Privacy Policy

Really Rural Japan ("we," "our," or "us") runs custom tours across regional Japan under the standard terms of the Japan Tourism Agency. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we need it, and who we share it with.

1. What We Collect

To plan your trip and keep you safe, we collect:

  • Contact info: Name, email, phone number, and home country.

  • Travel documents: Passport details and birth dates (required by Japanese law for lodging and transport bookings).

  • Insurance details: Policy number, insurer name, and emergency contact lines (as required by our booking terms).

  • Health and dietary info: Food allergies, mobility needs, and medical conditions relevant to the tour that you share with us.

  • Payment info: Billing contact and payment records (credit card payments are handled securely by our payment processor; we do not store full card numbers).

  • Website data: Basic cookies and IP addresses to keep our site running properly.

2. How We Use Your Info

We only use your data to run your tour and handle our business duties:

  • Designing your custom route and booking inns, guides, drivers, and local workshops.

  • Managing on-the-ground changes, such as weather detours or trail adjustments.

  • Organizing luggage transfers between your stops.

  • Checking that your required travel insurance is in place before the trip starts.

  • Processing invoices, milestone deposits, and cancellation refunds under our terms.

  • Complying with Japanese tax and travel business laws.

3. Who We Share It With

We do not sell or rent your information. We only share it when necessary to run your trip and protect your safety:

  • Inns and Guides: We share guest names, dietary restrictions, and medical conditions relevant to the tour with ryokans, minshukus, and local guides solely so they can host you safely and prepare proper meals.

  • Luggage Forwarders: Delivery names and drop-off points are shared with licensed luggage couriers to move your bags.

  • Emergency Services & Insurers: If an accident, illness, or evacuation happens, we share necessary details with doctors, rescue teams, and your insurer.

  • Legal Authorities: Japanese government agencies or police when required by law (such as mandatory hotel guest registries).

4. Storage and Security

  • Retention: We keep booking, invoice, and contract records for 7 years to meet Japanese legal and tax rules. Other inquiries are cleared out periodically.

  • Security: We use standard technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, or alteration. However, no internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Your Rights

You can ask to view, update, or delete your personal information at any time, unless we are legally required to keep it for ongoing trips, tax compliance, or insurance claims.

6. Contact

For any questions about your data, contact us at: