Cookie Information

Last updated: January 2026

This page explains how JP Izu uses cookies and similar technologies on our website. When you first visit our site, you'll see a cookie banner that lets you choose your preferences. You can change those preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in the banner, or by clearing your browser's local storage and refreshing the page.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your computer or mobile device. They allow websites to remember your preferences, track how you use the site, and provide functionality like keeping you logged in. Cookies are a standard technology used by virtually all websites.

In addition to cookies, we use local storage — a similar technology that stores data in your browser. We use local storage to remember your cookie preferences so we don't show you the cookie banner every time you visit.

None of our cookies contain personally identifiable information. They don't store your name, email address, or any details that could identify you personally.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Always On)

These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. They cannot be turned off because without them, the site wouldn't work. Essential cookies on JP Izu include:

These cookies do not collect any information about you for analytics or marketing purposes. They simply keep the site working.

Analytics Cookies (Optional, Off by Default)

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use our website. If you enable these, we collect anonymous information about:

This data is aggregated and anonymous. We cannot identify individual visitors from this data. We use it to understand which content is helpful to travelers and where we should focus our improvement efforts. For example, if we see that many visitors read the full onsen guide but leave the lodging page quickly, we know the lodging content needs work.

We use a privacy-focused analytics tool that does not track you across websites, does not build user profiles, and does not share data with third parties. We specifically chose this tool over more common options (like Google Analytics) because of its stronger privacy protections.

Affiliate Cookies (Optional, Off by Default)

Affiliate cookies track whether you clicked a booking partner link and whether that click resulted in a booking. These are only relevant if we add hotel booking partner links in the future, which we have no immediate plans to do.

If we do add affiliate links, these cookies would help us understand which recommendations are actually useful to travelers. They would not identify you personally and would only be activated if you specifically clicked a partner link. We would receive a small commission if you made a booking, at no extra cost to you.

Currently, this category is inactive. The toggle exists in our cookie settings for transparency and future-proofing.

How to Manage Your Cookie Preferences

When you first visit our site, a cookie banner appears at the bottom of the page. You have three options:

You can change your preferences at any time. To do this, clear your browser's local storage for jptenkiizu.com and refresh the page. The cookie banner will reappear and you can make new choices. Alternatively, you can use your browser's settings to block or delete cookies, though this may affect site functionality.

How to Block Cookies in Your Browser

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Here's how to manage cookies in common browsers:

Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data. From here you can block all cookies, block third-party cookies, or clear existing cookies.

Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security. Under "Cookies and Site Data," you can manage your cookie preferences.

Safari: Preferences > Privacy. You can block all cookies or manage existing ones.

Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies.

Note that blocking all cookies may prevent some website features from working properly, including our cookie preference storage. If you block cookies, you may see the cookie banner on every visit.

Third-Party Cookies

We do not use third-party cookies that track you across the internet. We don't use advertising networks, social media tracking pixels, or retargeting services. The cookies we set are ours alone and are not shared with other companies for their own purposes.

Our payment processor (for PDF purchases) may set cookies during the checkout process. These are necessary for secure payment processing and are governed by the processor's own privacy policy. We don't control these cookies, but we chose our payment processor partly because of their strong privacy practices.

Cookie Duration

Our cookies have the following lifespans:

Do Not Track

Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" feature that sends a signal to websites requesting that they not track your activity. Our website respects this signal. If you have Do Not Track enabled, we will not set analytics cookies regardless of your cookie banner selection. Essential cookies will still function because they're necessary for the site to work.

Changes to This Cookie Information

We may update this page from time to time to reflect changes in our cookie practices or for legal compliance. Changes will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date. If we make significant changes to how we use cookies, we'll notify you through the cookie banner on your next visit.

Cookie-Like Technologies

In addition to cookies, we use other similar technologies to store information in your browser:

Local storage: We use browser local storage to remember your cookie preferences. This is a more modern alternative to cookies that stores data directly in your browser. It holds the same information — your consent choices — and serves the same purpose. Unlike cookies, local storage data is not sent to our server with every page request.

Session storage: We may use session storage for temporary data that only needs to persist while you're actively browsing the site. This data is deleted when you close your browser tab.

Both local storage and session storage are subject to your cookie preferences. If you decline optional cookies, we do not use these technologies for analytics or tracking purposes.

First-Party vs. Third-Party Cookies

All cookies set by our website are first-party cookies — they are set by jptenkiizu.com and can only be read by jptenkiizu.com. We do not allow third-party services (advertising networks, social media platforms, analytics companies) to set cookies on our site.

This is a deliberate choice. Most websites use third-party cookies for advertising and tracking across the internet. We don't do this because we believe your browsing activity on a travel guide site is none of anyone else's business.

Cookie Consent Records

When you make a cookie choice on our site, we store that choice in your browser's local storage. This record includes which options you selected and the date of your selection. We do not store this information on our servers — it exists only in your browser. If you clear your browser data or use a different device, you'll see the cookie banner again.

We do not maintain server-side records of individual cookie consent choices. We only see aggregated analytics data (if you've opted in to analytics), which cannot be linked back to your specific consent record.

Emergency Cookie Reset

If you want to change your cookie preferences but can't access the banner or settings panel, you can reset everything by clearing local storage for jptenkiizu.com in your browser. After clearing, refresh the page and the cookie banner will reappear with default settings. Alternatively, you can email us and we'll guide you through the process.

Legal Basis for Cookie Use

Under EU and UK law, we need a legal basis to use cookies. For essential cookies, the legal basis is "legitimate interest" — these cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function, and we don't need your consent to use them. For analytics and affiliate cookies, the legal basis is "consent" — we only use these if you explicitly agree to them through the cookie banner.

If you're visiting from a jurisdiction that doesn't require cookie consent (such as the United States, where our site is primarily focused), you'll still see the cookie banner because we believe giving users control over their data is good practice regardless of legal requirements.

Contact

If you have questions about our cookie practices or need help managing your preferences, contact us at aloha@jptenkiizu.com.