1. Introduction

Sake Gate (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information, particularly the personal information collected when you use our website Sake Gate (sakegate.com) (the “Website”), specifically when you choose to sign up for our newsletter.

By using the Website and choosing to sign up for our newsletter, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We aim to collect minimal personal information. The primary way we collect personal information is when you voluntarily provide it to us:

  • Newsletter Signup: If you choose to subscribe to our newsletter, we will collect your email address.
  • Technical Information (Potential): Like most websites, our web server may automatically log basic technical information when you visit the Website. This may include your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, operating system, and the date/time of your visit. This data is generally used for website security, maintenance, and basic analytics, and is often aggregated or anonymized.\

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect as follows:

  • Email Address: Solely to send you the newsletter you subscribed to, including information and updates related to Sake Gate and sake topics.
  • Technical Information (if collected): For maintaining the security and operational integrity of our Website, understanding basic traffic patterns, and troubleshooting.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

The legal basis for collecting and processing your email address for the newsletter is your consent, which you provide by actively signing up. You can withdraw this consent at any time.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

  • Email Address: Your email address provided for the newsletter will not be shared with third parties, except potentially with a third-party email service provider engaged by us solely to manage and distribute the newsletter on our behalf. Such providers would be contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for this purpose. [If you use a service like Mailchimp, SendGrid, etc., mention this possibility generally].
  • Technical Information: Anonymized or aggregated technical data may be used for internal analytics but is not shared in a way that identifies individuals.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable precautions to protect your information.

  • We use HTTPS (SSL encryption) to help secure data transmitted to and from our Website.
  • Access to newsletter subscription lists is restricted. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

7. Data Retention

  • Email Address: We will retain your email address for as long as you remain subscribed to our newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in every newsletter email, at which point your email address will be removed from our active mailing list according to our operational procedures.
  • Technical Information (if collected): Server logs containing technical information are typically retained for a limited period necessary for security and operational purposes.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

Regarding the email address you provide for the newsletter, you have the right to:

  • Access: Request information about the email address we hold for you.
  • Rectification: Request correction of your email address if it is inaccurate.
  • Erasure (Unsubscribe): Request deletion of your email address from our newsletter list (which you can typically do directly via the unsubscribe link).
  • Withdraw Consent: Unsubscribe at any time.

9. Cookies

  • Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. We aim to minimize cookie usage. Our Website may use essential cookies required for its basic functionality or security. We do not currently use cookies for tracking, analytics, or advertising. You can typically manage cookie settings through your browser.

10. Children’s Privacy / Age Notice

Our Website provides information about alcohol and is intended for users who are 20 years of age or older (the legal drinking age in Japan). We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under the legal drinking age. If you are under 20, please do not use this Website or subscribe to our newsletter.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Effective Date”. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.