Privacy & Terms
Hey Japan! is operated by Goblin Company in Kawasaki, Japan. This page explains what data we handle, why, and what your choices are. Questions are always welcome at [email protected].
Last updated: 2026/10/05
Analytics
We use a self-hosted installation of Umami for visitor statistics. It works without cookies, does not build visitor profiles, and all analytics data stays on our own server; nothing is shared with third parties. To understand how pages are used we also record anonymous session replays (clicks, scrolling and navigation on our pages); these replays likewise stay on our own server.
Our hosting provider Vercel collects cookieless, aggregated performance and visit metrics for the site.
Advertising
We don't show third-party advertising on Hey Japan!.
Accounts
Creating an account is optional. If you do, we store your email address, display name and the profile details you choose to add (handle, country, bio, avatar), plus the things you create while signed in: photo submissions, saved places and events, quiz scores and trip plans.
You can sign in with an email and password or with Google. With Google sign-in we receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google, nothing more. A session cookie keeps you logged in; it is strictly functional.
To delete your account and everything attached to it, email [email protected] and we will remove it.
Newsletter
If you subscribe to our newsletter we store your email address for that purpose only. Sending is handled by Resend, our email delivery provider. Every issue contains an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing takes effect immediately.
Cookies and local storage
A session cookie when you log in (essential).
An anonymous cookie that prevents double voting in our quick polls (essential, no tracking).
Browser local storage for your theme choice, your saved-for-later list and your trip planner draft.
Browser local storage to remember whether you have joined or closed our newsletter invitation.
Hosting and infrastructure
The website is hosted on Vercel. Community features and our content database run on our own server in Japan. Cloudflare sits in front of our services as a content delivery network and proxy, and processes requests in that role. Uploaded images are stored on Cloudflare R2.
Affiliate links
Some links to booking partners such as Klook, KKday, Rakuten Travel and Agoda are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. These links are marked as sponsored for search engines and never influence what we write.
Our hotel suggestions come from Agoda. Their photos load directly from Agoda's image servers, which, like any website your browser connects to, receive your IP address and basic browser details. These images set no cookies; Agoda's own cookies and privacy policy apply only once you follow a link to agoda.com.
Content disclaimer
Event dates, prices and opening hours change; please verify details with the official source before you travel. We are not responsible for the content of external websites we link to.
Changes
We may update this page as the site evolves; the revision date above always reflects the current version.