Terms and Conditions

1. Agreement to these Terms

These Terms and Conditions (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of Kikigo, a language-learning service operated by Shotoka株式会社 (Shotoka K.K.) (“Shotoka,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). Kikigo’s websites, applications, learning exercises, audio, and related features are collectively the “Service.” By creating an account, purchasing a subscription, or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Eligibility and accounts

2.1 Adults only

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding agreement. Kikigo is not offered to minors.

2.2 Account responsibilities

You must provide accurate information, keep your sign-in credentials secure, and promptly notify us of suspected unauthorized access. You are responsible for activity performed through your account unless it results from a failure for which we are legally responsible. One person may not impersonate another or create an account using information they are not authorized to use.

3. The Kikigo Service

Kikigo provides Japanese listening, speaking, pronunciation, and recall practice. Features may include personalized exercise selection, speech recording and assessment, generated explanations, background audio, learning progress, and exercises derived from material you choose to submit.

We may improve, add, remove, or modify features. We will provide reasonable notice when a material change substantially reduces a paid Service, unless immediate action is needed for security, legal compliance, or service integrity.

4. Subscriptions, billing, and cancellation

4.1 Plans and prices

Before a paid subscription, Kikigo currently offers up to 500 free exercises, with no credit card required and no time limit. The free allowance does not automatically convert to a paid plan, and exhaustion of the allowance causes no automatic charge. Continued access to paid features requires a separate, express order.

Kikigo offers monthly and annual subscription plans. The applicable features, billing interval, and tax-inclusive price are shown on the subscription purchase screen before you place an order. Internet access and carrier charges are your responsibility.

4.2 Automatic renewal

Unless cancelled, your subscription automatically renews for another period of the same length. The payment method shown at checkout is charged when the subscription starts and at the beginning of each renewal period. You authorize us and our payment processor to collect these recurring charges.

4.3 Cancellation

You may cancel through the account settings made available in the Service or by contacting [email protected]. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You retain access until then and will not be charged for a later renewal.

4.4 Refunds

Payments are generally non-refundable and we do not provide prorated refunds for unused time. This does not limit refunds or remedies required by law. We may issue a refund or account credit for a verified duplicate charge, billing error, or material failure to provide the paid Service. Contact support promptly after noticing a billing problem.

If we terminate a paid subscription for a reason other than your breach, unlawful conduct, non-payment, or a security risk attributable to you, we will refund unused prepaid fees on a pro rata basis.

4.5 Price changes

A price change applies no earlier than your next renewal after the notice period required by applicable law. You may cancel before that renewal if you do not accept the new price.

5. Voice recordings and submitted material

5.1 Your material

You retain your rights in voice recordings, text, photographs, documents, audio, video, and other material you submit (“User Material”). You grant Shotoka a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide license to host, reproduce, transform, transcribe, analyze, and otherwise process User Material only as needed to operate, secure, support, and improve the features you request, and as described in the Privacy Policy.

5.2 Your permissions

You represent that you have all rights and permissions needed to submit User Material, including:

• copyright or another lawful right to use submitted media and documents;
• consent from any identifiable or recorded person where required; and
• authority to allow the processing described in these Terms.

Do not submit confidential, sensitive, or third-party personal information unless you are authorized to do so and the submission is appropriate for the Service.

5.3 Training and sharing

We do not use your private recordings or User Material to train shared AI models, publish shared learning content, or provide exercises to other users without your explicit consent. We may use statistical information that cannot identify an individual, together with feedback, to evaluate reliability and quality.

6. Generated learning content

Kikigo may use automated systems to generate or assess exercises, transcripts, pronunciation feedback, translations, and explanations. Automated results can be incomplete or incorrect and should be treated as learning assistance, not an authoritative translation, certification, or professional advice. You remain responsible for how you use generated content.

You may use exercises delivered to your account for personal, non-commercial study. Shotoka and its licensors retain rights in the Service, its software, shared catalogs, designs, and source materials. No guarantee is made that generated content is unique or that using Kikigo will produce a particular proficiency level or exam result.

7. Acceptable use

You must not:

• use the Service unlawfully, fraudulently, or to harm, harass, exploit, or deceive another person;
• submit material that infringes intellectual-property, privacy, publicity, or other rights;
• upload malware or attempt to bypass security, access controls, usage limits, or account restrictions;
• scrape, reverse engineer, resell, sublicense, or commercially redistribute the Service except where law expressly permits;
• use automated means that impose an unreasonable load or interfere with another user’s access; or
• use generated content to misrepresent your identity, ability, authorship, or qualifications.

8. Intellectual property and feedback

Kikigo, its logos, software, interface, shared exercise catalog, and related materials are owned by Shotoka or its licensors and are protected by applicable law. These Terms grant only a personal, limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Service during your account’s authorized access period.

If you voluntarily provide suggestions or feedback, you permit us to use them without restriction or payment, provided we do not publicly identify you without permission.

8.1 Copyright and other rights notices

A rights holder may report material believed to infringe copyright or another right by emailing [email protected] with contact details, identification and location of the material, the right claimed, the basis for the claim, and a statement that the report is accurate. We may temporarily restrict the material while we investigate, request information from the submitter, remove or disable access where appropriate, and notify the affected parties unless prohibited by law.

9. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, retain, disclose, and protect personal information, including voice recordings and learning records. The Privacy Policy forms part of these Terms.

10. Suspension and termination

You may stop using Kikigo and request account deletion at any time. We may restrict or suspend access when reasonably necessary to address a Terms violation, non-payment, fraud, security risk, legal obligation, or harm to the Service or others. Where appropriate, we will provide notice and an opportunity to correct the issue.

When access ends, your right to use the Service ends. Provisions that by their nature should survive—including payment obligations, intellectual-property provisions, disclaimers, liability limits, and dispute terms—remain effective. Data is handled after termination as described in the Privacy Policy.

If we discontinue your paid Service or terminate it for a reason other than your breach, unlawful conduct, non-payment, or a security risk attributable to you, the pro rata refund rule in Section 4.4 applies.

11. Service disclaimers

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Service is provided “as is” and “as available.” We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, error-free speech recognition, perfectly accurate content, compatibility with every device, or achievement of a particular learning outcome. Nothing in these Terms excludes warranties or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded, including mandatory rights under Japanese consumer law.

12. Limitation of liability

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for intentional misconduct, gross negligence, fraud, personal injury, or another liability that cannot be limited by law. The limitations in this Section apply only to loss caused by Shotoka’s ordinary negligence. To the extent permitted by law, Shotoka is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss caused by ordinary negligence. Where a monetary cap is legally permitted, our aggregate liability for ordinary direct loss caused by ordinary negligence will not exceed the greater of (a) the subscription fees you paid for Kikigo during the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim or (b) ¥10,000. Mandatory consumer remedies remain unaffected.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms where a change is in users’ general interest, or where it does not conflict with the purpose of the contract and is reasonable in light of the need for the change, its substance, and other relevant circumstances. Before a change takes effect, we will publish the fact of the change, the amended Terms, and a specified future effective date on our website or by another appropriate method. We will provide additional notice when required or reasonably appropriate. If a change requires consent, we will obtain it before the change applies to you. We retain dated copies of prior published versions.

14. Governing law, jurisdiction, and language

These Terms are governed by the laws of Japan, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. To the extent legally permitted, the Fukuoka District Court has exclusive jurisdiction as the court of first instance. Mandatory consumer protections and jurisdiction rights remain unaffected. The Japanese version controls if it conflicts with a translated version; however, where the Japanese and English versions differ, the interpretation more favorable to the consumer applies to the extent permitted by law.

15. General provisions

15.1 Notices

We may send notices to the email address associated with your account or display them in the Service. You may send notices to the contact address below. Notices required by law are given in the form and at the time the law requires.

15.2 Assignment

You may not assign your account or rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, corporate reorganization, or transfer of the Service, provided the assignee assumes our obligations and your mandatory rights are not reduced.

15.3 Events beyond reasonable control

Neither party is liable for delay caused by an event beyond its reasonable control, except for payment obligations already due. This does not excuse a failure to take reasonable precautions, protect personal data, or resume performance as soon as reasonably practicable.

15.4 Severability and entire agreement

If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, it will be limited only to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions continue in effect. These Terms, the Privacy Policy, and terms shown at purchase form the agreement concerning the Service, without excluding mandatory rights or remedies based on statements made to consumers before contracting. A failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.

16. Contact

Shotoka株式会社 (Shotoka K.K.)
Fukuoka PARCO Shinkan 5F, 2-11-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka 810-0001, Japan
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 080-1693-5945 (weekdays 10:00–18:00 JST)