Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

Art in Japan (artsofjapan.jp) is a platform dedicated to helping visitors discover art spaces, galleries, museums, and exhibitions throughout Japan. We understand that exploring Japan's art scene is a personal experience, and we are committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who uses our service. This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we collect when you browse art spaces and exhibitions on our website, how that information is used, and the choices available to you regarding your data.

By accessing or using Art in Japan, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please discontinue use of the website.

1. Information We Collect

Our data collection practices are designed to enhance your experience discovering art in Japan while minimizing the personal information we require. We collect the following categories of information:

1.1 Local Storage Data

Art in Japanuses your browser's local storage to save your preferences and activity on the site. This data never leaves your device unless you explicitly choose to sync it. Local storage data includes:

• Bookmarked Art Spaces: When you bookmark a gallery, museum, or art venue, the identifier is stored locally so you can return to it later.
• Exhibition Preferences: Your preferred exhibition types (e.g., contemporary art, traditional Japanese art, photography, sculpture) are saved to personalize search results.
• Art Space Search History: Recent searches for art spaces by region, art form, or artist name are cached locally to provide quick access to previous queries.
• Gallery Viewing Patterns: Information about which art space detail pages you have visited, enabling us to suggest related venues and exhibitions.

1.2 Usage Data

When you visit Art in Japan, our servers and analytics tools automatically record standard technical information, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location (city-level)
• Browser type, version, and language settings
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited, including specific art space and exhibition pages
• Time spent viewing art space listings and exhibition schedules
• Referring website or search engine query that led you to Art in Japan

1.3 Map and Location Data

Art in Japan displays art space locations on interactive maps. When you interact with our maps to find nearby galleries or museums, your approximate location may be shared with our mapping provider if you grant browser permission. We use this data solely to show art spaces near you and do not store precise geolocation on our servers.

1.4 User-Provided Data

If you contact us through our inquiry form to report incorrect art space information, suggest a new gallery or exhibition, or ask a question, we collect the information you voluntarily provide, such as your email address, name, and message content.

2. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect serves the following purposes specific to Art in Japan:

• Display art spaces, galleries, and museums on maps and in search results relevant to your interests
• Remember your bookmarked venues and exhibition preferences across browsing sessions
• Analyze which art categories, regions, and exhibition types are most popular to improve our content coverage
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date art space listings, including opening hours and exhibition schedules
• Respond to user inquiries about art venues and correct listing inaccuracies
• Detect and prevent misuse, scraping, or unauthorized access to our art space database
• Generate aggregated, non-identifying statistics about art tourism trends in Japan

3. Third-Party Services

We rely on a limited number of trusted third-party services to operate Art in Japan. Each service may collect certain data as described below:

4. Cookies and Local Storage

Art in Japan uses a combination of cookies and browser local storage to provide a seamless art discovery experience:

• Analytics Cookies: Set by Google Analytics to distinguish unique visitors and track how users navigate between art space listings. These cookies expire after 2 years of inactivity.
• Local Storage — Bookmarks: Your saved galleries, museums, and art spaces are stored in browser local storage under site-specific keys. This data persists until you clear it manually.
• Local Storage — Preferences: Your preferred art categories (e.g., ukiyo-e, modern art, ceramics), region filters, and display settings are saved locally.
• Local Storage — Search Cache: Recent art space search queries are cached to speed up repeated searches.

You can clear local storage data at any time through your browser's developer tools or settings. Disabling cookies may limit analytics functionality but will not prevent you from browsing art spaces.

5. Data Retention

We retain different types of data for different periods based on their purpose:

• Analytics data: Retained in Google Analytics for up to 14 months, after which it is automatically deleted or aggregated.
• Server logs: Retained for up to 30 days for security and debugging purposes.
• Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 12 months to track art space correction requests and respond to ongoing inquiries.
• Local storage data: Controlled entirely by you and remains on your device until you clear it.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have specific rights regarding your personal data. Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), you may be entitled to:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Object to or restrict certain types of data processing
• Request a portable copy of your data in a structured format
• Withdraw consent at any time for processing based on consent
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your rights have been violated

Since most personalization data on Art in Japanis stored in your browser's local storage, you can exercise direct control by clearing your browser data. For any server-side data requests, please contact us at info@artsofjapan.jp.

7. International Data Transfers

Art in Japan is operated from Japan and our primary database infrastructure is located in the Asia-Pacific region. However, some of our third-party service providers (such as Google Analytics, Vercel, and Sentry) may process data in other countries, including the United States. These transfers are conducted under appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent mechanisms to ensure your data receives adequate protection regardless of where it is processed.

8. Children's Privacy

Art in Japan is an informational resource about art spaces in Japan and is intended for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal data to us, please contact us at info@artsofjapan.jp and we will promptly delete such information.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our data practices, new third-party services, or applicable legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage visitors who are interested in Japan's art scene to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or need to report an issue related to an art space listing on Art in Japan, please reach out to us:

• Email: info@artsofjapan.jp
• Website: artsofjapan.jp

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days of receipt.