Terms of Service

1. Agreement and operator

These Terms govern your access to the Sounding Japanese with Kage website, free resources, Phrase Trainer, and related content (the “Service”), operated by Sounding Japanese with Kage (“Kage,” “we,” or “us”). By creating an account, purchasing content, or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 16, or the minimum age required in your country to consent to online services, and legally able to enter this agreement. You are responsible for using an email account you control, protecting sign-in links and sessions, and promptly notifying us of suspected unauthorised access. You may not share, sell, or transfer your account or paid access.

3. Educational service

The Service provides educational material and study tools, not official language certification, professional advice, or a guarantee of fluency, test results, employment, or any particular outcome. Japanese usage varies by speaker, region, generation, and context. Level and pitch-accent explanations are learning guides based on carefully reviewed material, not universal rules.

4. Licence and intellectual property

We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access purchased and free content for your own non-commercial learning while the Service and your lawful access remain available. We and our licensors retain all rights in the Service, including text, audio, visual design, software, trademarks, and teaching materials.

You may not reproduce, republish, sell, sublicense, scrape, systematically download, create a competing dataset from, bypass access controls for, reverse engineer, or commercially exploit the Service, except where applicable law does not allow that restriction. Ordinary personal notes and downloads expressly offered by the Service are permitted.

5. Acceptable use

You must not misuse the Service; interfere with its security or operation; attempt unauthorised access; upload malicious code; impersonate another person; use automated systems in a way that burdens the Service; infringe rights; or use the Service unlawfully. We may investigate misuse and suspend or terminate access when reasonably necessary.

6. Prices, payment, and access

Prices, currency, included content, and any limited offer are shown before checkout. Paid Phrase Trainer chapters are one-time purchases unless the checkout expressly says otherwise. Payments are processed by Stripe. Taxes, card fees, exchange charges, and internet or device costs may apply as shown at checkout or imposed by your provider.

Access is normally granted after confirmed payment. We may withhold or revoke access after a refund, reversal, chargeback, fraudulent payment, breach of these Terms, or legal requirement. Availability of particular payment methods may vary.

7. Cancellations and refunds

Because paid products are digital content made available after purchase, purchases are final and we do not offer returns, cancellations, or refunds for change of mind after access is granted. We will review duplicate charges, failure to provide the purchased product, and material defects individually. Nothing in these Terms limits a refund or other remedy required by applicable law. Additional seller and transaction details appear in the Commercial Disclosure.

8. Feedback and third-party services

If you send suggestions or feedback, you allow us to use them without restriction or compensation, but you retain ownership of any rights you already hold. The Service may link to or rely on third-party services. Their terms and privacy practices apply to their services, and we are not responsible for third-party content or availability.

9. Availability, suspension, and changes

We may maintain, improve, change, or discontinue parts of the Service. We do not promise uninterrupted or error-free availability. If a material change prevents us from providing purchased content, we will handle available remedies consistently with applicable law. You may stop using the Service at any time. Account deletion requests can be made through the contact channel below.

The Service depends substantially on Kage as its creator and operator. If illness, serious injury, death, incapacity, or another event beyond reasonable control makes continued operation difficult or impossible, we will use reasonable efforts, where practicable, to preserve access, arrange an orderly transition, or provide advance notice. Nevertheless, the Service or some content may need to be interrupted or permanently discontinued, and continued or perpetual availability cannot be guaranteed. Nothing in this paragraph limits any non-waivable rights or remedies available under applicable consumer law.

10. Disclaimers and liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties not expressly stated in these Terms. We do not exclude warranties or consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss, or lost profits or data. Our total liability relating to paid use of the Service will not exceed the amount you paid us for the product giving rise to the claim. These limits do not apply where prohibited, including liability that cannot be limited under applicable consumer law.

11. Governing terms, changes, and contact

The governing law and agreed forum must be confirmed before paid launch and will not override mandatory consumer protections in your place of residence. If any provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.

We may update these Terms for legal, security, or Service changes. We will post the revised version and update its date, and provide additional notice where required. Questions may be sent through soundingjapanesekage.support@gmail.com.