Your Privacy

Last updated: January 2026

We believe privacy matters. You're visiting our site to learn about Izu, not to have your personal information collected, sold, or shared with companies you've never heard of. This privacy policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and what we do with it. We keep things simple and transparent.

What Information We Collect

When you visit JP Izu, we automatically collect some basic technical information: your IP address, browser type, operating system, the pages you view, and the time and date of your visit. This is standard information that virtually every website collects through server logs. We use it to understand how people use our site — which pages are helpful, which ones aren't, and where we need to improve.

If you contact us through our contact form, we collect your name, email address, the topic you selected, and your message. This information is sent to us via email and stored in our email system. We use it solely to respond to your inquiry. We don't add you to any mailing list unless you specifically ask us to.

If you purchase our downloadable Izu itinerary PDF, we collect your name, email address, and payment information. Payment processing is handled by our third-party payment processor — we do not store your credit card number or banking details on our servers. We receive confirmation of your payment and your contact details so we can deliver your purchase and provide customer support if needed.

We do not collect: your physical address (unless you provide it voluntarily), your phone number, your date of birth, your passport details, or any other sensitive personal information. We have no reason to need these things, so we don't ask for them.

Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies for basic site functionality and anonymous analytics. When you first visit our site, you'll see a cookie banner that lets you choose your preferences. You can accept all cookies, decline optional cookies, or customize your settings.

Essential cookies are always on. These keep the site working — they remember your cookie preferences, ensure the site loads correctly, and handle basic technical functions. Without these, the site wouldn't work properly.

Analytics cookies are optional. If you enable them, we collect anonymous information about which pages you visit and how you navigate the site. This data is aggregated — we can't identify individual users from it. We use this information to improve our content. For example, if we see that many visitors are reading the onsen guide but not the fishing guide, we might update the fishing content to make it more helpful.

Affiliate cookies are also optional and off by default. We don't currently run affiliate programs, but if we add booking partner links in the future, these cookies would track whether you clicked a link and made a booking. This would help us understand which recommendations are actually useful to travelers. We have no plans to implement this in the near future, but the option exists in our cookie system for transparency.

We do not use: social media tracking pixels, advertising cookies, retargeting cookies, or any third-party tracking that builds a profile of you across the internet. We find that stuff creepy and we don't want it on our site.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

That's it. We don't use your information for marketing (unless you ask us to). We don't sell it. We don't share it with advertisers. We don't build profiles about you. Your information stays with us and our necessary service providers only.

Third-Party Services

We use a minimal set of third-party services to run this website:

Website hosting: Our site is hosted on a standard web hosting service. They have access to server logs (which include IP addresses and browser information) as part of providing hosting services. They do not have access to your contact form submissions or purchase data.

Payment processing: If you purchase our PDF, your payment is processed by a secure third-party payment provider. They collect your payment details to process the transaction. We only receive confirmation that payment was successful, along with your name and email for delivery purposes.

Analytics: If you opt in to analytics cookies, we use a privacy-focused analytics tool that collects anonymous usage data. This tool does not track you across websites, does not build a user profile, and does not share data with third parties.

We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any other mainstream tracking service. We specifically chose privacy-respecting alternatives because we believe you shouldn't be tracked across the internet just for reading about hot springs.

Data Retention

We keep contact form submissions for as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry and handle any follow-up questions, typically up to 12 months. After that, we delete them. Purchase records are kept for 3 years for accounting and tax purposes, as required by law.

Server logs containing IP addresses and technical information are retained for 30 days, after which they are automatically deleted. Analytics data is stored in aggregated form and does not contain personally identifiable information.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at aloha@jptenkiizu.com. We'll respond within 30 days. There's no charge for making a request.

Data Deletion Requests

If you want us to delete your personal information, send an email to aloha@jptenkiizu.com with the subject line "Data Deletion Request." Include the email address you used when contacting us or making a purchase. We'll confirm deletion within 30 days. Note that we may need to retain some information for legal or accounting purposes even after a deletion request.

Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will delete it immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. We'll post the updated policy on this page with a new "last updated" date. If we make significant changes, we'll notify you through a notice on our website.

International Transfers

Our website is hosted on servers located in the United States. If you are visiting from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using our website, you consent to this transfer. We take appropriate safeguards to protect your information during international transfers, including using hosting providers with strong security certifications.

Our Japan office handles some editorial operations and may process inquiries from Japanese residents. Information sent to our Japan office is stored and processed in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable Japanese data protection laws.

Your Privacy Rights by Region

Depending on where you live, you may have specific privacy rights under local law:

California residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete your personal information, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we don't sell data, so this right is automatically satisfied), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights. To exercise these rights, email us at aloha@jptenkiizu.com.

EU/UK residents (GDPR): You have the right to access your personal data, the right to rectification, the right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"), the right to restrict processing, the right to data portability, and the right to object to processing. We process personal data on the basis of consent (for analytics cookies) and legitimate interest (for essential site functions and responding to inquiries).

Japanese residents: We comply with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) as it applies to our operations. Personal information of Japanese residents is handled with appropriate safeguards.

Data Breach Procedures

In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected users within 72 hours of discovery, where feasible. We will provide information about what happened, what data was involved, and what steps we're taking to address the situation. We will also notify relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

Given the limited nature of the personal information we collect, the risk of serious harm from a breach is low. We do not collect financial information, government identification numbers, or sensitive personal data.

Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our website uses HTTPS encryption for all data transmission. Our payment processor uses industry-standard security measures for transaction processing.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. We recommend using strong, unique passwords and keeping your devices secure.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, contact us at:

JP Izu Media LLC
1848 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96826
USA
Email: aloha@jptenkiizu.com