MET Eikaiwa Tutor · Online English Tutoring
MET GROUP PRIVACY POLICY
Privacy, Safety, and Responsible Information Handling
One privacy policy covering MET Eikaiwa Tutor online lessons, MET Eikaiwa Classroom, and MET-EIS Hoikuen.
Effective / Last updated: August 12, 2026
Your privacy matters across every MET service.
Fledge Japan Co., Ltd. operates three connected services: MET Eikaiwa Tutor (online English tutoring), MET Eikaiwa Classroom (face-to-face English education), and MET-EIS Hoikuen (childcare and English-immersion services).
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we use it, how we protect it, when it may be shared, and how individuals or authorized parents/guardians may make privacy-related requests.
We handle personal information in accordance with Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) and other applicable laws and regulations. Nothing in this policy limits rights that cannot lawfully be limited.
Services covered by this policy
MET Eikaiwa Tutor
MET Eikaiwa Classroom
MET-EIS Hoikuen
Our core privacy principles
- Purpose limitation: we use personal information only for stated or legally compatible purposes.
- Data minimization: we collect only information reasonably necessary for education, childcare, safety, administration, communication, payment, and legal compliance.
- Child-centered protection: information about children is handled with particular care and, where appropriate, through a parent, guardian, or authorized representative.
- Separate publicity consent: photographs, videos, recordings, student work, or testimonials are not used for advertising merely because a learner enrolls.
- Reasonable security: we maintain necessary and appropriate safeguards while recognizing that no system can be guaranteed absolutely risk-free.
SECTION 01
Operator and Scope
This policy applies to personal information handled by Fledge Japan Co., Ltd. in connection with MET Eikaiwa Tutor, MET Eikaiwa Classroom, MET-EIS Hoikuen, related websites, inquiry forms, trial applications, enrollment procedures, communications, payments, educational records, childcare records, and associated administrative operations.
Where a specific form, consent document, enrollment agreement, childcare document, or legally required notice provides more detailed information for a particular activity, that more specific notice applies together with this policy.
SECTION 02
Personal Information We May Collect
Depending on the service used, we may collect:
- Identity and contact information: name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, age, school year/grade, nationality or language background when relevant to service delivery, and parent/guardian details.
- Inquiry and enrollment information: requested service, learning goals, preferred schedule, background information, application details, contracts, and communication history.
- Education information: level checks, lesson history, attendance, progress notes, learning needs, assignments, student work, feedback, and teacher observations reasonably necessary for instruction.
- Payment and accounting information: billing status, payment confirmation, refund records, invoices, receipts, and transaction-related information. Full card details may be handled directly by payment providers rather than by MET.
- Website and technical information: IP address, browser/device information, access logs, cookies, security logs, and similar technical data generated through use of our websites or online systems.
SECTION 03
Additional Information for MET-EIS Hoikuen
Childcare requires additional information for safe and appropriate care. We may collect information such as:
- child profile, family/guardian details, emergency contacts, authorized pickup persons, attendance schedules, and childcare arrangements;
- allergies, dietary restrictions, medication instructions where accepted, health-check information, vaccination-related information where required or voluntarily supplied, illness/injury history relevant to safe care, developmental needs, and emergency medical information;
- incident, accident, injury, behavior/safety, evacuation, emergency-response, and pickup/drop-off records;
- documents needed for facility administration, subsidies, municipal/prefectural procedures, inspections, audits, insurance, or other lawful childcare operations.
Health and other sensitive information is handled only to the extent necessary for childcare, safety, legal compliance, or another clearly stated purpose, and consent is obtained where required by applicable law.
SECTION 04
Purposes of Use
We may use personal information for the following purposes:
- responding to inquiries and providing requested information;
- arranging consultations, trial lessons, school visits, childcare visits, enrollment, and service agreements;
- providing English lessons, childcare, learner support, attendance management, progress monitoring, and family communication;
- protecting the health, safety, wellbeing, and security of children, learners, families, staff, and visitors;
- emergency response, incident handling, authorized pickup verification, allergy/dietary management, and other safety-related operations;
- billing, tuition/fee management, payment confirmation, refunds, accounting, tax, audit, and recordkeeping;
- staff scheduling, lesson/childcare planning, service administration, quality improvement, and internal training;
- sending important operational notices about schedules, closures, emergencies, service changes, contracts, or payments;
- complying with legal obligations and cooperating with competent authorities where required or permitted by law;
- protecting MET’s legal rights, resolving disputes, preventing misuse/fraud, and maintaining system security;
- other purposes reasonably related to those explained at the time information is collected.
SECTION 05
Children, Minors, Parents, and Guardians
For children and minors, we generally communicate and obtain required information through a parent, guardian, or other legally authorized representative. Parents and guardians are responsible for providing accurate information needed for the child’s education, childcare, safety, and emergency response.
Where age, maturity, or applicable law makes it appropriate, we may also explain privacy matters directly to the learner in clear and age-appropriate language.
If a person submits information about another individual, including an emergency contact or authorized pickup person, the person submitting the information should have a lawful basis to provide it and should inform that individual where appropriate.
SECTION 06
Health and Other Sensitive Information
Certain information used for childcare or learner support may be particularly sensitive, including health, medical, disability, allergy, developmental, or similar information. We collect and use such information only when reasonably necessary for the stated service, safety, legal compliance, or another permitted purpose.
Where prior consent is legally required for acquisition or use of sensitive personal information, MET will obtain the required consent or rely only on another lawful exception recognized under applicable law.
SECTION 07
Photographs, Videos, Audio, Student Work, and Testimonials
Enrollment alone does not automatically authorize MET to use a learner’s image, voice, student work, name, or comments for advertising or public promotion.
For website, social-media, brochure, advertisement, promotional video, or similar public use, MET will obtain the required separate consent from the individual or, for a minor, the appropriate parent/guardian or authorized representative.
Operational or safety-related recordings may be handled differently where permitted by law and reasonably necessary for security, incident review, online lesson delivery, training, or another stated purpose. When a lesson or activity is specifically recorded, MET will provide appropriate notice and obtain consent where required.
If publicity consent is later withdrawn, MET will stop future new uses where reasonably practicable and legally required, subject to materials already lawfully produced, distributed, or published and other applicable legal limitations.
SECTION 08
Marketing and Service Communications
MET may send service-related communications necessary for inquiries, enrollment, scheduling, childcare operations, payments, safety, or other requested services.
Promotional newsletters or marketing messages will be sent only where permitted by applicable law and based on the relevant consent or lawful basis. Where an unsubscribe method is provided, recipients may use it to stop future marketing messages. Operational messages necessary to provide an active service may still be sent.
SECTION 09
Cookies, Analytics, and Website Technologies
Our websites may use cookies, access logs, security tools, analytics, form systems, and similar technologies to operate the site, remember preferences, prevent misuse, understand usage, and improve services.
Visitors may be able to restrict cookies through browser settings. Disabling some cookies may affect website functions. Where a consent banner or settings panel is used, visitors should use those controls to manage optional cookies.
Third-party tools may process technical information according to their own privacy terms as well as our instructions where they act as service providers.
SECTION 10
Online Lessons and External Service Providers
Online lessons and school administration may involve third-party services such as video-conferencing platforms, hosting providers, website plugins, email systems, booking tools, payment processors, cloud storage, accounting services, and communication platforms.
MET selects and supervises contractors and service providers as required by applicable law and provides them only with information reasonably necessary for the relevant task.
Some service providers may operate or store data outside Japan. Where cross-border handling or foreign third-party transfer rules apply, MET will take the measures required by applicable law, including providing required information, obtaining consent where necessary, or using other legally recognized safeguards.
SECTION 11
Disclosure to Third Parties
MET does not provide personal data to third parties without the individual’s consent or other lawful basis, except where permitted or required by applicable law. Examples may include:
- when required by law, court order, or a competent public authority;
- when necessary to protect life, health, safety, or property and obtaining consent is difficult;
- when particularly necessary for public health or the sound development of children and obtaining consent is difficult;
- when cooperation with a national or local government authority is necessary for duties prescribed by law;
- when sharing with an appropriately supervised contractor does not constitute a third-party provision under applicable law.
Where required, MET maintains records concerning third-party provision or receipt of personal data.
SECTION 12
Security and Access Control
MET takes necessary and appropriate measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, leakage, loss, alteration, misuse, or damage. Depending on the nature of the data and system, measures may include access restrictions, password/account controls, staff confidentiality and supervision, secure storage of paper records, software/system updates, backup and recovery procedures, device management, and appropriate oversight of service providers.
Access is limited to personnel and contractors who reasonably need the information for authorized duties. Staff handling personal information are instructed and supervised regarding proper handling.
No physical or electronic system can be guaranteed absolutely secure. MET therefore commits to reasonable and legally appropriate safeguards rather than an absolute guarantee that an incident can never occur.
SECTION 13
Retention and Secure Disposal
MET retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, the provision of services, child safety, accounting/tax obligations, contracts, audits, subsidy or administrative requirements, insurance, dispute resolution, or other legal obligations.
Retention periods may differ by record type and service. When information is no longer reasonably necessary and no legal or operational reason requires continued retention, MET will delete, destroy, or anonymize it using an appropriate method, subject to technical backup cycles and applicable law.
SECTION 14
Access, Correction, Deletion, and Other Requests
Subject to applicable law, an individual or properly authorized representative may request notification of purpose of use, disclosure/access, correction, addition, deletion, suspension of use, erasure, or suspension of third-party provision concerning retained personal data.
MET may request reasonable information to verify identity or authority before responding. We may decline or limit a request where permitted by law, including where disclosure could harm another person’s rights or safety, seriously interfere with proper business operations, or violate another legal obligation.
Requests should be sent through the privacy contact route shown at the end of this policy.
SECTION 15
Data Incidents and Required Notifications
If a leakage, loss, damage, or other personal-data incident occurs, MET will investigate and take reasonable containment, remediation, and recurrence-prevention measures. Where applicable law requires reporting to the Personal Information Protection Commission or notification to affected individuals, MET will follow those requirements.
SECTION 16
Emergency and Child-Safety Disclosures
For MET-EIS Hoikuen and child-related services, protecting life, health, and safety may require urgent handling of personal information. Where legally permitted and reasonably necessary, MET may share relevant information with emergency responders, medical providers, insurers, public authorities, child-safety authorities, parents/guardians, or other appropriate persons involved in protecting the child or responding to an incident.
Only information reasonably relevant to the emergency, safety, or legal purpose will be shared.
SECTION 17
Accuracy and Information Provided by Users
Customers, parents, guardians, learners, and applicants are asked to provide information that is accurate, complete, and current, particularly contact details, emergency information, allergy/health information, and authorized pickup details.
MET is not responsible for consequences caused solely by materially inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information supplied to us where MET could not reasonably have known it was incorrect. This does not limit responsibilities that cannot legally be excluded.
SECTION 18
Third-Party Websites and Independent Services
Our websites may link to external websites or services. Where a third party independently determines how it uses personal information, its own privacy policy and terms apply. MET is not responsible for independent third-party practices outside our control, except to the extent responsibility is imposed by applicable law.
When a third party acts as our contractor or processor, MET will manage that relationship in accordance with applicable legal obligations.
SECTION 19
Relationship to Terms, Enrollment Documents, and Consumer Rights
This Privacy Policy explains personal-information handling. It does not replace MET’s Terms of Service, childcare agreements, enrollment documents, fee/cancellation policies, consent forms, or any documents that must be provided under applicable consumer-protection or childcare laws.
Where mandatory consumer rights, cancellation rights, cooling-off rights, document-delivery duties, or other statutory protections apply, those rights remain effective regardless of this policy. Nothing here is intended to waive rights or obligations that cannot legally be waived.
SECTION 20
Changes to This Privacy Policy
MET may revise this policy when laws, technology, services, vendors, or operating practices change. The updated version will be published on the relevant website with the effective or last-updated date.
If a material change requires additional notice or consent under applicable law, MET will provide that notice or obtain that consent as required.
PRIVACY CONTACT
Operator and Contact Information
Operator: Fledge Japan Co., Ltd.
Services: MET Eikaiwa Tutor, MET Eikaiwa Classroom, and MET-EIS Hoikuen
Representative: Desiree Matsuyama
Published contact address: 8-25-2 Kashima-cho, Fuji-shi, Shizuoka 416-0912, Japan
Telephone: 0545-30-9927
Privacy inquiries: Use the MET contact form and state that the inquiry concerns privacy or personal information.
MET英会話家庭教師
MET Eikaiwa Katei Kyōshi
Personalized online English tutoring based in Fuji City, Shizuoka, operated under 株式会社 Fledge Japan.
© 2026–2027 MET英会話家庭教師. All rights reserved.