Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 10, 2026
Ikura K.K. ("the Company," "we," "us," or "our") operates getikura.org and the Ikura AI multilingual concierge service. We take the privacy of hotel operators, ryokan managers, inbound tour operators, and their guests seriously. This policy explains how we collect and handle personal information in connection with our service, which routes foreign-language guest messages received over WhatsApp and LINE to an AI response layer and delivers replies on behalf of property operators.
This policy is issued under Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information ("APPI"). If you access our service from outside Japan, the same principles apply to your information.
1. Business Operator
Ikura K.K. (3-21-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002, Japan) is the personal information handling business operator with respect to personal information collected through getikura.org, under the Act on the Protection of Personal Information ("APPI"). Contact: [email protected].
2. Categories of Personal Information We Handle
Because Ikura functions as a messaging concierge layer for hospitality properties, the personal information we handle falls into two distinct groups: information about property operators who use our platform, and information about the guests whose messages are processed through it.
Property operator accounts
- Name, email address, and phone number submitted at signup;
- Property name, address, and contact details entered in your account;
- Billing and payment record (processed by our payment provider; we do not store full card numbers);
- FAQ library content you create (room types, policies, pricing, onsen rules, meal information);
- Conversation analytics and usage statistics tied to your account.
Guest messaging data
- Message content submitted by guests over WhatsApp Business API or LINE Messaging API and routed through our platform;
- Language of communication and detected message intent (booking enquiry, directions, policy question, etc.);
- Guest-provided contact information within message threads (such as a name or email a guest shares to receive a booking confirmation);
- Timestamps and channel identifiers for each conversation.
Technical and usage information
- Browser type, operating system, and referring URL when you visit getikura.org;
- IP address and approximate geographic location at the network level;
- Cookie and session identifiers (see our Cookie Notice).
3. Purposes of Use
We use personal information to provide and improve the Ikura concierge service. Specifically:
- To receive guest messages via WhatsApp and LINE, generate AI-assisted replies in the guest's language, and deliver those replies on behalf of the property operator;
- To maintain and operate property operator accounts, including authentication, billing, and support;
- To populate and update each property's FAQ library so the AI response layer reflects current property information;
- To provide conversation analytics (volume, language distribution, response time) to property operators;
- To communicate with property operators about their accounts, service updates, and product changes;
- To comply with legal obligations under APPI and other applicable law.
We do not use guest message content to train or improve our AI models without the explicit written consent of the property operator whose account handled those conversations. Conversation data is processed solely to generate and deliver responses for the property that operates the account.
We will not use personal information beyond the purposes stated above without obtaining prior consent, except as permitted by APPI.
4. Provision to Third Parties and Cross-Border Transfers
We provide personal information only to processors acting on our behalf under appropriate supervision. Our service integrates with WhatsApp Business API (Meta Platforms) and LINE Messaging API (LINE Corporation) to route and deliver messages. These integrations involve the transfer of message content to the respective platform provider's infrastructure as part of normal message delivery.
Where information is provided to third parties in foreign countries, we obtain prior consent and provide information about the recipient country's data protection regime, as required by APPI Article 28. We maintain data processing agreements with our key service providers to govern the handling of personal information.
We do not sell, rent, or share personal information with unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes.
5. Your APPI Rights
Under APPI, you have the following rights with respect to retained personal data the Company holds about you:
- Right to disclosure of retained personal data;
- Right to correction, addition, or deletion;
- Right to cease use or provision to third parties;
- Right to disclosure of records of provision to third parties.
Email [email protected] to make a request. We respond promptly without undue delay. For requests involving guest message data, please note that such data is controlled on behalf of the property operator who holds the account; we will coordinate with the relevant operator in responding to your request.
6. Retention
We retain property operator account information for the duration of the active subscription and for a reasonable period thereafter to handle any billing or support matters. Guest conversation data is retained for as long as the associated property account is active, or for the period required by the property operator's own recordkeeping obligations, whichever is longer. When an account is closed, we delete or anonymise associated personal information within 90 days, except where retention is required by law.
7. Complaints
You may file a complaint with the Personal Information Protection Commission of Japan at ppc.go.jp. You may also contact us directly at [email protected] and we will address your concern promptly.
8. Cookies and Contact
See our Cookie Notice for details on how we use cookies and similar technologies on getikura.org.
Ikura K.K.3-21-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0002, Japan
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +81 3 6427 1800