Privacy policy
PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated: 14 August 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how JAPAN-ITEMS™ collects, uses, discloses, stores and protects personal information when you visit our website, use our online store, place an order, create an account, contact us, interact with our marketing or otherwise use our services.
This Privacy Policy applies to the JAPAN-ITEMS™ online store, website, checkout, customer accounts, customer-support communications, marketing communications and related services (collectively, the “Store”).
The Store is operated by:
Japan Items Group sp. z o.o.
ul. Wodzisławska 358
44-274 Rybnik
Poland
KRS: 0001228018
NIP: 6423268977
REGON: 544207180
Registry court: District Court in Gliwice, 10th Commercial Division of the National Court Register
Email: support@japan-items.com
For the purposes of applicable data-protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), Japan Items Group sp. z o.o. is the controller of personal information processed in connection with the operation of the Store, except where another entity acts as an independent controller for its own processing activities.
Please read this Privacy Policy together with our Terms & Conditions, Shipping, Duties & Taxes Policy, Returns & Refund Policy and Cookie Policy where applicable.
1. About JAPAN-ITEMS™
JAPAN-ITEMS™ is a curated international retail store offering selected objects sourced from Japan.
Many products are pre-owned, vintage, collectible, discontinued, rare or otherwise limited in availability.
Because of this business model, personal information may be processed not only for ordinary e-commerce purposes but also for:
- international sourcing;
- availability and order verification;
- payment processing;
- fraud prevention;
- domestic logistics within Japan;
- international fulfilment;
- customs and import documentation;
- handling duties and taxes under our all-inclusive delivery model;
- international shipping and delivery;
- returns and refunds;
- complaints; and
- customer support.
2. Personal Information We Collect
The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with the Store and which services you use.
2.1 Contact and Identification Information
We may collect:
- full name;
- email address;
- telephone number;
- billing address;
- shipping address;
- country, region, city and postal code;
- company name, where applicable; and
- other identification information where reasonably necessary for customs, payment, fraud-prevention or legal requirements.
We do not request government identification documents unless reasonably necessary for a legitimate purpose or required by a carrier, payment provider, customs authority, law or other applicable process.
2.2 Order and Transaction Information
We may process information relating to your purchases and interactions with the Store, including:
- products viewed;
- products added to cart;
- products purchased;
- order number;
- order history;
- transaction details;
- billing and shipping information;
- selected delivery destination;
- fulfilment and delivery status;
- tracking information;
- return and refund information;
- customs and import information;
- duties and taxes information;
- customer-service records; and
- information concerning complaints, disputes or chargebacks.
3. Payment Information
Payments are processed through third-party payment and financial-service providers.
JAPAN-ITEMS™ may receive limited payment-related information such as:
- payment confirmation;
- payment method type;
- transaction status;
- billing information;
- transaction reference;
- fraud or risk indicators; and
- information required to administer refunds or payment disputes.
JAPAN-ITEMS™ does not intentionally store full payment-card numbers in its own systems.
Payment providers may independently process personal information in accordance with applicable law and their own privacy notices.
4. Customer Account Information
If customer-account functionality is available and you create an account, we may process:
- account credentials or authentication information;
- account preferences;
- saved addresses;
- order history;
- wishlist or saved products, where available;
- communication preferences; and
- other information associated with your account.
Customers are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect their account credentials.
5. Communications and Customer Support
When you communicate with JAPAN-ITEMS™, we may process information contained in or associated with the communication.
This may include:
- emails;
- customer-support requests;
- return or refund requests;
- cancellation requests;
- complaints;
- photographs or videos;
- documents;
- information relating to damaged, missing, incorrect or non-conforming products;
- customs or carrier notices;
- unexpected duties or tax payment requests;
- proof of payment;
- information concerning delivery issues; and
- other information you voluntarily provide in connection with your request.
We use this information to respond to you, investigate issues, administer orders and provide appropriate customer support or remedies.
6. Device, Usage and Technical Information
When you visit or use the Store, JAPAN-ITEMS™ and its service providers may collect certain technical or usage information.
This may include:
- IP address;
- browser type and version;
- device type;
- operating system;
- language settings;
- approximate location derived from IP address;
- pages viewed;
- products viewed;
- links or buttons clicked;
- session information;
- referring website or campaign;
- timestamps;
- cookie and similar technology identifiers;
- interaction information; and
- information relating to errors, security or website performance.
The extent of this processing may depend on your location, consent choices, browser settings and the technologies enabled on the Store.
7. Marketing and Advertising Information
Where permitted by applicable law, we may process information relating to marketing and advertising, including:
- newsletter subscription status;
- marketing preferences;
- consent records;
- email interaction data;
- abandoned cart or checkout information;
- products or categories viewed;
- advertising interactions;
- campaign attribution information;
- audience information; and
- interests inferred from browsing or purchase activity.
Where consent is required by applicable law, advertising or tracking technologies requiring such consent will be used only in accordance with the applicable consent requirements.
8. Sources of Personal Information
We may obtain personal information:
- directly from you;
- automatically through the Store and permitted cookies or similar technologies;
- from Shopify;
- from payment providers;
- from fraud-prevention and security providers;
- from logistics and fulfilment partners;
- from carriers and delivery providers;
- from customs brokers or customs authorities;
- from marketing and advertising platforms;
- from analytics providers;
- from customer-support providers;
- from professional advisers;
- from public authorities where relevant; and
- from other third parties where permitted by applicable law.
9. How We Use Personal Information
9.1 Orders and Contract Performance
We may process personal information to:
- operate the Store;
- receive and process orders;
- confirm product availability;
- arrange sourcing from Japan;
- process and verify payments;
- prevent transactional fraud;
- prepare order confirmations and invoices;
- arrange fulfilment;
- arrange international shipping;
- prepare customs and import documentation;
- handle standard duties and import taxes under the JAPAN-ITEMS™ all-inclusive pricing model;
- provide tracking information;
- facilitate delivery;
- administer cancellations;
- manage returns and refunds;
- handle complaints; and
- provide customer support.
9.2 Communications
We may use personal information to:
- respond to inquiries;
- send order confirmations;
- send fulfilment and delivery updates;
- request information needed for sourcing, customs clearance or delivery;
- notify customers about delays;
- communicate regarding unexpected customs or tax requests;
- process refund or reimbursement requests;
- respond to complaints;
- notify customers about unavailable products;
- offer alternative products where appropriate; and
- send important service or legal communications.
These communications are not necessarily marketing communications.
9.3 Store Improvement and Personalisation
Where permitted by applicable law, we may process information to:
- understand how the Store is used;
- analyse Store performance;
- identify technical problems;
- improve navigation;
- improve product presentation;
- improve customer experience;
- remember customer preferences;
- understand product or category interest; and
- provide relevant recommendations.
Where the processing requires consent, it will be carried out subject to that consent.
9.4 Marketing
Where permitted by law, we may use personal information to:
- send newsletters;
- send promotional communications;
- communicate new collections or products;
- send abandoned-cart or checkout reminders;
- personalise marketing content; and
- measure marketing performance.
Where consent is legally required, marketing communications will be sent on the basis of valid consent or another lawful basis expressly permitted by applicable law.
You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe mechanism provided in the communication or by contacting:
Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent JAPAN-ITEMS™ from sending transactional or service communications concerning your orders, account, delivery, refunds, complaints or legal matters.
9.5 Advertising and Analytics
Subject to applicable law and your consent choices where required, we may use analytics and advertising technologies to:
- measure website traffic;
- understand customer interactions;
- measure advertising effectiveness;
- attribute visits or purchases to campaigns;
- create or use advertising audiences;
- personalise advertisements; and
- conduct retargeting or similar advertising activities.
Depending on the technology involved, information may be disclosed to or collected by advertising, analytics or technology partners.
Some privacy laws may define certain advertising disclosures as a “sale,” “sharing,” “targeted advertising” or similar regulated activity, even where JAPAN-ITEMS™ does not receive money in exchange for customer information.
Where applicable law provides an opt-out right, we will respect that right as required.
9.6 Security, Fraud Prevention and Legal Compliance
We may process information to:
- detect or prevent fraud;
- identify suspicious transactions;
- prevent Store abuse;
- secure customer accounts;
- secure our systems;
- protect customers and JAPAN-ITEMS™;
- comply with tax and accounting requirements;
- comply with customs and import requirements;
- comply with consumer-protection requirements;
- respond to lawful requests from authorities;
- enforce our Terms & Conditions;
- manage disputes and chargebacks; and
- establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
10. Legal Bases for Processing
Where GDPR or another law requiring a legal basis applies, JAPAN-ITEMS™ relies on one or more of the following legal bases.
10.1 Contract and Pre-Contractual Measures
We process personal information where necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you.
This may include:
- processing an order;
- confirming availability;
- processing payment;
- arranging sourcing;
- fulfilment;
- shipping;
- customs handling;
- delivery;
- returns;
- refunds; and
- order-related customer support.
10.2 Legal Obligation
We may process personal information where necessary to comply with legal obligations relating to matters including:
- tax;
- accounting;
- customs;
- consumer protection;
- product compliance;
- payment regulation;
- record keeping;
- regulatory requirements; and
- lawful requests from competent authorities.
10.3 Legitimate Interests
We may process personal information where necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
These interests may include:
- operating and improving the Store;
- providing effective customer service;
- protecting our systems;
- preventing fraud;
- managing business records;
- analysing Store performance;
- protecting legal rights;
- managing disputes;
- maintaining the security and integrity of our services; and
- understanding how customers interact with the Store.
10.4 Consent
Where required by law, we rely on consent for processing including certain:
- non-essential cookies;
- analytics technologies;
- advertising technologies;
- marketing communications; and
- other processing requiring consent.
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
For EU/EEA users, non-essential cookies and similar technologies should not simply be treated as accepted because someone continues browsing; EDPB guidance requires genuine consent where consent is the applicable basis.
11. How We Disclose Personal Information
We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
Recipients may include:
- Shopify and related Shopify service providers;
- payment processors and financial institutions;
- fraud-prevention and risk-assessment providers;
- sourcing and fulfilment partners;
- logistics providers and warehouses;
- shipping carriers;
- delivery providers;
- customs brokers;
- customs and tax authorities;
- accounting, legal and professional advisers;
- IT, cloud, hosting and security providers;
- analytics providers;
- marketing and advertising partners;
- customer-support systems;
- email and communication providers;
- regulators, courts, law-enforcement bodies or other competent authorities where required or permitted by law; and
- potential or actual business successors in connection with a merger, restructuring, financing, acquisition, insolvency, sale of assets or similar transaction.
We do not disclose personal information to third parties merely because they request it. Disclosure must have an appropriate business, contractual or legal basis.
12. Shopify
The Store is powered by Shopify.
Shopify provides infrastructure and services used to operate the Store, checkout, customer accounts, order administration and related e-commerce functionality.
When you interact with a Shopify-powered Store, Shopify may process personal information in connection with providing services to JAPAN-ITEMS™.
Depending on the particular Shopify service and processing activity, Shopify may act as a processor or service provider on behalf of JAPAN-ITEMS™, or may process certain information for its own purposes under its own privacy terms. Shopify itself explains that in certain circumstances it acts as processor/service provider for merchants, while its current privacy framework also covers consumers using Shopify services.
Where Shopify acts on our behalf, JAPAN-ITEMS™ remains responsible for its own obligations as controller to the extent required by applicable law.
Where Shopify independently determines the purposes and means of particular processing, Shopify may have its own responsibilities under applicable privacy law.
Customers may review Shopify's current Privacy Policy and Shopify Privacy Controls for further information.
13. International Transfers
JAPAN-ITEMS™ operates internationally and works with service providers, sourcing partners and logistics providers in multiple countries.
Personal information may therefore be transferred to, stored in or processed in countries other than the country where you live.
Depending on the transaction and services involved, these countries may include:
- countries within the European Economic Area;
- Japan;
- the United States;
- Canada;
- the United Kingdom; and
- other countries in which our service providers or logistics partners operate.
Where GDPR or another applicable law restricts international transfers, JAPAN-ITEMS™ will use an appropriate transfer mechanism where required.
Depending on the circumstances, such mechanisms may include:
- an adequacy decision;
- Standard Contractual Clauses;
- Binding Corporate Rules;
- other legally recognised contractual safeguards; or
- another transfer mechanism permitted by applicable law.
Shopify currently maintains approved Binding Corporate Rules covering aspects of its global data-transfer framework.
Where legally required, additional safeguards or transfer assessments may also be used.
14. Cookies and Similar Technologies
The Store uses cookies and similar technologies.
These technologies may be used for purposes including:
- Store functionality;
- checkout;
- security;
- authentication;
- remembering preferences;
- analytics;
- personalisation;
- advertising;
- campaign measurement; and
- fraud prevention.
Necessary technologies
Certain cookies or similar technologies may be necessary for the Store to operate properly and may be used without consent where permitted by applicable law.
Non-essential technologies
Analytics, advertising, personalisation or similar non-essential technologies may require consent depending on the user's location and applicable law.
Where prior consent is required, JAPAN-ITEMS™ will not intentionally activate technologies requiring that consent before the appropriate consent has been obtained.
Users should be able to manage relevant preferences through the Store's cookie banner or privacy controls where available.
Under the European framework, technically necessary cookies are treated differently from non-essential cookies requiring consent.
Further details may be provided in the JAPAN-ITEMS™ Cookie Policy and consent interface.
15. Data Retention
JAPAN-ITEMS™ retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or as required or permitted by applicable law.
Retention periods may depend on:
- whether a customer account remains active;
- whether an order remains in progress;
- tax and accounting obligations;
- customs requirements;
- applicable limitation periods;
- fraud-prevention needs;
- security requirements;
- chargeback or dispute periods;
- complaint handling;
- customer-support requirements;
- legal claims; and
- marketing-consent status.
Order, transaction, tax, accounting and customs records may need to be retained for statutory periods even after the customer relationship ends.
Where personal information is no longer reasonably required, it will be deleted, anonymised or otherwise handled in accordance with applicable requirements.
16. Security
JAPAN-ITEMS™ uses reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against:
- unauthorised access;
- accidental loss;
- misuse;
- alteration;
- unauthorised disclosure; and
- destruction.
We may use service providers that maintain their own security programmes and technical safeguards.
No internet transmission, website, database or electronic-storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Customers should protect account credentials and should not send unnecessary sensitive information through insecure channels.
17. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights concerning your personal information.
These may include the right to:
- request access;
- receive a copy of certain information;
- correct inaccurate information;
- request deletion;
- restrict certain processing;
- object to certain processing;
- receive portable data where applicable;
- withdraw consent;
- object to direct marketing;
- opt out of certain targeted advertising or regulated sharing;
- lodge a complaint with a competent data-protection authority; and
- exercise other rights provided by applicable law.
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to legal exceptions, identity-verification requirements and competing legal obligations.
To exercise a privacy right, contact:
Please describe the request sufficiently for us to understand and process it.
We may request information reasonably necessary to verify identity and protect personal information against unauthorised disclosure.
We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.
18. European Economic Area
Individuals in the European Economic Area may have rights under GDPR, including the right to:
- access personal data;
- rectify inaccurate data;
- request erasure;
- request restriction;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests;
- object to direct marketing;
- receive portable data where applicable;
- withdraw consent; and
- lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
Where processing is based on legitimate interests, you may object in circumstances provided by GDPR.
Where processing is based on consent, consent may be withdrawn at any time without affecting processing lawfully performed before withdrawal.
For individuals in Poland, the competent supervisory authority is the President of the Personal Data Protection Office (Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Danych Osobowych).
Individuals elsewhere in the EEA may generally contact the competent supervisory authority available to them under applicable law.
19. United Kingdom
Individuals in the United Kingdom may have rights under applicable UK data-protection law, including rights relating to:
- access;
- rectification;
- erasure;
- restriction;
- objection;
- data portability;
- withdrawal of consent; and
- complaints to the competent supervisory authority.
The precise scope of these rights depends on applicable law and the circumstances of the processing.
20. United States Privacy Rights
Residents of certain U.S. states may have privacy rights under applicable state law.
Depending on the state and whether the relevant law applies to JAPAN-ITEMS™, these rights may include:
- access or confirmation;
- correction;
- deletion;
- obtaining a copy of certain personal information;
- opting out of the sale of personal information;
- opting out of sharing for cross-context behavioural advertising;
- opting out of targeted advertising;
- limiting certain uses of sensitive personal information where applicable; and
- appealing certain decisions concerning privacy requests where applicable.
JAPAN-ITEMS™ does not sell customer lists for money in the ordinary commercial meaning of “sell.”
However, certain U.S. privacy laws define sale or sharing more broadly, particularly in relation to advertising technologies.
Where JAPAN-ITEMS™ engages in processing legally classified as a sale, sharing or targeted advertising and an applicable law gives you the right to opt out, we will provide and honour the applicable choice mechanism.
California's CPPA specifically identifies rights including correction and opting out of sale/sharing, including certain cross-context behavioural advertising.
Where legally required, the Store may provide a “Your Privacy Choices”, “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” or equivalent privacy-control mechanism.
We will also recognise legally required browser-based opt-out preference signals where applicable.
21. Sensitive Personal Information
JAPAN-ITEMS™ does not intentionally seek to collect sensitive personal information beyond what is reasonably necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes.
In limited circumstances, certain information may be considered sensitive under applicable law, such as payment-related information, account authentication information or identification information required for fraud prevention or customs processing.
Where applicable law imposes additional requirements concerning sensitive personal information, JAPAN-ITEMS™ will process such information in accordance with those requirements.
We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes intended to infer highly sensitive characteristics about customers unless expressly disclosed and lawfully permitted.
22. Marketing Communications
Where permitted by applicable law, customers who subscribe or otherwise validly opt in may receive communications concerning:
- products;
- collections;
- new arrivals;
- offers;
- editorial content;
- brand updates; and
- other JAPAN-ITEMS™ news.
You may unsubscribe at any time through the unsubscribe mechanism included in marketing communications or by contacting:
Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent transactional communications necessary for orders, delivery, returns, refunds, account administration, security or legal notices.
23. Targeted Advertising and Privacy Choices
Subject to applicable law and consent requirements, JAPAN-ITEMS™ may use advertising platforms and related technologies to promote the Store and measure campaign effectiveness.
These activities may involve identifiers, browsing activity, advertising interaction data, purchase information or other information permitted by applicable law and your privacy choices.
Where required, customers may be provided with mechanisms to:
- refuse advertising cookies;
- withdraw consent;
- opt out of targeted advertising;
- opt out of sale or sharing as legally defined; or
- otherwise manage advertising privacy choices.
Your choices may depend on the browser or device used, and clearing cookies or using another browser or device may require you to set certain preferences again.
24. Automated Decision-Making and Fraud Prevention
JAPAN-ITEMS™ and its payment, fraud-prevention, security or e-commerce providers may use automated systems to identify suspicious activity, assess transaction risk and protect the Store.
These systems may analyse information including:
- transaction details;
- order behaviour;
- payment information;
- device information;
- IP address;
- account information; and
- other fraud or security indicators.
An automated risk assessment may contribute to an order being flagged for additional verification, delayed pending review or declined where legally permitted.
Where applicable law provides rights concerning decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects, JAPAN-ITEMS™ will respect those rights.
You may contact support@japan-items.com for further information where applicable.
25. Children's Privacy
The Store is intended for adults and is not directed to children.
JAPAN-ITEMS™ does not knowingly collect personal information from children below the age at which they may lawfully provide relevant information or consent under applicable law.
If you believe that a child has provided personal information to JAPAN-ITEMS™ inappropriately, please contact:
We will review the matter and take appropriate action where required.
26. Third-Party Websites and Services
The Store may contain links to or integrations with third-party websites and services, including:
- payment providers;
- carriers;
- social-media platforms;
- advertising platforms;
- external product or informational resources; and
- other third-party services.
JAPAN-ITEMS™ does not control every aspect of third-party processing.
When you leave the Store or intentionally interact with an independent third-party service, that provider's privacy notice may apply to its processing.
Customers should review relevant third-party privacy information where appropriate.
27. Business Transfers
If Japan Items Group sp. z o.o. is involved in a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, insolvency, sale of assets or similar corporate transaction, personal information may be disclosed to relevant advisers, counterparties or successors where reasonably necessary and permitted by applicable law.
Any such processing will remain subject to applicable data-protection requirements.
28. Legal Requests
JAPAN-ITEMS™ may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to:
- comply with applicable law;
- respond to a valid court order or legally binding request;
- cooperate with competent regulatory or law-enforcement authorities;
- protect legal rights;
- investigate fraud or unlawful conduct; or
- protect customers, JAPAN-ITEMS™ or third parties.
Where permitted and appropriate, JAPAN-ITEMS™ may assess the validity and scope of a request before disclosing personal information.
29. Complaints About Privacy
If you have concerns about how JAPAN-ITEMS™ handles your personal information, please contact us first at:
We will review privacy complaints and respond in accordance with applicable law.
Where applicable law gives you the right to complain to a supervisory or data-protection authority, that right remains unaffected.
30. Changes to This Privacy Policy
JAPAN-ITEMS™ may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in:
- law;
- technology;
- Store functionality;
- service providers;
- advertising or analytics tools;
- logistics arrangements;
- international operations; or
- privacy practices.
When this Policy is updated, the “Last updated” date will be revised.
Where applicable law requires additional notice or renewed consent for a particular change, JAPAN-ITEMS™ will provide that notice or obtain that consent.
31. Relationship With Other JAPAN-ITEMS™ Policies
This Privacy Policy should be read together with other policies applicable to the Store.
The Terms & Conditions govern the contractual relationship between JAPAN-ITEMS™ and customers.
The Shipping, Duties & Taxes Policy explains fulfilment, delivery, Free International Shipping and the all-inclusive duties and taxes arrangement.
The Returns & Refund Policy explains returns, statutory withdrawal rights, refunds, complaints and related remedies.
The Cookie Policy, where applicable, provides additional information about cookies and similar technologies.
Nothing in another JAPAN-ITEMS™ policy is intended to reduce privacy rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
32. Contact
For questions concerning this Privacy Policy, personal information, privacy rights or a privacy complaint, please contact:
Japan Items Group sp. z o.o.
ul. Wodzisławska 358
44-274 Rybnik
Poland
KRS: 0001228018
NIP: 6423268977
REGON: 544207180
Registry court: District Court in Gliwice, 10th Commercial Division of the National Court Register
Email: support@japan-items.com