Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-04-17

1. Who we are

TONE TOKYO ("we", "our", "us") is an independent editorial publication operated by KAKEHASHI Inc.("KAKEHASHI"), a company registered in Japan. This policy explains what personal information we collect through tone-tokyo.com, how we use it, and the choices you have.

2. Information we collect

We keep the information we collect to the minimum needed to operate the site:

  • Newsletter signup: your email address, submitted via the form on this site.
  • Analytics: anonymized usage data such as pages visited, approximate region, device type, and referrer — collected via Google Analytics 4 (see §5 below).
  • Contact correspondence: the contents of any email you send to contact@tone-tokyo.com.

We do not collect names, addresses, phone numbers, payment information, or any special category data (such as health or political information).

How long we keep it:

  • Newsletter subscribers: until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in every newsletter email, or by writing to contact@tone-tokyo.com.
  • Google Analytics 4 data: 26 months (the GA4 default retention period).
  • Contact form submissions: 3 years, then deleted — unless an ongoing correspondence requires longer retention.

3. How we use your information

  • Newsletter emails: we use your email address only to send you the TONE TOKYO newsletter and related updates.
  • Site improvement: we use aggregated analytics to understand which articles resonate with readers and to improve editorial direction.
  • Correspondence: we use contact emails solely to reply to you.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes. Ever.

4. Third-party services we use

  • Supabase, Inc.— stores newsletter subscriber email addresses. Data is held on Supabase's infrastructure in the United States.
  • Google Analytics 4 (Google LLC) — provides anonymized traffic statistics. GA4 may transfer data to Google servers outside the EU, including in the United States.
  • Vercel Inc. — hosts the website. Server logs may be processed in multiple regions.
  • Sanity.io (Sanity AS) — stores the editorial content of the site. No reader data is stored in Sanity.

Each of these providers has its own privacy practices, which we encourage you to review.

5. Cookies and tracking

We use a small number of cookies, mostly set by Google Analytics 4, to understand site traffic. These cookies do not identify you personally. We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking pixels.

You can disable cookies via your browser settings at any time. For EU/EEA/UK visitors, we are rolling out a cookie consent banner in Phase 1 that will offer two choices on your first visit:

  • Accept all: enables Google Analytics 4 so we can understand which articles resonate with readers.
  • Essential only: disables Google Analytics 4 on your device. The site will work exactly the same for you; we simply will not record your visit in analytics.

Your choice is remembered in your browser's local storage so the banner does not reappear. You can change your choice at any time by clearing site data in your browser or by emailing contact@tone-tokyo.com.

6. International data transfers

Because Supabase and Google Analytics operate from the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in countries outside Japan or the European Economic Area. We rely on these providers' own safeguards (standard contractual clauses and equivalent mechanisms) to ensure your data receives adequate protection.

7. Your rights

Under applicable data protection laws (including Japan's APPI, the EU GDPR, and the UK GDPR), you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • Deleteyour information ("right to be forgotten").
  • Stop our processing of your information at any time (including unsubscribing from the newsletter).
  • Object to analytics collection, where applicable under local law.
  • Portability: request a copy of your data in a portable format.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at contact@tone-tokyo.com. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

8. Contact

Questions about this policy, or about how we handle your information?

KAKEHASHI Inc.
Tokyo, Japan
Email: contact@tone-tokyo.com

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Significant changes will be announced via the newsletter and via an updated "Last updated" date at the top of this page.