Terms and conditions

I. GENERAL CONDITIONS

          1. Definition

-Customer: person who has made a purchase from Japan Experience
-Purchase: a specific service purchased by the customer and accepted by Japan Experience
-Terrestrial service: service supplied throughout the entirety of Japanese territory as part of a trip, for example, including but not limited to accommodation, transport, activities, assistance, services…
-Circuit: service provided by Japan Experience including creation and follow-up for an itinerary in Japan, possibly accompanied by a guide and including transport, accommodation and on-site meals.
-Guided Circuit: Circuit carried out with a guide with expertise regarding Japan
-Enrolment: In the absence of a specific agreement, this document provides a framework to the contractual relations between the customer and Japan Experience.

          2. Presentation of Japan Experience

Japan Experience is a travel agency which was founded in 1981 and which aims to provide advice and assistance to people who wish to travel to Japan.

To facilitate this, Japan Experience supplies, with the help of its many trusted partners, a range of services allowing customers to enjoy a unique, made-to-measure trip:

• Transport to Japan
• Transport while in Japan (Japan Rail Pass train packages, car rental, etc.)
• Accommodation
• Circuits with or without guides
• Local activities in Japan
• Resources for internet connections (Pocket WiFi, Sim cards)
• Public transport payment cards (Suica, Pasmo)
• Provision of information in our boutique and on websites
  

          3. Information about administrative and health formalities

Information provided by Japan Experience about administrative formalities which need to be carried out before heading to Japan is solely aimed at citizens of European nationality.

People from outside of the European Union must obtain all necessary information about required administrative and health formalities prior to the beginning of a trip from the relevant Embassies or Consulates.

It is the customer’s responsibility to check that their documents comply with all requirements prior to their trip. We strongly recommend that all of this information be checked with the competent authorities. Japan Experience cannot, in any case, be held responsible for the consequences of a failure on the part of customers to comply with police, customs or health regulations, both prior to and during their trip.

A customer who is unable to board a flight due to not presenting the required documents may not claim any reimbursement or refund. Japan Experience strongly recommends that you regularly consult the specific country information relating to your trip published by the Foreign Affairs Ministry at the following address: www.diplomatie.fr . Japan Experience would like to attract your attention to the fact that this information may change leading up to your departure date; it is therefore advisable to consult it regularly.

          4. Withdrawal period

In compliance with the provisions of the French Consumer Code applicable to travel agencies (Art. L. 121-20-4), customers have no right of withdrawal regarding services purchased from Japan Experience. If they cancel their purchase, customers are invited to take note of the cancellation fees set out in the Specific Conditions as outlined hereinafter.

          5. Personal data

In order to obtain general information on the personal data protection policy operated by Japan Experience, please consult our Confidentiality policy.

                     5.1. Personal data collected by Japan Experience

When a purchase is concluded, Japan Experience is apt to collect the following personal data:
- Surname, first name
- E-mail address
- Contact details
- Telephone number
- Address
- Banking details (card number, expiry date, security code)
- XXX
- Company name
-Nationality
-Date of birth

Collection of this data is necessary for us to supply the service to customers, meaning that communication of this data is obligatory for any purchases to be concluded with Japan Experience. Should customers refuse to provide Japan Experience with their personal data, Japan Experience will be unable to pursue their service requests.


                    5.2. Purposes of data collection

Personal data is collected by Japan Experience in the aim of:

- Processing orders placed by customers;
- Monitoring orders placed by customers;
- Facilitating contact between Japan Experience and customers;
- Sending commercial and advertising information, in accordance with customers’ preferences.

When a purchase is concluded with Japan Experience, customers are invited to clearly express their choices regarding receipt of commercial and advertising information, notably by means of electronic communication.
Japan Experience is responsible for processing this information.

Information processing is founded on the legal bases set out below:

- Necessity of processing to carry out the contract agreed between customers and Japan Experience (processing/monitoring orders and contacting);

- Processing based on express agreement from customers (sending commercial and advertising information).

                    5.3. Length of data retention

Japan Experience undertakes to keep customers’ personal data only for the length of time necessary for the purposes of processing.
Furthermore, legal provisions oblige Japan Experience to keep some personal data for a minimum time period.

Customers’ personal data is kept by Japan Experience for the time periods set out below:

- Contact details (surname, first name, address, etc.): 5 years
- Bank details: 4 months

                    5.4. Sharing of personal data with third parties

Personal data collected by Japan Experience may be shared with third parties in the following cases: 

- When Japan Experience uses service providers to host its databases. In this case, Japan Experience’s website is hosted by GOOGLE CLOUD PLATFORM and its databases are hosted by Google Cloud Platform/Google Ireland Limited. Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Servers hosted in Belgium.

- When Japan Experience uses the services of a service provider as part of its service provision and in accordance with the choices expressed by customers. As a part of the supply of the service ordered by customers and in order to fulfil their different requirements, Japan Experience communicates some personal data to its different service providers.

Thus, for example, when customers wish to book a plane ticket for Japan, execution of this service requires communication of customers’ identity information to the relevant airline.

Similarly, when customers pay for their order using a bank card, their bank data is communicated to a service provider, INGENICO EPAYMENTS, in order to benefit from a secure online payment platform.

The same applies every time that execution of customers’ orders requires use of a third-party service provider.

- When Japan Experience communicates your personal data to other bodies in its group Japan Experience is part of a group of several companies, with the other companies in the group also being apt to access your personal data if such processing is justified by the execution of the contract agreed between customers and Japan Experience. Thus, our counsellors, in our subsidiaries abroad, are available across a number of countries in order to answer customers’ questions during their trip to Japan 7 days a week.

Their missions by definition involve accessing customers’ personal data in order to rapidly provide them with answers which are appropriate for their specific situations. In regard of this point, we guarantee that all companies in the VIVRE LE JAPON group are subject to the same requirements in terms of personal data protection.

- If the law requires it, Japan Experience may communicate data subsequent to claims made against Japan Experience and to comply with obligations arising from administrative and legal procedures;

- If Japan Experience is involved in a merger, takeover, asset transfer or insolvency proceedings, it may transfer or share all or part of its assets, including personal data. In such case, customers will be informed prior to personal data being transferred to a third party.

In all cases, Japan Experience undertakes to:

- Only communicate to its service providers the customer personal data they require to execute the order;

- Only communicate the customer personal data to service providers who provide sufficient guarantees in terms of personal data protection;

-Provide a strict framework to processing of its customers’ personal data carried out on its behalf by service providers.

                    5.5. Security and confidentiality

Japan Experience applies organizational, technical, electronic and physical measures in terms of digital security in order to provide protection to personal data against any alteration, destruction and unauthorized access.

                   5.6. Application of customers’ rights to their personal data

In application of the regulations relating to personal data, customers have the following rights:

- They can update or delete their data by contacting Japan Experience at the following e-mail address: data@vivreleJapan.com

- They can exercise their right to access, to know what data Japan Experience holds about them, by writing to the following e-mail address: data@vivreleJapan.com

- If personal data held by Japan Experience is incorrect, they can ask for the information to be updated by writing to the following e-mail address: data@vivreleJapan.com

- Customers can oppose processing of their data at all times by contacting Japan Experience;

- Finally, customers can also request communication of all data pertaining to them as part of their right to data portability.

In these different cases and before they exercise their rights, Japan Experience can ask clients for proof of their identity in order to verify it. Japan Experience undertakes to provide an answer to requests made prior to this within a timeframe of one month, with the possibility that this period may be extended by two months in case of complexity or a high number of requests.We furthermore remind you that customers may, in case of litigation regarding processing of their personal data, make a claim to the competent supervisory authority, namely CNIL in France: www.cnil.fr


                    5.7. Modifications to this clause

Japan Experience reserves the right to modify this clause relating to protection of personal data at any time. If any modification is made to this clause on protection of personal data, Japan Experience undertakes to publish the new version on its website.

Japan Experience will also inform customers via electronic message, as far as is possible, within a minimum timeframe of 15 days prior to the date the modification takes effect. If customers disagree with the modified terms of the personal data protection clause, they may request deletion of their personal data.

          6. Risks and security

Risk is a factor which is inherent to every trip. As part of the service supplied to every customer, Japan Experience will make every effort to provide them with services which are adapted to their requirements and free of specific risks.

Customers remain, however, solely responsible for their own safety during their trip to Japan and may in no case hold Japan Experience liable for any risk which arises and for which the company is not responsible. Regarding this point, Japan Experience would like to remind customers of the necessity, prior to any trip, of obtaining information about the specific risks, laws and practices which apply to the country you are travelling to.

          7. Force majeure

Japan Experience cannot be held liable in a case of force majeure. In compliance with Article 1148 of the Civil Code, force majeure is characterized by an external, unforeseen and uncontrollable event which is beyond the control of any of the parties.

          8. Customer service

For any questions relating to the order they have placed, customers may contact a Japan Experience counsellor by proceeding as follows:
By telephone: + 33 (0) 1 42 61 60 83
By e-mail: using the address contact@vivreleJapan.com
By mail: by writing to Japan Experience, 30 rue Sainte Anne, 75001 Paris, France

          9. Election of jurisdiction clause

In case of any dispute arising regarding the application of these general conditions of sale and the interpretation thereof, customers acting as consumers may have recourse to a consumer mediator, whose contact details will be provided by Japan Experience.

In a general sense, any dispute regarding the application of these general conditions of sale and the interpretation and execution thereof and of sales contracts agreed by Japan Experience, or the payment of the price, will be brought before the courts in Paris, wherever the order, delivery or payment was made and whatever the mode of payment, even in case of proceedings involving the introduction of third parties or proceedings involving multiple defendants.

          10. Renunciation

If Japan Experience does not, at a given time, rely upon one of the clauses in these terms and conditions, this will not equate to renunciation of the right to rely upon the same clauses at another time.

          11. Applicable law

Any question relating to these general conditions of sale as well as to the sales they regulate which is not dealt with by these contractual stipulations will be settled by French law, to the exclusion of any other legal regime.

To be regarded as final, a registration is submitted when it is made more than 35 days before the departure date, after payment of a deposit for 35% of the total amount for the services. 

For any registration less than 35 days before the departure date, payment must only be made once for the full amount of the trip. Registration will only be regarded as final after receipt of payment and when the registration form has been correctly completed and signed.

An extension of your stay for a tour is possible if the booking is made at the time of registration.  

A costs of 40€ per person will be charged in addition to the price of additional services. The purchase of domestic flights without landing services and or without an international flight involves the invoicing for the booking costs for 40€ per person. The amount for insurance premiums taken out by the customer for their trip is paid when booking and after the payment of the deposit or any other sum sent by the customer with their registration.

1.4. Billing

The invoice will be sent to the customer in the 8 days following registration. The balance of the amount for the trip should be paid without a reminder from us, at the latest 35 days before the departure date, any delay paying the balance may be considered as a cancellation for which the application of the cancellation costs referred to in Article 4 below will be made.

1.5 Rates

The prices charged by Japan Experience vary according to the services required by customers and are systematically signaled whenever an order is finalized.The prices charged by Japan Experience vary according to the services required by customers and are systematically signaled whenever an order is finalized.

When an order is concluded, the price indicated is fixed and binding as of that date. It is given in euros (€) and cannot be modified by either party except in cases where it is authorized by the law, which are set out below.

In accordance with the law, we may have to amend our prices and programmes to take account:
- changes in the cost of transport, related in particular to fuel costs.
- changes to fees and taxes related to the services provided such as landing, boarding or disembarking fees.
- exchange rate changes applied to the trip or stay concerned.

In this case the part that can be re-assessed is equal to the amount of local land services paid by Japan Experience in the local currency. The reference prices used for the calculation is indicated when signing the registration form, the price is fixed and final on that date.It is expressed in € and may not be amended by any of the parties except in cases authorised by law mentioned above.The reference rate which is used for calculation is indicated when the enrolment form is signed. If the price changes, Japan Experience undertakes to inform the customer by mail more than 30 days before the departure date.


1.6 Land services

Japan Experience sells land services.Any unused services in Japan will not be refunded. The services in Japan voluntarily modified are subject to the conditions of the local providers: any additional or replacement services generating a surcharge must be settled directly with the local agencies and may not, in any case incur the liability of Japan Experience; no unused services will be refunded.

1.7 Single room and triple room

A customer who is registered alone and has opted for a single room will be charged the supplement at the time of booking for guided tours.

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the comfort of an individual room is inferior to that of a twin room despite the fact that the price is higher than half that of the twin room.

The basic price for three people includes a twin room and an extra bed (given that this service is less than comfortable for three adults, in this case we advise you to opt for an individual room). If the third person wants an individual room, the extra cost will be invoiced.

1.8 Insurance

Japan Experience offers you, when registering for one of our services, taking out extra insurance with its specialized broker, Chapka Assurances, 56 Rue Laffitte, 75009 Paris.

Taking out one of the insurance contracts must be done when paying the deposit, and may not take place after any deposit payment.

Please contact your advisor concerning the insurance rates when deciding to register for one of our services. An individual contract will be provided for you with all the conditions and guarantees subject to your contract insurance.

1.9 Tour cancellation conditions and costs

* Cancellation due to insufficient number of participants

Guided tours require specific organization and a minimum number of participants. This number is indicated in our brochures or other formats where our travel offers can be viewed (internet, press…) for each tours.

We may exceptionally be forced to cancel a departure if the number of participants registered is lower than the minimum required as featured in the brochures or in the other supports for our travel offers (online, press, etc.) for each trip.

Japan Experience will communicate this decision at the latest 22 calendar days prior to the departure date initially planned for and will proceed to reimburse any sums already paid within a maximum timeframe of 8 weeks; Japan Experience will also be able to provide, upon request from customers and as far as is possible, individual circuit or travel services corresponding to the amount already paid.

* Tour cancellation conditions and costs by the customer

If the customer is obliged to cancel their trip after signing the registration form, they must notify this to Japan Experience by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, as soon as possible.
The sending date will be retained as the cancellation date for the invoicing of the cancellation costs.

Scale of cancellation costs:
* Until 35 days prior to departure: 10%
* From 35 to 21 days prior to departure: 25%
* From 20 to 8 days prior to departure: 50%
* From 7 to 3 days prior to departure: 75%
* From 2 to departing day : 100%

Beside cancellation fees, Japan Experience undertakes to proceed to reimburse any sums paid with a maximum timeframe of 15 days starting from the date of cancellation.

2. Air Transport 

2.1. General conditions

Japan Experience will contact you during your registration with the identity of the air carrier, known on this date, likely to be ensuring the flight. If this changes,  Japan Experience  undertakes to keep you informed before your departure of any change to the identity of the air carrier.

Japan Experience undertakes to ensure that all airlines used to depart from France will be admitted, by the competent administrative authorities to serve France.

In accordance with the Warsaw convention, the airline may have to modify, without prior notice, schedules and/or the itinerary.These amendments as well as any technical incident external to Japan Experience, any delay, cancellation, strikes, additional stopovers, change of equipment, routes, political events, or weather cannot justify the client waiving payment for the trip or the payment of any compensation by Japan Experience.

2.2 Methods of payment

Air Transport can be fully (100%) paid upon reservation.

2.3 Minors

Registration requests for minors must be signed by the father, mother or legal guardian and bear the words "agreement of the father, mother or legal guardian". They must also hold the identity documents required required for the trip with a permit to leave mainland France. Finally, a telephone number and address must be provided enabling to the child or the person responsible to establish a direct link.

2.4. Conditions and cancellation cost

Tickets issued in respect of certain public prices by the airlines and/or certain promotional rates negotiated will entail the invoicing of 100% of the costs in the case of cancellation regardless of the date.

Given the issue times imposed by certain airlines, we have to issue tickets sixty days before departure or immediately when booking. As soon as these tickets have been issued and regardless of the cancellation date, cancellation costs corresponding to 100% of the ticket price will be charged.

If you can't find the information you're looking for, feel free to contact us by email or directly on: +44 (0)20 3514 6932.