BeFam Terms of Service

Article 1. Application of These Terms

1. These BeFam Terms of Use (these "Terms") apply to all use of the "BeFam" service (the "Service") provided by Unique Journey (the "Operator") and govern the relationship between the Operator and every person who uses the Service (each a "User").

2. A service agreement (the "Agreement") between the Operator and a User is formed when the User accepts these Terms.

3. These Terms set out the conditions under which the Service may be used. All Users who register for the Service must comply with these Terms.

4. Any rules, guidelines or policies concerning use of the Service that the Operator publishes also form part of these Terms.

5. If there is any inconsistency between these Terms and any such supplementary rules, explanations or any other statements by the Operator, these Terms prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.

Article 2 Definitions

In these Terms, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) "User" means any person who registers to use the Service as a Host or a Guest.

(2) "User Information" means (a) information posted by a Host regarding the homestay residence and the Host themselves, or (b) information (such as name and address) provided by a Guest when making an enquiry.

(3) "Service" means the matching platform known as "BeFam" together with all ancillary services provided by the Operator.

(4) "Guest" means any person residing in Japan who, whether or not a match or agreement is reached, seeks a homestay placement outside Japan via the Service.

(5) "Host" or "Host Family" means any person who, whether or not a match or agreement is reached, agrees to accept a Guest and seeks such a match via the Service.

(6) "Homestay Fee" means all amounts payable by a Guest to a Host for accommodation, meals and the use of facilities necessary for the Guest's stay.

(7) "Programme Fee" means all amounts payable by a Guest to a Host for accommodation, meals and the use of facilities necessary for the Guest's stay.

Article 3 Use of the Service

1. To use the Service, a person must agree to these Terms and complete the registration procedure prescribed by the Operator. A minor under guardianship, a person under curatorship or assistance, or any person lacking legal capacity may not register unless registration is effected by, or with the prior consent of, their legal representative.

2. A Guest must be at least 18 years of age at the time of use.

3. A Host must be at least 25 years of age at the time of use.

4. The Operator may at any time require Users to present official documentary proof of age, which the User must provide.

5. If the age requirements in paragraphs 2 or 3 are not met, the Operator may, in its discretion, refuse registration.

Article 4 Obligation to Maintain Accuracy of User Information

1. Users must provide accurate and up-to-date User Information and promptly update it by the method prescribed by the Operator whenever changes occur.

2. If a User fails to comply with paragraph 1, or if any User Information is found to be false, misleading or incomplete, the Operator may, without notice, delete such information in whole or in part or suspend the User's access to all or part of the Service.

Article 5 Communication between Users

1. Users must conduct all matching requests and subsequent negotiations exclusively through the messaging functions provided by the Service.

2. Users must not:

(a) exchange direct contact details (telephone number, email address, social-media account, etc.);

(b) use external chat apps or messaging services for negotiation;

(c) communicate via video-call functions not provided by the Service; or

(d) collect information by any means not mediated by the Service.

3. If a User engages in any conduct prohibited by paragraph 2, the Operator may, without notice, cancel the matching request, suspend messaging privileges or deactivate the User's account.

4. If such conduct causes the Operator to lose revenue, the User is liable to compensate the Operator.

5. The Operator may monitor and record communications on the Service for safety and operational purposes and take the measures in paragraph 3 where appropriate.

Article 6 Formation of Contracts between Users

1. To form a contract with a Host, a Guest must pay the following amounts to the Operator; payment constitutes acceptance of these Terms and formation of the Agreement between the Guest and the Operator:

(a) a deposit; and

(b) a platform fee.

2. Upon confirming receipt of payment, the Operator will promptly notify the Host.

3. When the Host receives that notice, the Guest is deemed to have accepted the Host's offer for the Homestay Participation Programme, and the contract between Guest and Host is thereby formed.

4. Promptly after contract formation, the Operator will disclose the Host's address details to the Guest.

5. After contract formation, the Guest and the Host must conduct all further homestay-related communications at their own risk; the Operator will not intervene as a rule.

Article 7 Reviews

1. The Guest agrees to provide a review on the Service after the completion of the Homestay, and the Host agrees to receive a review from the Guest following the completion of the Homestay.

2. The Operator is not obliged to entertain any objection or request to amend reviews and may handle reviews at its sole discretion.

3. The Operator may delete or hide, without notice, any review it considers:

(a) false, defamatory or discriminatory;

(b) contrary to public order or morals, or improperly disclosing personal information; or

(c) materially in breach of the Operator's standards.

4. The Operator bears no liability for any review or any dispute arising therefrom.

Article 8 Prohibited Conduct

1. Users must not:

(a) violate these Terms;

(b) infringe any intellectual-property, privacy or publicity rights of the Operator or any third party;

(c) cause or threaten loss or damage to the Operator or any third party;

(d) discriminate against or defame the Operator or any third party;

(e) contravene any law, regulation or by-law;

(f) act contrary to public order, morals or good faith;

(g) engage in or incite criminal behaviour;

(h) risk harming minors; or

(i) engage in any other conduct deemed inappropriate by the Operator.

2. If the Operator determines a User has engaged in prohibited conduct, it may, without notice, suspend the User's access or take any other reasonable measures, and is not liable for any resulting loss.

Article 9 Refusal of Use

The Operator may refuse a person's use of the Service, without notice, if any of the following applies:

(a) a minor or person lacking legal capacity attempts to register without the requisite consent;

(b) the Operator receives notice of the User's death;

(c) the User has previously been subject to equivalent measures; or

(d) the Operator otherwise considers refusal appropriate.

Article 10 Suspension of Use

1. The Operator may, without notice, suspend a User's access, temporarily or permanently, if:

(a) the User breaches these Terms;

(b) any User Information is false, misleading or materially incomplete;

(c) the User's financial capacity is materially impaired; or

(d) the User's decision-making capacity is materially impaired.

2. Upon suspension, the User immediately loses all rights to use the Service and must promptly discharge all obligations owed to the Operator or any counter-party.

3. The Operator is not liable for any loss arising from suspension.

Article 11 Deletion of Information

1. A User may request deletion of all personal information by contacting the Operator.

2. Upon deletion, all messages, history and other data stored on the Service are permanently erased and cannot be recovered.

3. If the User owes any obligation to a counter-party or the Operator at deletion, they immediately lose the benefit of any time-for-performance and must promptly satisfy the obligation.

4. The Operator is not liable for any loss arising from deletion.

Article 12 Termination or Interruption of the Service

1. The Operator may, for its own reasons and without prior notice, modify or discontinue the Service, but will use reasonable endeavours to notify Users beforehand.

2. The Operator is not liable for any loss arising from such modification or discontinuation.

Article 13 No Guarantee of Effect

1. The Operator makes no warranty, express or implied, regarding matching outcomes, compatibility, quality or any other effect of the Service.

2. Even if Users dispute matching outcomes, the Operator will not intervene or assume liability.

3. All disputes relating to matching must be resolved directly and amicably between the Host and the Guest.

Article 14 Intellectual Property Rights

1. All content (text, images, logos, programs, etc.) within the Service is owned by the Operator or its licensors.

2. Users must not reproduce, modify or publicly communicate any such content without the Operator's prior written consent.

3. By posting any content, Users grant the Operator and its designees a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, adapt and publicly communicate it as necessary for operation, improvement and promotion of the Service.

4. Users warrant that their posted content does not infringe any third-party rights and must resolve any infringement at their own cost.

Article 15 Confidentiality

1. Users shall not disclose any confidential information learned through the Service without the Operator's prior written consent. "Confidential information" means any technical or business information of the Operator or third parties, disclosed in any form.

2. Information is not confidential if it:

(a) was already lawfully in the recipient's possession;

(b) was or becomes public other than by breach;

(c) was lawfully acquired from a third party; or

(d) is independently developed without reference to confidential information.

3. Upon termination of the Agreement or on request, Users must promptly return or destroy confidential information and cease its use.

Article 16 Amendment of Terms

1. The Operator may amend these Terms at any time without notice.

2. Amendments take effect upon posting on the Operator's website or within the Service.

3. If an amendment may materially affect Users, the Operator will give separate notice.

4. Continued use after a reasonable period constitutes acceptance of the amendment.

Article 17 Representations and Warranties

1. Users represent and warrant that they are not, and are not associated with, any anti-social or criminal organisations.

2. If a breach of this provision is discovered, the Operator may refuse or suspend use without notice.

3. The Operator is not liable for any loss arising from such measures.

Article 18 Disclaimer

1. The Operator does not guarantee that any User-to-User contract complies with law or meets the parties' objectives, nor that any stay will be free of defects.

2. The Operator does not warrant Users' compliance with foreign laws, visa requirements or safety regulations.

3. Where liability cannot be excluded by law, the Operator's liability is limited to direct loss actually incurred, except in cases of wilful misconduct or gross negligence.

4. The Service's obligations are limited to facilitating cultural exchange; no match or message reply is guaranteed.

5. Any dispute between a User and a third party must be resolved directly; the Operator bears no responsibility.

Article 19 Protection of Personal Information

Handling of personal information under the Service is governed by the Operator's Privacy Policy.

Article 20 Third-Party Services

Any dealings with advertisers or links on the Service are at the User's sole risk; the Operator bears no responsibility.

Article 21 Assignment of Rights and Obligations

1. All rights arising from matches and the resulting homestay participation are personal to the User and may not be assigned, transferred, encumbered or sublicensed without the Operator's prior written consent.

2. Any unauthorised assignment entitles the Operator to suspend the User without notice.

3. The Operator is not liable for any loss arising from such suspension.

Article 22 Survival

Clauses intended to survive termination (intellectual property, confidentiality, disclaimers, representations and warranties, assignment and any others by their nature) continue in force after termination.

Article 23 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force; the invalid provision shall be replaced with a valid provision reflecting its original intent.

Article 24 Time Standard

All dates and times displayed in the Service are based on Japan Standard Time (JST: UTC+9). Users acknowledge and accept this standard.

Article 25 Exclusive Jurisdiction

All disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Agreement are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo Summary Court or the Tokyo District Court as courts of first instance.

Article 26 Governing Law

These Terms and the Agreement are governed by the laws of Japan.

Article 27 Miscellaneous

Any matter not provided for in these Terms, or any detailed rules separately prescribed by the Operator, shall be observed by Users and form part of these Terms. Where such rules conflict with these Terms, these Terms prevail.

Supplementary Provisions

These Terms are enacted and come into effect on 1 July 2025.