Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Nebula 500 Ltd., a company incorporated in British Columbia, Canada ("Nebula 500", "we", "us", or "our"), collects, uses, and protects personal information in connection with the Homeward Japan website, applications, and services (the "Service"). We handle personal information in accordance with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where applicable, and other applicable privacy laws.

1. Information We Collect

Account information. Name, email address, and a hashed password when you create an account. We never store plaintext passwords.
Usage and metering data. Records of your use of paid features — including AI search queries you submit, the features used, processing volumes (tokens), and associated costs — used for billing, quota enforcement, and abuse prevention.
Session and device data. Session tokens, IP address, and browser user-agent, collected to keep you signed in and to secure accounts.
Billing information. If you subscribe, payments are processed by a third-party payment processor (such as Stripe). We receive limited billing metadata (e.g., customer identifier, subscription status) but never your full card number.

We do not collect more information than we need, and we do not ask for sensitive categories of personal information.

2. How We Use Information

to provide, operate, and secure the Service and authenticate you;
to meter, invoice, and collect payment for subscriptions and AI usage;
to prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms of Service;
to improve the Service, including the accuracy of translations and analysis;
to communicate with you about your account, billing, and material changes to the Service; and
to comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

3. AI Processing

Search queries you submit to AI-powered features are transmitted to third-party AI model providers via an AI gateway for processing. Queries are associated with your account for billing purposes. Do not include personal information about yourself or others in search queries; queries should describe properties, not people.

4. Sharing and Service Providers

We share personal information only with service providers who process it on our behalf under contractual safeguards — including cloud hosting and database providers, AI model providers (for query processing), and payment processors — and where required by law, legal process, or to protect our rights, users, or the public. In a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Policy.

5. International Transfers

Our service providers may store or process information in Canada, the United States, or other jurisdictions. Where information is processed outside your country of residence, it may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. We use providers with appropriate contractual and technical safeguards.

6. Retention

We retain account information for as long as your account is active. Usage and billing records are retained as required for accounting, tax, and audit purposes. Session records expire automatically. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.

7. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards, including encryption in transit, hashed credentials, role-based access controls, and least-privilege database access. No system is perfectly secure; if we become aware of a breach creating a real risk of significant harm, we will notify affected individuals and authorities as required by law.

8. Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies to maintain your authenticated session. We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

9. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, withdraw consent (which may limit your use of the Service), and challenge our compliance with this Policy. To exercise these rights, contact us at the address below. You may also complain to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or your local supervisory authority.

10. Children

The Service is not directed to individuals under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time; the "Last updated" date above reflects the current version. Material changes will be communicated by reasonable means.

12. Contact

Privacy questions and requests can be directed to Nebula 500 Ltd. at privacy@homewardjapan.com.