Terms of Service

Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Michi Cultural Walks ("Company," "we," "our," or "us") governing your access to and use of our website, services, and platform for booking cultural excursions in Japan.

By accessing our website, creating an account, or booking any tour or service through our platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our services.

Eligibility and Account Registration

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account and book tours independently. Users under 18 may participate in tours only when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who has created the account and accepted these Terms on their behalf.

When creating an account, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized access or security breach.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, provide false information, or engage in fraudulent activity.

Booking and Payment Terms

All tour bookings are subject to availability and confirmation. When you submit a booking request, you are making an offer to purchase the tour at the listed price. Your booking becomes binding once you receive email confirmation from us.

Prices are listed in Japanese Yen and include applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. Payment is due in full at the time of booking unless alternative payment arrangements have been explicitly agreed upon. We accept major credit cards and other payment methods as indicated on our platform.

You authorize us to charge your payment method for the total amount of your booking, including any applicable fees, taxes, and optional add-ons you select. If payment fails, we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellation terms vary by tour and are clearly displayed at the time of booking. Standard cancellation terms are as follows:

More than 14 days before tour date: Full refund minus a 5% processing fee.

7-14 days before tour date: 50% refund of tour price.

Less than 7 days before tour date: No refund.

No-show: No refund.

Some tours may have stricter cancellation policies due to advance reservations, limited availability, or special arrangements. These will be clearly communicated before booking. Cancellations must be submitted through your account or by contacting customer support.

We reserve the right to cancel tours due to insufficient bookings, weather conditions, safety concerns, or circumstances beyond our control. In such cases, you will receive a full refund or the option to reschedule to an alternative date.

Tour Modifications and Force Majeure

We reserve the right to modify tour itineraries, guides, meeting points, or timing due to unforeseen circumstances, including but not limited to weather conditions, transportation disruptions, venue closures, or safety concerns. We will make reasonable efforts to provide comparable alternatives and notify you of material changes as soon as possible.

Neither party shall be liable for failure to perform obligations due to force majeure events, including natural disasters, pandemics, war, terrorism, government actions, strikes, or other events beyond reasonable control. In such cases, we will work with you to reschedule or provide a refund as appropriate.

Participant Responsibilities and Conduct

You are responsible for ensuring that you and all members of your party meet any health, fitness, or age requirements specified for your booked tour. You must disclose any medical conditions, mobility limitations, or dietary restrictions that may affect your participation or require special accommodations.

You agree to arrive on time at designated meeting points. Late arrivals may result in missed tours without refund. You must follow all instructions from guides and comply with local laws, customs, and venue rules. Disruptive, dangerous, or disrespectful behavior may result in removal from the tour without refund.

You are responsible for your personal belongings during tours. We are not liable for lost, stolen, or damaged items. You must obtain any necessary travel documents, visas, or permits for your participation.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Michi Cultural Walks, its officers, directors, employees, guides, and partners shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of our services or participation in tours.

Our total liability for any claims arising from your booking or tour participation shall not exceed the amount you paid for the specific tour giving rise to the claim.

We do not guarantee that tours will meet your expectations or that guides will possess specific knowledge you may seek. While we carefully vet our guides, we are not liable for any statements, actions, or omissions by guides acting in their independent capacity.

You acknowledge that cultural excursions involve inherent risks, including physical activity, travel in unfamiliar environments, and exposure to various conditions. You participate at your own risk and are encouraged to obtain appropriate travel insurance.

Insurance and Liability Coverage

Optional liability coverage may be available for purchase at the time of booking. This coverage provides limited protection for certain incidents during tours, subject to the terms of the insurance policy. We strongly recommend that all participants obtain comprehensive travel insurance covering medical emergencies, trip cancellation, and personal liability.

Michi Cultural Walks does not provide insurance coverage unless explicitly purchased as an add-on. You are responsible for ensuring you have adequate insurance for your travel and tour participation.

Intellectual Property Rights

All content on our website, including text, graphics, logos, icons, images, audio clips, downloads, and software, is the property of Michi Cultural Walks or its content suppliers and is protected by intellectual property laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, or exploit any content from our website without our express written permission. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use our services for personal, non-commercial purposes only.

Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide to us become our property and may be used without compensation or attribution.

User-Generated Content

If you submit reviews, ratings, photos, or other content through our platform, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, and display such content for marketing, promotional, and operational purposes.

You represent that any content you submit is accurate, does not violate third-party rights, and does not contain unlawful, defamatory, or inappropriate material. We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable.

Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use our services for any unlawful purpose or in any way that could damage, disable, or impair our platform. Prohibited activities include:

Attempting to gain unauthorized access to our systems or user accounts; interfering with the proper functioning of our website; using automated scripts or bots to access our services; submitting false or fraudulent bookings; reselling tours without authorization; harassing or threatening guides or other users; violating any applicable laws or regulations; or infringing on intellectual property rights.

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate account termination and legal action.

Third-Party Services and Links

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or integrate with third-party services such as payment processors, map providers, or transportation services. We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of third-party services.

Your interactions with third-party services are governed by their terms of service and privacy policies. We make no warranties regarding third-party services and expressly disclaim liability for any issues arising from their use.

Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of our services shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiations between the parties. If a resolution cannot be reached within 30 days, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Sapporo, Japan, in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the Japan Commercial Arbitration Association.

You agree to waive any right to participate in class action lawsuits or class-wide arbitration. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding, and judgment may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek injunctive relief in court for infringement of intellectual property rights or breach of confidentiality obligations.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of Japan, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any legal action or proceeding related to these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Michi Cultural Walks, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and partners from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

Your violation of these Terms; your use of our services; your participation in tours; your violation of any third-party rights; or your submission of content to our platform.

Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through our website with an updated "Last Updated" date and, where appropriate, via email notification. Your continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

If you do not agree to modified Terms, you must discontinue using our services. Bookings made before Terms modifications remain subject to the Terms in effect at the time of booking.

Severability and Waiver

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. No waiver shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Michi Cultural Walks.

Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or notices regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us:

Email: legal@malrenbrook.com

Phone: +81 4-3271-7252

Mail: Michi Cultural Walks
4 Chome-10-2 Hanazono, Hanamigawa Ward, Chiba, 262-0025, Japan