These Terms of Service govern the use of the website and services provided by Kokou Travel Design (“we,” “us,” or “our”). Kokou Travel Design provides travel consulting, itinerary curation, and related informational services for inbound travelers to Japan.

By accessing or using our website or services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.

1. Description of Services & Legal Status

• Advisory Nature: Kokou Travel Design provides digital itinerary curation, travel consulting, and vendor recommendations for inbound travelers to Japan.

• No Travel Agency Status: We operate strictly as a consultant. We do not hold a travel agency license under the Japan Travel Agency Act.

• Booking Disclaimer: We do not make reservations, purchase tickets, book accommodations, or process payments on behalf of clients for any third-party suppliers (airlines, hotels, trains, private guides, etc.). All contracts for travel services are made directly between the client and the respective vendor.

• Third-Party Responsibility: We may provide informational links and general recommendations to third-party websites or service providers. The Client is solely responsible for independently verifying availability, making reservations, and entering into any agreements with third-party providers.

  
  2. Fees and Stripe Payment Processing

• Currency & Conversion: All fees are denominated and billed in Japanese Yen (JPY). The Client is responsible for any foreign exchange fees or credit card conversion rates imposed by Stripe or their issuing bank.

• Payment Timing: The applicable service fee is the fee displayed at the time the Client confirms the order and will not be changed after payment has been made. 

• Consult Plus Fee Credit: If the Client books Consult Plus and books a full plan within 7 days of the consultation, the Consult Plus fee will be credited toward the final plan price of the booked plan.

• Custom Quotation: “Custom quotation services” means services for which the fee is not fixed in advance and is determined individually based on the Client’s trip details, itinerary length, departure date, and requested scope. All plans for trips exceeding 30 days are offered on a custom quotation basis. Bespoke services for trips of 15 to 30 days are offered at a fixed price range, as displayed on the applicable service page. For such custom quotation services, the final fee will be confirmed only after the Client accepts our quotation in writing or by email.

• Urgency Fee: For all plans except Consultation services, an urgency fee may apply where the service is booked less than 45 days before the Client’s departure date. The applicable urgency fee will be determined in accordance with the pricing schedule disclosed on the Website.

• Consumption Tax: All listed prices are inclusive of the mandatory 10% Japanese Consumption Tax, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

• Payment Authorization: Full payment of the applicable plan fee is required before itinerary drafting begins. Any additional fees arising from out-of-scope revision requests or other extra services must be paid separately before the relevant additional work commences.

• Third-Party Fees & Independent Expenses: The service fees include only the services expressly described in the applicable plan. We are not responsible for any third-party or external costs incurred by the Client in connection with the Services, including internet access fees, data roaming charges, communication hardware costs, software fees, subscription fees, platform fees, or any other charges not expressly included in the applicable plan. All such costs are the sole responsibility of the Client. The Client is solely responsible for maintaining the equipment, internet connection, and accounts necessary to access the Services.

  
  

  3. Delivery and Communication

• Time Zone Standard: All consultation schedules, project deadlines, and turnaround times are calculated based on Japan Standard Time (JST, UTC+9).

• Initial Itinerary Delivery: “Initial Itinerary Delivery” means the delivery of the first draft itinerary to the Client for review and revision purposes only. Initial Itinerary Delivery shall not constitute final delivery of the service.

• Digital Delivery: The finalized travel plan will be delivered digitally (via email, PDF, or interactive web link). The Client is responsible for ensuring they can access these files while traveling.

• Final Itinerary Delivery: “Final Itinerary Delivery” means the delivery of the final approved itinerary to the Client by the agreed digital method. For the avoidance of doubt, any refund, revision deadline, or service completion shall be determined solely by reference to the Final Itinerary Delivery.

  
  

4. Cancellation & Refund Policy

• Definitions: For the purposes of this Policy, “consultation fee” means the fee for the Zoom consultation, “plan price” means the fee for the selected itinerary plan, and “Final Itinerary Delivery” has the meaning set out in Section 3.

• Cancellation Before Consultation: No cancellation fee shall apply before Zoom consultation scheduling is confirmed. Once Zoom consultation scheduling has been confirmed, but before the consultation takes place, a cancellation fee equal to 50% of the consultation fee shall apply.

• After Consultation: After the consultation has been completed, the consultation fee shall be non-refundable.

• After Drafting Begins: Once itinerary drafting has commenced, a cancellation fee equal to 50% of the plan price shall apply.

• After Final Itinerary Delivery: No refunds shall be issued after Final Itinerary Delivery.

• Supplier Cancellations: We are not responsible for, nor will we issue refunds for, cancellations, delays, or service failures caused by recommended hotels, transport operators, or experience providers.

• Refund Costs: Any bank transfer fees, payment processing fees, or similar administrative costs associated with a refund shall be borne by the Client, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

  
  

5. Additional Revisions and Out-of-Scope Changes.

• Definitions: For the purposes of this Section, “Final Itinerary Delivery” has the meaning set out in Section 3. “Standard Changes” means routine edits such as date changes within the same route, hotel swaps within the same city or region, restaurant swaps within the same category, and experience swaps within the same type. “Major Changes” means route changes, pace changes, and budget changes.　

• Revision Rounds: Revision rounds apply only during the itinerary drafting phase and are limited according to the applicable plan. A revision round means one consolidated set of Standard Changes submitted together before Final Itinerary Delivery. Any request outside the included Standard Changes, or any Major Change exceeding the applicable plan limits, shall be treated as additional work and subject to an additional fee on a per-change basis.

• Last-Minute Revisions: Last-Minute Revisions are separate from revision rounds and may be requested only after Final Itinerary Delivery, subject to the limits and pricing set out in the applicable plan. Last-Minute Revisions may apply only to Standard Changes unless otherwise stated in the applicable plan.

• Out-of-Scope Changes: Any request outside the included Standard Changes, any request exceeding the applicable revision limits set out in the applicable plan, or any Last-Minute Revision exceeding the applicable last-minute revision allowance set out in the applicable plan shall be treated as additional work and subject to an additional fee.

• Bespoke Services: For Bespoke services, unlimited revisions apply only within the included Standard Changes during the drafting phase. Separate last-minute revisions may be requested after Final Itinerary Delivery, subject to the applicable plan limits.

• Additional Fees and Payment for Extra Work: Any additional fees shall be invoiced separately. We will issue a separate payment link, and work on such revisions will commence only after payment has been received and confirmed. We are not obliged to begin or continue work on any out-of-scope revision request until the additional fee has been paid in full.

6. Client Responsibilities
(Visas, Insurance, & Health)

• Entry Requirements: The Client is solely responsible for obtaining and verifying all necessary travel documents, including passport validity requirements, entry visas, and customs declarations required to enter Japan legally.

• Travel Insurance: We strongly recommend that the Client purchases comprehensive international travel insurance covering trip cancellation, medical emergencies, and luggage loss before departing for Japan.

• On-the-Ground Execution: The Client is responsible for planning sufficient time to arrive at recommended venues and for managing their own transportation arrangements using the itinerary as a guide.

7. Limitation of Liability

• No Vendor Liability: We assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity caused by any third-party property, business, or service provider recommended in the itinerary.

• Itinerary Accuracy: While we utilize local expertise to verify hours, booking procedures, and pricing, third-party rates and availability are subject to change without notice.

• Client Responsibility: Clients are solely responsible for evaluating options, making all final booking decisions, and managing their own travel arrangements with third-party vendors.

• Informational Purposes Only: Travel recommendations, curations, and custom itineraries provided by us are for informational and planning purposes only and are provided on an “as is” basis without warranties of any kind.

• Operational Exclusions: To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we shall not be liable for any loss, delay, cancellation, injury, illness, or damage arising out of third-party services or the Client’s travel arrangements, except in cases of our willful misconduct or gross negligence.

8. Intellectual Property & Commercial Restriction

• Ownership: All custom itineraries, travel plans, recommendations, text, images, maps, compilations, databases, documents, designs, and other materials provided or made available by Kokou Travel Design are protected by applicable intellectual property laws and remain the intellectual property of Kokou Travel Design.

• Personal Use Only: The Client is granted a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to use such materials solely for the Client’s own travel planning and personal travel purposes.

• Restrictions: The Client may not copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, resell, publish, sublicense, or otherwise exploit any such materials, in whole or in part, without our prior written consent.

9. Client Information

• Confidentiality: We will treat any non-public information received from the Client in connection with the Services as confidential and will use it only to provide the Services. We will not disclose such information to any third party except with the Client’s consent, as necessary to provide the Services, or as required by law.

10. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

• Governing Law: These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.

• Jurisdiction: Any dispute, claim, or proceeding arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court as the court of first instance, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

11. Service Suspension and Termination

• Suspension: We may temporarily suspend the Services, in whole or in part, if the Client fails to make payment, provides inaccurate information, otherwise breaches these Terms, or if we reasonably determine that suspension is necessary for maintenance, security, operational, legal, or business reasons.

• Termination: We may terminate the Services if the Client materially breaches these Terms, fails to cure a breach within a reasonable period after notice, or if continued provision of the Services becomes impracticable or unlawful.

12. Miscellaneous

• Definition of Client: These Terms govern the provision of services through our website. The person who engages our services is referred to as the “Client.” 

• Updates to These Terms: We may update these Terms from time to time. Any updated version will become effective when posted on the Website, unless otherwise stated. Continued use of the Website or Services after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

• Website Changes and Availability: We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Website or any part of it at any time without prior notice. 

• Acceptance of Terms: If the Client does not agree with any part of these Terms, the Client should not use the Website or Services.

• Client Eligibility: The Services are intended for individuals who are at least 18 years old and able to enter into a legally binding agreement. If the Client is under 18, the Services may only be used with the prior consent of a parent or legal guardian, who shall be responsible for the Client’s use of the Services.

13. General Provision

• Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

• Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any applicable service plan or invoice, constitute the entire agreement between the Client and Kokou Travel Design regarding the Services.

• Waiver: Any failure or delay by us in exercising any right, remedy, or provision under these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right, remedy, or provision.