Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy / Starts Corporation Inc.

Starts Corporation Inc. and its group companies (hereinafter referred to collectively as "the Company") recognize that protecting and properly handling the personal information of customers, business partners, job applicants, and other individuals (hereinafter referred to collectively as "customers") is of paramount importance to the Company’s business operations. With this in mind, the Company manages such information with the utmost care and is committed to its protection. This Policy sets forth the Company’s basic principles for the protection and handling of personal information. Regarding the handling of specific personal information and individual numbers under the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures (the “My Number Act”), the Company's “Basic Policy on the Handling of Specific Personal Information” shall apply separately.

1.Definitions

  • (1) Personal information means information relating to a living individual (including name, gender, address, date of birth, telephone number, fax number, email address, place of employment, information concerning family members, contract details, details of contracted properties, information regarding assets held, insurance enrollment status, and information regarding the use of credit cards issued by the Company or issued through business alliances with the Company) that can identify a specific individual, either individually or in combination with other information. It also includes marks, codes, or other identifiers derived from physical characteristics that can identify a specific individual (including data relating to fingerprints, palm vein patterns, voiceprints, iris data, and facial data), as well as numbers or other codes assigned to an individual that can identify a specific person (such as passport numbers, national pension numbers, driver’s license numbers, and insurance identification numbers).
  • (2) Personal data means personal data of customers handled by the Company that is organized in a manner that enables the identification of a specific individual, including information that can be retrieved through computer search functions or that is otherwise arranged so as to be readily searchable according to certain criteria.
  • (3) Retained personal data means personal data of customers handled by the Company that has been created or organized by the Company and over which the Company has the authority to disclose, correct, or otherwise process. However, this excludes data specified by laws and regulations.

2.Methods of Acquiring Personal Information

The Company shall acquire customers’ personal information by lawful and fair means.

3.Use of Personal Information

  • (1) When requesting personal information from customers, the Company shall specify the purpose of use in advance, except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations. For details regarding the purposes of use, please refer to Appendix 1 of the Items for Disclosure “Purpose of Use of Personal Information.”
  • (2) Except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations, the Company shall use personal information provided by customers only within the scope of the specified purpose of use and to the extent necessary for the performance of its business operations.

4.Joint Use of Personal Data and Entrustment of Operations

In the course of its business operations, the Company may, in accordance with Appendix 2 of the Items for Disclosure “Joint Use of Personal Information,” jointly use personal data with the Company (including its group companies), franchisees, and business partners, or entrust the handling of such data to third parties. In such cases, the Company shall exercise appropriate supervision to ensure that such third parties handle customers’ personal information in a strict and appropriate manner.

5.Provision of Personal Data to Third Parties

Except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations, the Company shall not provide or disclose customers’ personal data to any third party without the prior consent of the customer.

6.Security Measures for Retained Personal Data

With respect to retained personal information, the Company shall implement reasonable and appropriate security measures, including organizational measures and safeguards relating to information and communication technologies, in addition to general crime prevention measures, in order to protect and properly manage such data.

7.Disclosure, Correction, and Suspension of Use of Retained Personal Data

The Company recognizes that customers have the right to request disclosure, correction, suspension of use, or other actions with respect to their retained personal data. Upon receiving such requests, the Company shall respond promptly in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. However, requests for the deletion or erasure of all personal data held by the Company regarding a customer may not be accepted in the following cases:

  • (1) Where it would interfere with the performance of the Company’s business operations, including the fulfillment of contracts, provision of after-sales services, or other customer services;
  • (2) Where it would interfere with statutory document retention obligations.

For details regarding request procedures, please refer to Appendix 4 of the Items for Disclosure “Requests Regarding Retained Personal Information.”

8.Publication and Amendment of This Policy

This Policy shall be published on the Company’s website （https://www.starts.co.jp/）
A printed copy of this Policy will also be made available at the Company’s head office and each of its business locations.
This Policy may be revised as necessary (The latest version will be posted on this website).

9.Contact for Requests and Inquiries Regarding Personal Information

The Company has appointed an executive officer as the Personal Information Protection Administrator to oversee the protection and proper management of personal information. The General Affairs Department is designated as the department responsible for ensuring thorough protection and management.

Personal Information Manager, General Affairs Department, Starts Corporation Inc.

Starts Yaesu Chuo Building, 3-4-10 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
TEL: 03-6202-0111 / E-mail address: startsgroup@starts.co.jp
Established on March 31, 2005
Partially revised on October 1, October 19 and October 23, 2005
Partially revised on January 31 and April 11, 2006
Partially revised on October 1, 2008
Partially revised on July 25, 2013
Partially revised on November 11, 2014
Partially revised on January 1, 2016
Partially revised on May 30, 2017
Partially revised on April 1, 2022

Starts Corporation Inc.
Toyotaka Muraishi, President

Items for Disclosure (Appendix to the Privacy Policy)

1.Purpose of Use of Personal Information

In conducting its various businesses to support customers in achieving a better quality of life, the Starts Group uses personal information appropriately and solely to the extent necessary for such purposes. The purposes of use of personal information are as described below in (1).

  • (1) Purposes of use of personal information
    • <1> Provision of various products and services related to the businesses of the Starts Group, and the provision of after-sales services for such products and services
    • <2> Sales activities associated with the provision of the above products and services (including preparation and delivery of materials, shipment of goods, and provision of information regarding products, services, and campaigns)
    • <3> Various procedures related to the provision of the above products and services (including loan arrangements, permits and licenses, registrations, and the handling of related procedures on behalf of customers as their agent)
    • <4> Improvement of products and services and development of new products and services in each of the Starts Group’s businesses
    • <5> Recruitment and hiring activities of the Starts Group
    • <6> Operation of membership services of the Starts Group
    • <7> Matters incidental to the above purposes
  • (2) Principal businesses of the Starts Group (in Japan and overseas)
    • <1> Proposals regarding the utilization of land and buildings
    • <2> Contracting for planning, proposal, design, design supervision, construction, and construction supervision of various buildings
    • <3> Contracting for the design, design supervision, construction, and construction supervision of civil engineering, exterior, landscaping, and other construction works incidental to building construction
    • <4> Contracting for the planning, proposal, design, design supervision, construction, and construction supervision of additions, renovations, remodeling, maintenance, and repair works for various buildings
    • <5> Wholesale and retail of construction materials and housing equipment, and development of housing equipment
    • <6> Purchase and sale of real estate, including land and buildings
    • <7> Agency and brokerage services for the sale, purchase, and leasing of real estate, including land and buildings
    • <8> Leasing of real estate, including land and buildings
    • <9> Undertaking and contracting for property management services for real estate, including land and buildings
    • <10>Cleaning of real estate, including land and buildings, and contracting for repair and maintenance management of equipment and facilities
    • <11>Contracting for rent collection and settlement management services for rental properties
    • <12>Surveys, planning, design, construction, supervision, engineering, management, and consulting related to land utilization, regional development, urban development, land development, and environmental improvement
    • <13>Surveys, planning, design, construction, supervision, engineering, management, and consulting based on requests from governmental and public organizations
    • <14>Development, sale, agency, and brokerage of securities, referral services for housing loans, and consultation services regarding financial products
    • <15>Sale and agency services for life insurance, non-life insurance, and small-amount short-term insurance
    • <16>Planning, development, and operation of real estate investment trusts (REITs), and contracting for such services
    • <17>Manufacture and sale of keys and key-related products
    • <18>Publication of printed materials including magazines and books
    • <19>Development, production, and operation of websites, and contracting for such services
    • <20>Planning and operation of events, and contracting for such services
    • <21>Advertising agency services
    • <22>Planning and implementation of surveys, including market research, and contracting for such services
    • <23>Planning, sale, agency, brokerage, and operation of travel services
    • <24>Planning, development, and operation of hotels and other lodging facilities, and contracting for such services
    • <25>Planning, development, and operation of training facilities, and contracting for such services
    • <26>Planning, development, and operation of restaurants, retail stores, bookstores, and similar establishments, and contracting for such services
    • <27>Planning, development, and operation of senior support facilities including group homes and nursing homes and childcare facilities, and contracting for such services
    • <28>Issuance of credit cards
    • <29>Planning, development, and operation of golf courses and resort facilities, and contracting for such services
    • <30>Planning, development, and sale of golf course memberships and resort memberships, and agency and brokerage services related to their sale and purchase
    • <31>Provision of lending and loan recovery services
    • <32>Arranging business opportunities for Starts Group businesses through franchise and business alliance arrangements
    • <33>Accounting support services for individuals and corporations and support services for company establishment, inheritance procedures, and business succession
    • <34>Operation and management of commercial facilities
    • <35>Operation of art museums
    • <36>Operation of rental conference rooms
    • <37>Pharmacy business
    • <38>Rental guarantee services for tenants of rental housing
    • <39>Worker dispatch services
    • <40>Security services
    • <41>Businesses incidental to the above items

2.Joint Use of Personal Information

The Starts Group operates various businesses to support customers in achieving a better quality of life. In order to efficiently provide comprehensive services to customers, the Company will jointly use customer information acquired by each company with its group companies, companies with which it has concluded franchise agreements, and companies with which it has business alliances, within the scope of the aforementioned “1. Purpose of Use of Personal Information.” Each company participating in the joint use of customer information shall be responsible for its own use of such information. However, Starts Corporation Inc. shall act as the responsible company and shall bear joint and several liability for the joint use of such information by the participating companies.

3.Handling of Personal Information on Our Website

  • (1) When accessing the Company’s website, customers may view most of the Company’s products, services, and corporate information without providing personal information. However, customers will be required to provide personal information in the following cases. In such cases, personal information will be handled in accordance with our “Privacy Policy.”
    • <1> Requests for materials or inquiries regarding our products, services, or company information
    • <2> Reservations or inquiries regarding the Company’s facilities
    • <3> Use of certain services (such as email newsletters or membership programs)
    • <4> Applications for or participation in campaigns, events, or similar activities
    • <5> Responses to surveys
  • (2) The Company shall not be responsible for the handling of personal information on third-party websites linked from its website. Please review the privacy policies and related notices available on each linked website.
  • (3) Cookies
    Certain pages on the Company’s website use “cookies” to collect browsing history to enhance user convenience when using the Company’s website, as well as to provide services, conduct user analysis, and display advertisements. Cookies are text files used to identify a customer’s computer on a website. They consist of a sequence of numbers sent by a web server and stored on a customer’s computer, and they do not contain any personal information. Customers who wish to refuse cookies may do so by adjusting their browser settings. Even if cookies are refused, customers may continue to use the Company’s website, although certain functions may not be available. Please note that when the Company outsources advertising distribution to third parties, cookies may be stored and accessed through such third parties.

4.Requests Regarding Retained Personal Information

The Company will respond to requests for disclosure, correction, suspension of use, deletion, and other matters concerning personal information it retains as follows.

  • (1) Contact for Requests

Personal Information Manager, General Affairs Department, Starts Corporation Inc.

Starts Yaesu Chuo Building, 3-4-10 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0027, Japan
TEL: +81 3-6202-0111 / E-mail address: startsgroup@starts.co.jp
  • (2) Hours and Methods for Requests
    Requests are accepted at the above contact point on business days from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. by mail, in-person visit, telephone, or email. In submitting a request, we ask for your cooperation with the matters described in “(3) Required Procedures” below. Please note that if such cooperation is not provided, we may not be able to respond to your request.
  • (3) Required Procedures
    In connection with your request, we ask for your cooperation with the following:
    • <1>Please complete the Company’s designated request form.
    • <2> We will verify your identity using a government-issued photo identification document such as a driver’s license or passport (photocopies will not be accepted).
    • <3>If the request is made by an agent, we will verify the agent’s identity and review documentation proving the agent’s authority (such as a power of attorney bearing a registered seal and a certificate of seal registration).
    • <4> An interview with a representative of the Company will be conducted.
    • <5>After receiving a request, a certain period of time may be required to identify the relevant personal information and to prepare the necessary measures, responses, and explanations.
    • <6>No fee will be charged for requests that involve only standard verification, processing, and reporting procedures, provided that appropriate identity verification and required documentation have been submitted in advance. However, if the request exceeds this scope and actual costs are incurred or special handling is required, the Company may request payment of reasonable fees.
    • <7>The request form and any attached documents (including identification documents) submitted in connection with the request will be retained and managed by the Company as a record of the request.