Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Japan, Apparently ("we," "us," or "the site") handles personal information when you visit japanapparently.com. We've tried to write it in plain English. If anything's unclear, email us at hello@japanapparently.com.

This document is a general policy template, not legal advice. We are a one-person editorial site and aim for transparent, minimal data handling.

1. What we collect

We collect the smallest amount of data we can while still running the site:

• Server logs — IP address, user agent, requested URL, and timestamp. Used for debugging and abuse prevention. Retained up to 30 days.
• Analytics data — anonymized page views, referrers, country-level location, device type. Collected by Google Analytics and/or a privacy-respecting analytics provider.
• Advertising data — collected by Google AdSense (see Section 3).
• Affiliate click data — when you click an outbound affiliate link (Klook, Booking.com, Sakura Mobile, GetYourGuide, Amazon Associates, Rakuten, etc.), the third-party network may set its own cookie to attribute the referral to us. We do not see your purchase details — only aggregate commission reports.
• Newsletter sign-ups — if you subscribe to the Friday digest, we collect your email address (handled by Beehiiv). You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email.
• Contact form submissions — name, email, and message you choose to send us.

2. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies for three purposes:

• Strictly necessary — keeping the site working (e.g. CDN, language preference).
• Analytics — understanding which pages people read.
• Advertising — Google AdSense uses cookies to serve ads.

You can clear or block cookies in your browser at any time. If you're in the EU/EEA, UK, or a region with similar consent laws, you'll see a consent banner before non-essential cookies are set. You can change your choices later via the "Cookie settings" link in the footer.

3. Third-party services

We rely on the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy.

• Cloudflare — CDN, DDoS protection, edge analytics. (policy)
• Google AdSense & Google Analytics — display ads and traffic analytics. Google may use cookies to serve personalized ads based on your prior visits to this and other sites. You can opt out of personalized advertising at Google Ads Settings. (policy)
• Beehiiv — newsletter delivery and subscriber management. (policy)
• Affiliate networks — Klook, Booking.com, Sakura Mobile, GetYourGuide, Amazon Associates, Rakuten Affiliate Network. They may set referral cookies when you click outbound links.

4. Legal bases (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area or the UK, we process your data under:

• Consent — for non-essential cookies, advertising, and email subscriptions.
• Legitimate interests — for security logs and aggregate analytics.
• Contract — for delivering the newsletter you signed up to.

5. Your rights

Depending on where you live (GDPR in the EU/UK, CCPA/CPRA in California, similar laws elsewhere), you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate data.
• Delete your data ("right to be forgotten").
• Object to or restrict processing.
• Withdraw consent at any time.
• Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (CCPA — we do not sell personal information in the traditional sense, but advertising cookies may qualify as "sharing" under California law).
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@japanapparently.com. We aim to respond within 30 days.

6. Children

This site is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU/EEA per GDPR-K). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us and we will delete it.

7. Data retention

Server logs: up to 30 days. Analytics: up to 26 months (Google Analytics default). Newsletter subscriptions: until you unsubscribe. Contact form messages: up to 24 months unless an ongoing conversation requires longer.

8. International transfers

Our hosting, analytics, and advertising providers may process data in the United States, the EU, and other regions. These providers commit to standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards where required.

9. Security

The site is served over HTTPS via Cloudflare. We rely on reputable third parties (Beehiiv, Google) for the storage of personal information they collect on our behalf. No method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. The "Last updated" date below will reflect the latest revision. Material changes will be announced in a Friday digest if you're a subscriber.

11. Contact

Questions about privacy? Email hello@japanapparently.com or use the contact page.