Operating Rules & Privacy Policy

Consultations are currently offered in Japanese only.
This is a reference translation. The Japanese text is the official version.

Go to the Operating Rules / Go to the Privacy Policy
The privacy policy for our apps and browser extensions is here (Japanese and English)
Our policy on customer harassment is here

Operating Rules

(Preamble)
SOYOGI is a non-profit activity that has no corporate legal status. It is run by its representative as an individual, and anonymous collaborators support it. These rules are the operating rules that the representative has set out and published on his own, so that he can be accountable to the people who support this activity and the people who use it.

Article 1 (Name)

This activity is called "Kaigo to Shien no Soudan-dokoro Soyogi" (abbreviated as "Soyogi"; written as SOYOGI in English).

Article 2 (Operator)

This activity is operated by its representative, Hironobu Chiba. Its address and contact details are published on the official website.

Article 3 (Purpose)

The purpose of this activity is to provide consultation support that anyone can use free of charge while remaining anonymous, together with free digital support tools, and thereby to contribute to a society in which no one is left behind, including people whose circumstances make the existing welfare systems hard to reach.

Article 4 (Work)

To achieve the purpose set out in the preceding article, this activity carries out the following work.

(1) Operating free consultation services in virtual spaces on the internet and similar venues
(2) Developing, publishing, and maintaining free applications and tools related to welfare and daily living support
(3) Sharing information on welfare, on running an organization, and on related subjects
(4) Receiving donations and managing them
(5) Providing services such as consultations for a fee (all of the proceeds from which are used for this activity)
(6) Any other work necessary to achieve the purpose

Article 5 (Non-profit Nature)

1. This activity is not conducted for profit. Donations and revenue from its work are used in full for this activity, and are not used for the representative's private benefit.
2. Costs shared between the activity and private use (such as communication charges) are apportioned on a reasonable basis, and only the portion attributable to the activity is treated as an activity expense.
3. Reimbursement of activity expenses advanced by the representative, and repayment of money borrowed for the activity, do not constitute private benefit as referred to in the preceding paragraphs.

Article 6 (Independence)

In order to keep this activity independent, it does not accept subsidies or grants from government bodies.

Article 7 (Guarantee of Anonymity for Collaborators)

1. This activity guarantees that collaborators (volunteers) may take part while remaining anonymous, and does not ask them to disclose their real names or any other personal information.
2. Even when taking part anonymously, collaborators act in accordance with the handling of personal information set out in the following article, and keep the content of consultations confidential.

Article 8 (Anonymity of Those Who Consult Us, and Personal Information)

1. The consultation support provided by this activity can be used anonymously.
2. Personal information learned in the course of the activity is used only to the extent necessary to run this activity, and is not disclosed to third parties, except where required by law, or where it is urgent and unavoidable in order to protect a person's life, body, or property.

Article 9 (Accounting and Transparency)

1. The fiscal year of this activity begins on January 1 and ends on December 31 of the same year.
2. The income and expenditure of this activity are recorded in the accounts separately from the representative's own household finances. Because this activity has no corporate legal status, its funds belong in law to the representative as an individual, and are declared for tax purposes as that individual's income. Those funds are nevertheless used solely for this activity, in accordance with these rules.
3. A summary of income and expenditure is published at least once a year on the official website, on note, or through similar channels.
4. This activity is not a recipient of donations that qualifies for preferential tax treatment. For this reason, donations to this activity are not eligible for a charitable donation deduction on the donor's side.

Article 10 (Amendment and Repeal)

These rules may be amended by the representative. When they are amended, the content of the amendment and its date are published.

Article 11 (Ending the Activity)

If this activity is brought to an end, the reasons for doing so and the treatment of any remaining activity funds and other assets are published and explained. On termination, unpaid expenses and borrowings (including amounts advanced by the representative) are settled, and if activity funds still remain, efforts are made to donate them to a non-profit activity with a purpose similar to this one.

Supplementary Provisions

1. This activity was founded on May 7, 2025, and its consultation service began operating on June 15, 2025.
2. These rules were established on August 4, 2026, and apply from that same day.

Privacy Policy

1. Operator Information

Name: SOYOGI Care & Support Consultation, "Kaigo to Shien no Soudan-dokoro Soyogi" (hereinafter "our office")
Address: 2F-C, Shibuya Dogenzaka Tokyu Building, 1-10-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0043, Japan
Representative: Hironobu Chiba

2. Definition of Personal Information

"Personal information" in this privacy policy means the information defined in Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information of Japan.
Our office is built on the premise that exchanges are anonymous. Even so, information that could lead to identifying a user (such as nicknames, IDs of various kinds, IP addresses, device information, and browser information) is also managed appropriately, in the same manner as personal information.

3. How We Obtain Personal Information

Our office obtains personal information in the following ways.
- Registration details entered when using the metaverse consultation service, and the various applications and other services that our office provides
- Information entered and sent by users through our inquiry form, by email, through social media, and through similar channels

4. Purposes for Which We Use Personal Information

The personal information we obtain is used only within the scope necessary for the following purposes.
- To provide and operate our consultation service and our other services
- To improve our services, analyze usage trends, and develop new services
- To comply with laws and regulations, prevent misuse, and ensure safety

5. Ensuring Anonymity

Our office takes the greatest possible care to ensure that exchanges between users, and between our office and users, take place anonymously.
In order to protect the privacy and the anonymity of everyone who uses our services, we do not, as a rule, obtain direct personal information such as name, address, or telephone number.
However, we may obtain and store the minimum information necessary (such as IP addresses) in order to keep our services safe, to prevent trouble, or to comply with laws and regulations.

These records are kept only by our office, and are never passed to third parties, including other users, except in the cases set out in Section 8. Voice in the SOYOGI metaverse is delivered through a relay server, so the IP address of your connection is never passed to the devices of other users in the same room.

6. Recordings in the "SOYOGI" Metaverse

Our office places the safety and peace of mind of everyone who uses our services above all else. In order to preserve evidence that can be submitted immediately to the police, lawyers, and similar parties in the event of harassment, defamation, or similar acts, we keep records (1) to (3) below in the SOYOGI metaverse. These records are never used for any purpose other than this. In addition, we keep record (4) in order to investigate and fix problems with voice.

(1) Chat records
Chat messages are recorded on our server at the moment they are sent, together with the message text, the date and time, the room name, the display name, and the IP address of the connection. This record remains even if the message is deleted on screen. Records are kept for 180 days, and records older than that are deleted automatically.

(2) Screen recordings
Only when the administrator (our representative) judges it necessary, the screen at that moment (including the 3D space, the chat, the list of people in the room, and any ongoing video call) and the audio in that room may be recorded. There is no constant recording; a recording covers only the period from when it is started until it is stopped. The voices and appearances of everyone present in the same space are recorded together. We do not announce at the time that a recording has been started. These recordings are not sent to or stored on the server; they are stored only on the representative's own device, and are deleted after 180 days.

(3) Entry and exit records
When you enter or leave the SOYOGI metaverse, change your display name, or are removed from a room (kick or ban), the date and time, the room name, the display name, and the IP address of the connection are recorded on our server. Records are kept for 180 days, and records older than that are deleted automatically. The IP address, display names, and dates and times used to enforce a ban are, however, kept without a fixed retention period, for use in judging repeat cases, until our office clears that record. In addition, if a connection that has been removed from a room later opens a page of our official website or the art catalogue, the date and time, the page, and the IP address of that connection are kept for the same period. IP addresses of any other visitors are not stored.

(4) Voice connection records
In order to investigate and fix problems such as voice cutting out in the SOYOGI metaverse, we record on our server how the voice is delivered (for example, whether it goes through the server), the number of dropouts, delays, and losses, the method of communication with the server, the noise suppression setting, and approximate information about your device's performance and connection (such as the number of CPU cores, the approximate amount of memory, and the type of connection), together with the date and time, the room name, and the display name. These records do not include what is said or the content of conversations, the IP address of the connection, or the names of devices such as microphones. These records are used only to investigate and improve problems, are kept for 30 days, and are then deleted automatically.

Note: The 180-day retention period is set to match the periods for which telecommunications carriers retain their own connection records.

7. Records from the Booking Form, Private Pages, Email and Messages

The contents sent from the booking form on our official site (the preferred date and time, name, an optional email address, and the text of your request), and the exchanges (messages and images) on the private page issued after sending, are recorded on our server together with the date and time of transmission and the IP address of the connection. The date and time at which a private page is opened, and the IP address of that connection, are also recorded, so that unauthorized viewing by a third party can be noticed. We also record the date and time at which a reply from SOYOGI is displayed on your private page, so that the administrator (our representative) can check whether you have seen a reply, even when no answer comes back. This record is shown only on the administrator's screen, and not on your private page.

Unlike the records described in Section 6, these records are kept without a fixed retention period, so that we can continue responding to a consultation over a long period of time, and so that evidence can be submitted immediately to the police, lawyers, and similar parties in the event of harassment, defamation, or similar acts. If you would like your own records deleted, please contact us as described in Section 10.

The contents of a private page cannot be viewed by anyone other than the person who knows its URL and the administrator (our representative). An email address entered voluntarily is used only to notify you of replies, and to re-send your private page URL if you lose it.

What you send us by email, or by direct message (DM) on social media such as X or Instagram, is also kept without a fixed retention period, so that we can continue responding to a consultation over a long period of time, and so that evidence can be secured in the event of harassment, defamation, or similar acts. If you would like your own records deleted, please contact us as described in Section 10.

8. Provision of Personal Information to Third Parties

Our office does not provide personal information to third parties without the user's consent, except where required by law, or where it is necessary in order to protect a person's life, body, or property and it is difficult to obtain that person's consent.
We may, however, create statistical data and similar material processed so that individuals cannot be identified, and provide or publish it externally.

9. Security Measures for Personal Information

Our office takes appropriate security measures, including measures to prevent the leakage, loss, or damage of the personal information we obtain.
We use encryption and similar technologies to protect communications, and we work to prevent unauthorized access and information leaks.

10. Requests for Disclosure, Correction, or Deletion of Retained Personal Data

Users may request the disclosure, correction, suspension of use, or deletion of their own personal information.
For details on how to make such a request, please contact us at the contact points listed below.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

The content of this policy may be revised without prior notice, in response to changes in laws and regulations, changes to our services, and similar circumstances.
A revised policy takes effect from the moment it is posted in the place designated by our office.

12. Contact

For questions or concerns about the handling of personal information, or to make a request such as a request for disclosure, please contact us at the following.
- Email: Hiro@soudansoyogi.com
- X (Twitter) account: @SOUDAN_SOYOGI
- Instagram account: mai_m_2023
Note: For prompt day-to-day contact and a reliable response, we ask that you write to us first by email or by direct message on social media.

Revised on August 28, 2026 (Section 6, Recordings in the "SOYOGI" Metaverse, added).
Revised on September 1, 2026 (Section 7, Records from the Booking Form and Private Pages, added; later sections renumbered).
Revised on September 25, 2026 (Section 5: added how records are handled and that voice is relayed; Section 6: added (3) Entry and exit records).
Revised on September 27, 2026 (Section 6: added (4) Voice connection records).
Revised on October 3, 2026 (Section 7: added how we keep what you send by email or social media DM, and renamed the section).
Revised on October 9, 2026 (Section 7: added the record of when a reply is displayed on your private page).