Sakura Culinary Academy: Privacy Policy

Sakura Culinary Academy ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and share personal information of users of our website, located at [Hypothetical Website Address, e.g., www.sakuraculinary.jp] (the "Site"). By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Data Collection

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Site, including:

Personal Information: This includes information that can be used to identify you, such as your name, email address, phone number, postal address, and payment information, which you provide when you register for a course, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us.
Non-Personal Information: This includes information that does not directly identify you. Examples include your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited on our Site, and the dates/times of your visits. This information is collected automatically through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies.
Student Records: If you enroll in our courses, we collect and maintain records related to your enrollment, attendance, performance, and payment history.
Communications: We retain records of your communications with us, including emails, chat logs, and customer support requests.

2. Data Usage

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

Providing Services: To provide you with access to our courses, process your enrollment, manage your account, and deliver customer support.
Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send you updates about our courses, inform you of new offerings, and provide you with promotional materials (with your consent where required by law).
Improvement of Services: To analyze how our Site is used, identify areas for improvement, and develop new features and services.
Personalization: To personalize your experience on our Site, such as recommending courses that may be of interest to you.
Marketing: To conduct targeted advertising campaigns based on your interests and demographics.
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.
Security: To protect our Site and our users from fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access.

3. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the personal information we collect from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include:

Encryption: We use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online.
Firewalls: We use firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to our systems.
Access Controls: We restrict access to personal information to authorized personnel only.
Regular Security Audits: We conduct regular security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Employee Training: We train our employees on data security best practices.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. Therefore, while we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

4. Data Sharing

We may share your personal information with the following categories of recipients:

Service Providers: We may share information with third-party service providers who assist us in providing our services, such as payment processors, email marketing providers, and data analytics providers. These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them.
Business Partners: We may share information with business partners who offer complementary products or services that may be of interest to you. With your explicit consent.
Legal Authorities: We may disclose information to legal authorities if required by law or legal process, or if we believe that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activity on our Site. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies for various purposes, including:

Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the functioning of our Site and enable you to use its features, such as accessing secure areas.
Performance Cookies: These cookies collect information about how you use our Site, such as which pages you visit most often and if you experience any errors. This information helps us improve the performance of our Site.
Functionality Cookies: These cookies allow our Site to remember your preferences, such as your language or region, and provide enhanced features.
Advertising Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver targeted advertising based on your interests.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. You can choose to block all cookies, or to accept only certain types of cookies. However, please note that blocking cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our Site.

6. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

7. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us, and we will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

8. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

9. Your Rights

You have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

Access: You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: You have the right to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
Deletion: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information.
Objection: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information.
Restriction: You have the right to restrict the processing of your personal information.
Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below. We may require you to verify your identity before processing your request.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on our Site and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. Your continued use of our Site after the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.

11. Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Sakura Culinary Academy
Privacy Policy Department
2 Chome-17-3 Nishiwaseda, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 169-0051, Japan
Phone: +81 3-3208-3131
Email: privacy@elvirotree.com
Contact Person: Akari Tanaka, Data Protection Officer

Last Updated: October 26, 2025

12. International Data Transfers

As Sakura Culinary Academy is based in Tokyo, Japan, your personal data may be transferred to and processed in Japan. Please be aware that the data protection laws in Japan may differ from those in your country of residence. By using our Site and providing us with your personal information, you consent to the transfer, processing, and storage of your information in Japan.

We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy, regardless of where it is processed. This includes implementing appropriate safeguards to protect your data when it is transferred internationally.

13. Specific Data Processing Activities

To provide you with greater transparency, we are detailing specific data processing activities we conduct:

Course Enrollment and Management: When you enroll in a course, we collect your name, contact information, payment details, and any dietary restrictions or allergies you may have. This information is used to process your enrollment, manage your course participation, communicate important updates, and ensure your safety and comfort during the course.
Newsletter Subscription: If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address to send you updates about our courses, recipes, special offers, and culinary events. You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of each email.
Website Analytics: We use Google Analytics to collect information about how you use our Site, such as which pages you visit, how long you spend on each page, and which links you click. This information is used to analyze website traffic, improve the user experience, and optimize our marketing efforts.
Customer Support: When you contact our customer support team, we collect your name, contact information, and details about your inquiry. This information is used to respond to your inquiry, resolve any issues you may be experiencing, and improve our customer service.
Online Payment Processing: We use third-party payment processors to securely process your online payments. We do not store your credit card information on our servers.
Internship Program: If you participate in our internship program, we collect additional information about your skills, experience, and career goals. This information is used to match you with suitable internship opportunities and provide you with support during your internship.

14. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include:

Right to Know: You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of the information, the purposes for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
Right to Delete: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information, if we engage in such activities. (Note: We do not currently sell your personal information.)
Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your CCPA rights.

To exercise your CCPA rights, please contact us using the contact information provided above.