be transferred and stored in countries other than your own. Specifically:
Between Canada and Japan. Data relating to Yokosuka In-Person Course students may be processed using tools and infrastructure hosted or managed by Japademy Japanese Learning Inc. in Canada. This cross-border transfer between our two entities is governed by our intercompany agreement, which requires equivalent data protection standards to those described in this policy.
To third-party service providers. Many of the third-party tools we use are operated by companies based in the United States or other countries. When we transfer your data to these providers, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place — including contractual obligations that require the recipient to protect your data to standards equivalent to those required in your home country.
For EEA residents. Transfers of personal data from the European Economic Area to countries not deemed adequate by the European Commission are made on the basis of Standard Contractual Clauses or other approved transfer mechanisms under GDPR.
If you would like further information about the specific safeguards in place for international transfers of your data, please contact us at hello@japademy.com.
9. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, and to comply with our legal obligations. Our standard retention periods are:
Data type & Retention period
- Transaction and payment records: 7 years from the date of transaction (tax compliance in Canada and Japan)
- Course enrolment and learning records: Duration of enrolment plus 2 years after completion
- Communications and support records: 3 years from the date of last contact
- Marketing contact data: 3 years from your last interaction with us, or until you opt out — whichever is earlier
- Website analytics data: 24 months on a rolling basis
- Parental consent records (for minors): Duration of the minor's enrolment plus 3 years
- Data breach records: 5 years
When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymise it. Where anonymisation is used, the resulting data cannot be used to identify you and may be retained indefinitely for statistical purposes.
10. Children's Privacy
Students aged 14 to 17. We welcome students in this age group with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, who must make the purchase on their behalf. By completing a purchase for a minor, the purchasing adult confirms they consent to this policy on the minor's behalf and accept responsibility for the minor's participation.
Students under 14. We only enrol students under 14 on a case-by-case basis, following direct email communication with a parent or legal guardian. We collect and use the minor's personal data (name, email, course details) solely to deliver the service and as described in this policy. We retain a record of parental consent as confirmation of the lawful basis for processing.
Students under 13 (US residents only). For students under 13 who are resident in the United States, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires verifiable parental consent before we collect personal information. We satisfy this requirement through the email consent process described above. We do not knowingly collect personal data from US-resident children under 13 without such consent.
If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal data from a child without appropriate consent, please contact us immediately at hello@japademy.com. We will promptly investigate and delete the data if confirmed.
11. Your Rights
You have the following rights in relation to your personal data. The specific rights available to you may depend on your country of residence and the applicable law.
Right of access. You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will respond within 10 business days of receiving your request and aim to resolve all requests within 30 business days. We do not charge a fee for access requests, though we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for excessive or repetitive requests.
Right to rectification. If your personal data is inaccurate or incomplete, you may ask us to correct it.
Right to erasure. You may ask us to delete your personal data. We will comply unless we are required by law to retain it (for example, for tax records) or have another legitimate basis to do so.
Right to restriction. You may ask us to suspend processing of your personal data in certain circumstances — for example, while you contest its accuracy or our right to process it.
Right to data portability. Where we process your data on the basis of your consent or to perform a contract, and processing is carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to object. You may object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our legal basis, and we will stop processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests. You have an absolute right to object to processing for direct marketing purposes.
Right to withdraw consent. Where we rely on your consent to process your personal data (for example, for marketing emails), you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@japademy.com. We will respond within 10 business days.
12. Marketing Communications
We may send you emails about new courses, promotions, language learning content, and Japademy updates, but only where you have consented to receive them — either at the point of purchase, through our newsletter sign-up, or through another explicit consent mechanism.
You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by:
- Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email we send; or
- Contacting us at hello@japademy.com.
Opting out of marketing communications does not affect our ability to send you service-related communications — such as enrolment confirmations, lesson reminders, and payment receipts — which are necessary for the delivery of services you have purchased.
13. Data Security
We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include encrypted data transmission, restricted access controls, and regular review of our data handling practices.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we are committed to protecting your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
In the event that we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you as soon as practicable and take all steps required by applicable law, including notifying the relevant regulatory authority where required.
14. Third-Party Websites
The Japademy website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, applicable law, or data handling practices. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Where appropriate, we will notify you by email.
Any revised Privacy Policy will be effective from the date it is posted to the Website. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
16. Contact Us
For any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, please contact us at:
We aim to respond to all enquiries within 10 business days and to resolve complaints within 30 business days.
