Terms of Service

Scope and Order of Application

These Terms apply to face-to-face lessons, online lessons, private lessons, group lessons, trial lessons, events, educational activities, and related services offered by MET Eikaiwa.

If an individual course agreement, written quotation, enrolment form, or legally required contract document contains a more specific provision, that provision applies to the relevant service. Mandatory laws always take priority.

Eligibility and Minors

A person who is legally able to enter into a contract may apply for a service. An application for a minor must be made or approved by a parent or legal guardian. The parent or guardian is responsible for fees, required communications, emergency contact information, and compliance with policies concerning the minor.

Trial Lessons, Applications, and Enrolment

• A trial lesson or consultation may be conducted before enrolment to confirm the learner’s needs, level, goals, and suitable course.
• MET may request a completed registration form, guardian approval, emergency contact details, and other information reasonably necessary to provide the service.
• Enrolment is completed when MET accepts the application and receives the required initial payment, unless a different starting condition is stated in writing.
• MET may decline an application where the requested course is unavailable, information is incomplete, safe participation cannot reasonably be arranged, or another legitimate operational reason applies.

Courses, Teachers, and Learning Plans

Course content, lesson length, frequency, teacher assignment, materials, location, and delivery method are confirmed through the website, enrolment documents, or individual communication.

MET may change a teacher, classroom, platform, lesson format, or reasonable part of the programme when necessary for educational quality, safety, staffing, technology, or operations. MET will provide reasonable notice where practicable.

MET supports each learner’s progress but does not guarantee a particular examination result, school result, language level, employment result, or other outcome.

Fees and Payment

• Registration fees, tuition, annual facility or digital-use fees, material fees, textbook costs, event fees, and other charges are stated on the website, invoice, enrolment form, or course agreement.
• Textbooks and workbooks are charged separately unless expressly stated otherwise.
• Payment must be made by the due date and through an accepted payment method.
• Bank, transfer, payment-platform, or other transaction fees are borne as stated in the invoice or course agreement.
• MET may suspend lessons after reasonable notice if payment remains overdue.
• Fee revisions apply prospectively after reasonable notice and do not alter fees already fixed for a paid service period, unless otherwise agreed or permitted by law.

Attendance, Lateness, and Absence

• Students should attend scheduled lessons on time and be prepared with required materials.
• A student who expects to be absent or late should contact MET as early as reasonably possible.
• A late arrival does not normally extend the scheduled finishing time because another lesson or school activity may follow.
• Repeated absence, lateness, or failure to communicate may affect progress and may result in a review of the student’s schedule or enrolment.

Make-up Lessons and Rescheduling

A make-up lesson may be arranged in exceptional circumstances, including illness or emergency, when notice is provided in advance where reasonably possible. All make-up lessons are subject to teacher and schedule availability and are not guaranteed.

MET may provide a make-up lesson online even when the regular lesson is face-to-face. Unless MET confirms otherwise, a make-up lesson must be completed within the period specified for the relevant absence and cannot be exchanged for cash.

School Cancellations and Service Interruptions

MET may cancel, postpone, relocate, or move a lesson online because of teacher illness, severe weather, disaster, public-health concerns, transport disruption, facility problems, system failure, or another circumstance affecting safe or reasonable delivery.

When MET cancels a lesson and cannot provide a reasonable replacement, credit, transfer, or make-up arrangement, MET will refund the amount attributable to the undelivered service as required by the applicable agreement and law.

Withdrawal, Cancellation, and Refunds

Monthly withdrawal

For a monthly course, a request to end enrolment should be submitted in writing by the 20th day of the month before the requested final month, unless another deadline is stated in the course agreement.

Pre-course cancellation

Any refund before a course starts is determined by the individual agreement, documented charges already incurred, and applicable law.

After services begin

Fees attributable to lessons or services already provided are normally non-refundable. Any unused prepaid amount, cancellation charge, or administrative charge will be calculated under the individual course agreement and applicable law.

Mandatory statutory rights

If the contract is subject to the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions or another mandatory consumer-protection rule, the legally required cooling-off, mid-term cancellation, document-delivery, and refund provisions apply. These Terms do not waive or restrict those rights.

Leave of Absence

A student requesting a temporary leave should submit the required notice by the 20th day of the preceding month unless another deadline is confirmed. The available leave period, fees during leave, reservation of a regular time slot, and return date depend on the course agreement and current availability.

A prolonged absence without notice may be treated as withdrawal after MET has made reasonable efforts to contact the student or guardian.

Student Conduct and Safe Participation

Students, parents, guardians, and visitors must treat teachers, staff, other learners, and property respectfully. The following are prohibited:

• Harassment, threats, violence, discrimination, intimidation, or abusive language
• Deliberate disruption of lessons or interference with another learner’s participation
• Unauthorized recording, photography, copying, distribution, or online posting
• Damage, theft, unsafe behaviour, or misuse of equipment, systems, or facilities
• Impersonation, unauthorized account sharing, fraud, or unlawful activity

MET may give guidance, contact a parent or guardian, restrict participation, move a learner to another arrangement, or terminate enrolment when reasonably necessary for safety or the learning environment.

Online Lessons and Technology

• The student is responsible for a suitable device, internet connection, audio, camera where required, and a safe learning environment.
• The student must protect login details and must not allow an unauthorized person to attend or access lesson materials.
• MET is not responsible for interruptions caused solely by the student’s device, connection, software, or environment.
• If a disruption originates from MET’s systems or teacher connection and materially prevents the lesson, MET will provide a reasonable replacement, credit, or other remedy.

Materials and Intellectual Property

Course plans, worksheets, videos, recordings, slides, exercises, teaching methods, logos, graphics, and other materials created or supplied by MET or its licensors remain protected by applicable intellectual-property law.

Students receive a limited right to use materials for their own learning. Materials may not be reproduced, sold, published, uploaded, shared, adapted, or used for commercial teaching without prior written permission. Purchased books remain subject to the publisher’s terms.

Loaned materials must be returned in reasonable condition. Lost or unnecessarily damaged items may be charged at reasonable replacement cost.

Photographs, Video, Audio, and Recordings

MET will obtain separate consent before using an identifiable learner’s photograph, video, audio, work, or testimonial for public promotion. Refusing promotional consent will not affect normal enrolment or lessons.

Students and guardians may not record lessons, teachers, staff, or other learners without prior permission. If MET records an online lesson for quality, training, safety, or learning purposes, MET will explain the purpose and obtain any required consent.

Personal Information

MET handles personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable Japanese law. The Privacy Policy forms part of the rules governing use of MET services.

Read the MET Privacy Policy

Suspension or Termination by MET

MET may suspend or terminate a service after reasonable notice if a student or contracting party materially breaches these Terms, fails to pay fees, repeatedly disrupts lessons, endangers another person, provides false information, infringes rights, or engages in unlawful conduct.

Immediate action may be taken when reasonably necessary to protect safety, prevent serious disruption, comply with law, or prevent further harm. Fees and refunds following termination will be handled according to the circumstances, the individual agreement, and mandatory law.

Responsibility and Limitation of Liability

MET will provide its services with reasonable care. To the extent permitted by law, MET is not responsible for loss caused by circumstances outside its reasonable control, a student’s failure to follow instructions, or a student-controlled device, network, or environment.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where exclusion or limitation is prohibited by law, including liability arising from intentional misconduct or gross negligence and any other liability that cannot legally be restricted.

Notices and Changes to These Terms

MET may send notices by email, website publication, messaging service, invoice, written document, or another reasonable method using the contact information provided.

MET may revise these Terms when a change is required by law, benefits users generally, or is reasonable in light of the purpose of the contract and the necessity and effect of the change. MET will publish or communicate the revised terms and effective date by an appropriate method.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms and all MET service agreements are governed by the laws of Japan.

The parties should first attempt to resolve questions or disputes through good-faith communication. If court proceedings become necessary, the competent court will be determined in accordance with applicable Japanese law. Nothing in this section removes a consumer’s right to use an available consumer-affairs consultation or dispute-resolution service.