Privacy policy.

Thank you for choosing to be part of our community at The Nihon Institute (“TNI,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We are committed to protecting your right to personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about this Participant Privacy Notice, or our practices regarding your personal information, please contact us at privacy@nihoninstitute.org. We will update this Privacy Notice from time to time as we adopt new data privacy policies or change our personal data privacy practices.

This Privacy Notice outlines our policies and practices regarding our collection, use, processing, and disclosure of personal information provided by you. It applies to personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

  • register to use or use our services, including our website, and provide information required to use our services;

  • fill out application forms on our website to participate in our programs or promotional initiatives;

  • register or subscribe to our program updates or informational materials;

  • ask us to authenticate you as an authorized user and provide you with access credentials;

  • ask us to communicate with you and answer your questions or request information or services from us;

  • complete our surveys for statistical, demographic, operational, or marketing analyses;

  • submit your payment;

  • when TNI administers or improves our website;

  • when TNI prevents and detects fraud; and

  • when TNI protects and enforces our legal rights.

Personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us, on TNI’s websites — www.thenihoninstitute.org (the “Site”) and first-party application/portal subdomains like apply.nihon.institute (together with the Site, the “Sites”) — and the services that you choose.

Lawful Basis for Collecting and Processing Personal Data

TNI’s lawful basis for collecting and processing your personal information includes any of the following:

  • Legitimate Business Purpose: necessary for the legitimate interests pursued by TNI or third parties in providing programs and services.

  • Contractual Necessity: for the performance of an agreement and/or contract to which you are a party, or to take steps at your request prior to entering into an agreement or contract.

  • Protection of Vital Interests: necessary to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another person.

  • Public Interest: necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

  • Legal Obligation: necessary for compliance with legal obligations required by applicable law.

  • Consent: you have given consent for the processing of your personal data for one or more specific purposes. In the case of a data subject under 16 years of age, consent must be given or authorized by the data subject’s natural parent or legal guardian.

Types of Personal Data We Collect

The personal information we collect and/or process takes different forms — it may be factual, images, or other recorded information that identifies or relates to you. Examples include:

  • Contact information or directory information such as first and last name, email address, physical address, phone numbers, and other location information.

  • Academic and background information such as institution, degree/field, graduation year, GPA (if provided), and current role or focus.

  • Program application materials including essays, statements of interest, and optional unlisted video links.

  • Government or other official identification information (post-acceptance) such as passport details and personal documents in support of travel/visa requirements.

  • Health and safety information (post-acceptance) relevant to participation and accommodations.

  • Photographs, audio, and video recordings arising in connection with program activities.

  • Financial payment information necessary to process deposits and fees (handled by secure third-party processors; TNI does not store full payment card numbers).

  • Technical information such as IP addresses, device and browser type, pages viewed, and other usage information about your use of the Sites.

Sensitive Personal Information

TNI recognizes that certain jurisdictions have enacted laws that require higher protection of sensitive personal information. “Sensitive personal information” includes categories of personal data identified by European and other data privacy laws as requiring special treatment. This may include personal identity numbers; racial or ethnic origin; political opinions; religious, philosophical, or similar beliefs; membership of a trade union or profession or trade association; physical or mental health; biometric or genetic data; sexual life; or criminal record (including suspected criminal activities).

As a rule, TNI does not require such sensitive personal information at the application stage. In the limited cases where we seek to collect such information (typically post-acceptance for program operations, safety, or accommodations), we will do so in accordance with applicable law. If you choose to provide us with unsolicited sensitive personal information, you consent to our using the information, subject to applicable law and as described in this Privacy Notice.

Why We Collect Personal Data

As a data controller or data processor, TNI collects and processes personal data only as necessary, in the exercise of our legitimate interests to provide programs and services to you, including to:

  • correspond with you prior to entering into a contractual relationship with TNI;

  • process your application and determine eligibility and selection;

  • enroll you in our programs and manage program logistics and scheduling;

  • act as an intermediary with partner organizations involved in delivering program components;

  • support travel and visa documentation (post-acceptance);

  • maintain records of participation, attendance, and academic/cultural activities;

  • provide you with health and safety support services while on our programs;

  • conduct operational, statistical, demographic, and quality-assurance analyses; and

  • comply with legal obligations and protect and enforce our legal rights.

The provision of our programs and services may require us to process and share your personal information with third-party partner organizations (e.g., academic or cultural hosts, venues, guides) or with government organizations where necessary to provide you with program services.

How We Collect Personal Data

TNI receives personal data from multiple sources. Most often, TNI receives this data directly from you through our Sites or when you directly contact us.

Information you provide to us. When you submit a contact form, create an account, or apply on the Sites, you may disclose information about yourself, including name, address, email, phone, and information regarding your interests, educational background, and program preferences. We collect information when you enroll in our programs and when you communicate with us (through the Sites, by email, or otherwise).

Agents and/or independent contractors. TNI may work with third parties who promote or support our programs. When you submit your personal data to them for the purpose of enrolling in or receiving information about our programs, they may forward your personal information to us for the purpose of offering you TNI services. You should check those parties’ privacy notices; we are not responsible for their policies.

Website usage information. We collect information while monitoring the Sites and when you use our online services. TNI collects certain information automatically when you use the Sites, such as IP addresses and domain names of visitors, browser type, history of pages viewed, and other usage information. We collect this information for site administration purposes, including to analyze data for trends and statistics. We may share statistical or aggregated non-personal information with service providers to help us improve the Sites.

Information that is automatically collected. Like many websites, we use web analytics tools that rely on cookies, web beacons, and other automated tracking technologies (“Tracking Tools”) to help us analyze how users interact with and use the Sites, improve the Sites, personalize your experience where applicable, provide you with information we believe may be of interest, and identify others who may be interested in our programs and services. The information we collect automatically includes information about your computer and internet connection (including IP address, operating system, and browser type) and details regarding your visits to the Sites (including browsing actions and patterns and information about any referring website, search engine, social media platform, or link). We do not use Tracking Tools to collect personally identifiable information (except to the extent you have provided such information via the Sites or a connected service), but we may associate usage information with account data for security and operational purposes.

Third-party tracking tools; Google Analytics. The Tracking Tools we use include services we obtain from third parties. The information generated by these analytics services will be transmitted to and stored by the third parties and will be subject to their privacy policies. We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies, how they may be used, or the information they may collect, and we are not responsible for their privacy policies. One of the third-party Tracking Tools we use is Google Analytics. The information generated by Google Analytics will be transmitted to and stored by Google and will be subject to Google’s privacy policies. Learn more on Google’s website about partner services and opt-out mechanisms.

Cookies and web beacons.

  • Cookies. A cookie is a small data file placed on your device when you visit certain websites. Our Sites use both “session cookies,” to improve your navigation across the Sites and remember you over the course of a single visit, and “persistent cookies,” which are stored on your device until they expire or are deleted and help us provide service across multiple visits. You can delete or disable cookies through your browser. If you disable cookies, some features of the Sites may not function.

  • Web beacons. We may also use “web beacons” on the Sites and in emails. Web beacons are small graphic images that collect information about Sites usage, including whether an email was received and opened. We use web beacons for internal analytics and, where applicable, in connection with our marketing efforts.

Information from third parties and other sources. We may supplement information we collect through the Sites with information from third parties (including service providers) and through other means (offline or other websites). This may include profile information you make available on social media platforms, subject to your settings.

When and How We Share Personal Data with Others

TNI may disclose or share personal information with its affiliates and with local and foreign third parties who have a need to know your personal information within the scope of your relationship with TNI, for example:

  • local and foreign government officials, agencies, consulates, or embassies to process and facilitate travel/visa requirements (post-acceptance);

  • accommodation or transportation providers, venues, guides, and program hosts to arrange program logistics;

  • academic or cultural partners to enroll you in program components; and

  • service providers that support operations (payment processors, IT, hosting, email, analytics, document management).

No mobile marketing. No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

We may also disclose personal data when required by law, to protect and enforce our legal rights, or in connection with a corporate transaction (subject to appropriate safeguards).

Protection of Personal Data

We use security measures, in compliance with applicable law, to protect personal information from unauthorized access or use. To safeguard against unauthorized access by third parties, electronic personal information held by TNI is maintained on systems protected by secure network architectures that contain access controls and intrusion-detection capabilities. Servers holding personal information are backed up on a regular basis and stored in facilities with appropriate security and fire-detection and response systems.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we take measures to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its security. Any transmission of personal information while using our online applications is at your own risk. The safety and security of information also depends on you. If we have provided you with (or you have chosen) a username and password for access to any of our online applications or websites, you are responsible for keeping such information confidential. Please do not share your username and password with anyone.

Data Subject’s Rights

As a person who provides TNI with personal information, you may inquire as to the nature of the personal information stored at and/or processed by TNI. You will be provided reasonable access to your personal information held by TNI and, where appropriate, with the ability to review and correct inaccuracies. TNI will cooperate in providing such access. All such requests may be made by submitting your request to privacy@nihoninstitute.org.

To help protect your privacy and provide security, TNI takes reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access to information. TNI will respond within the time period required under applicable law after your identity has been confirmed and you have clarified the specific personal information you require. If you demonstrate that the purpose for which the personal information is being processed is no longer legal or appropriate, the personal information will be deleted, unless the law or applicable data-retention requirements require otherwise.

In some regions like the European Economic Area (EEA), you may have certain rights under applicable data protection laws. These may include the right (i) to request access and obtain a copy of your personal information, (ii) to request rectification or erasure, (iii) to restrict the processing of your personal information, and (iv) if applicable, to data portability. In certain circumstances, you may have the right to object to the processing of your personal information. If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time; this will not affect the lawfulness of processing before its withdrawal. You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

Transferring Personal Data to the United States

TNI is headquartered in the United States. Any information you provide to us will be processed in the United States and is subject to United States laws, which may not provide the same level of protection as the laws in your country of residence. If you are accessing our website from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed by us in our facilities and by third parties with whom we may share your personal information.

TNI collects and transfers personal data to the United States only under the lawful bases listed above and applies reasonable safeguards to protect the privacy and security of your personal data consistent with your relationship with TNI and this Privacy Notice.

How We Handle Personal Data from International Visitors

Any personal data that is provided to TNI will be hosted on United States servers. By submitting your personal information on our website and registering or participating in any TNI programs or services, you consent to the transfer to and processing of your personal data in the United States.

Data Storage and Retention

TNI is a global organization; personal data we collect may be transferred internationally to countries where TNI or our service providers do business, which may not have the same data protection laws as the country in which you reside. Personal data stored or processed in a foreign jurisdiction may be accessed under a lawful order made in that jurisdiction.

Your personal data is stored by TNI on its systems and on the systems of cloud-based service providers located in the United States. TNI keeps personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements). As a guideline: records for accepted participants are retained for up to four (4) years after program completion; records for applicants not accepted are retained for up to twelve (12) months after decision; and financial records are retained as required by applicable law. For more information on where and how long personal data is stored, or on rights of erasure and portability, please contact privacy@nihoninstitute.org.

Children’s Privacy

The programs that we offer are not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13. Parental consent is required before collecting or processing personal data of participants who are under the age of 16, and participation by individuals under 18 may require additional consents as applicable.

Notification of Changes

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by a “Revised” date and will be effective as soon as it is accessible on our website www.thenihoninstitute.org. If we make material changes to this Privacy Notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this Privacy Notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.


Revised: October 1, 2025

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