Policies

1Payment and Pricing

All lessons are prepaid on a monthly basis and calculated from a standard rate of $60.00 per hour.

• Process: I will send the payment link via Wise around the 15th of the previous month.
• Payment Deadline: Please complete your payment by 23:59 JST, two days before your first lesson of each month.
• Refund Policy: Fees paid are generally non-refundable, except where required by applicable law or where the lesson cannot be provided due to the tutor's circumstances. This includes mid-month absences, skipping sessions, plan changes, or mid-month termination.
• 5-Week Months: In months with five weekly sessions, the fee is calculated using the same $60.00/hour base rate to reflect the additional lesson time.
• Pricing Basis: Current lesson fees are based on a standard rate of $60.00/hour, prorated by lesson length. Any future rate change will be announced to enrolled students at least one month in advance.

Plan	Lesson Time	Fee (4 weeks)	Fee (5 weeks)
Basic	1h × 4 (or 5)	$240.00	$300.00
Basic Plus	1h 10m × 4 (or 5)	$280.00	$350.00
Double	2h × 4 (or 5)	$480.00	$600.00
Double Plus	2h 10m × 4 (or 5)	$520.00	$650.00

1-A. Initial Booking (New Students Only)

• Tentative Booking: For the first month only, your preferred slot is held temporarily until payment is confirmed.
• Slot Release: If the first payment is not received by the deadline, the tentative booking is automatically canceled.

1-B. Continuing Students and Late Payment

• Ongoing Arrangement: For continuing students, lessons are arranged on an ongoing monthly basis unless a pause or termination is requested by 23:59 JST on the 15th of the previous month.
• Reserved Slot: After this deadline, your lesson slot for the following month is reserved exclusively for you. Because that slot may not be refillable on short notice, the monthly fee for the reserved slot will be charged even if lessons are not taken or payment is delayed.
• Suspension: Lessons will be suspended until payment is confirmed.

1-C. Changing Your Plan

• Upgrading (e.g., 1h → 2h): Please consult me at any time if you wish to increase your lesson hours.
• Downgrading (e.g., 2h → 1h): Please consult me by the 16th of the previous month. For temporary changes, I strive to be as flexible as possible based on your situation, so please discuss it with me. However, please understand that adjustments may not always be possible depending on the circumstances.

2Rescheduling and Cancellations (Student-side)

All deadlines are based on Japan Standard Time (JST). All rescheduling is subject to teacher availability.

My regular business hours are 10:00–17:00 JST from April to October and 11:00–18:00 JST from November to March. Depending on the situation, a small amount of flexibility may sometimes be possible.

For students in countries that observe daylight saving time, I discuss seasonal time changes directly with each student. The reference here is seasonal scheduling around the March and November switching period, not weekly time changes.

A. Notice of 7 Days or More

• Reschedule: Free of charge.
• Combining Sessions: You may combine sessions into a single back-to-back slot within the same month.

B. Short Notice (6 Days to 24 Hours)

• Reschedule: The originally reserved lesson time may be treated as used. A replacement session may be offered subject to availability and an additional fee equal to 50% of the scheduled lesson value (for example, $30 for a 60-minute lesson or $60 for a 2-hour lesson), where applicable and to the extent permitted by applicable law.
• Absence: The lesson is treated as consumed.

C. Same-Day (Less than 24 Hours)

• Reschedule: The originally reserved lesson time may be treated as used. A replacement session may be offered subject to availability and an additional fee equal to 100% of the scheduled lesson value (for example, $60 for a 60-minute lesson or $120 for a 2-hour lesson), where applicable and to the extent permitted by applicable law.
• Absence: The lesson is treated as consumed.

3Tutor-side Changes (Compensation)

I strive to inform you at least one week in advance. For unexpected reasons (health, family emergencies, etc.):

• 6 days to 24 hours notice: I will add +30 minutes total to future lessons.
• Less than 24 hours notice: I will add +60 minutes total to future lessons.
• Credit Carry-over: If a makeup session is not possible within the current month, the lesson fee will be carried over as a credit to the following month.
• Nothing in this policy limits any rights that may apply under applicable law.

4Taking a Break and Termination

"Taking a Break" (stopping payment) is only applicable when you need to take one full month or more off.
*For absences shorter than one month, please use rescheduling or make-up lessons instead.

• Deadline for Consultation: Whether choosing A or B, please contact me by 23:59 JST on the 15th of the previous month.
• Late Applications: Applications submitted after the deadline will be processed as Option B (billed as usual), as the slot has already been reserved for you.

5Minor Lateness

• Student is late: The end time stays the same (e.g., 11:05–12:00).
• Tutor is late: I will provide the full scheduled total time (e.g., 11:05–12:05).

6Intellectual Property and Copyright

• Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or public posting of any lesson materials or resources provided is strictly prohibited.
• Unauthorized recording of lessons is strictly prohibited. Even when recording is permitted, using the recorded content for anything beyond personal review is completely forbidden.

7Termination of Agreement and Right of Refusal

• I reserve the right to terminate the service or refuse lessons to students due to unpaid balances, repetitive payment delays, bad faith, harassment, or unauthorized use of materials. Once the agreement is terminated, all future lesson provision and communication will cease immediately.

8Technical Issues

• Tutor-side: If the lesson is significantly interrupted due to teacher-side connection or equipment issues, the lost time will be compensated for in future sessions.
• Student-side: Any interruptions due to student-side connection, equipment, or software issues will be the student's responsibility. The end time will remain as scheduled, and no makeup time or refund will be provided.
• Nothing in this policy limits any rights that may apply under applicable law.

9Student Community (Group Chat)

• Content: I share Japanese learning tips, culture, and glimpses of my daily life in Japan. It is a casual place for students to connect.
• During Breaks: You are welcome to stay in the group even while taking a formal break (Option A). You do not need to leave.
• Expulsion: However, in the rare event of termination due to policy violations (Section 7), you will be required to leave the group immediately.