SUWA ("the website"), in order to properly manage information such as customer names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses that can identify individual customers ("personal information"), and in compliance with Japan's Personal Information Protection Act, establish the following fundamental policies regarding the protection of personal information.
In order to implement the uninterrupted provision of services to our customers, the website will use legal and fair means to gather necessary personal information from customers making inquiries. The range of personal information gathered will be limited to that necessary to achieve the objectives at hand.
In accordance with these "Fundamental Policies Regarding Personal Information Protection," the website will utilize personal information gathered as necessary for the following purposes:
1. Providing services to customers;
2. Necessary business operations relating to products;
3. Responding to inquiries;
4. Providing information deemed beneficial to customers, such as new products and new services;
5. Publication of e-mail magazines ("ezines") and sending of direct mailings;
6. Marketing activities for new product development and improving customer service.
The website will properly manage the customers' personal information, while exercising the utmost caution to prevent any disclosure, destruction, or damage to such information. In addition, appropriate safety measures will be implemented in commitment to safeguard personal information from dangers such as external leakage, loss of information, destruction, alteration, or improper external access.
There are situations in which the website will consign personal information to outside firms for the purpose of home delivery and distribution. Any firms so entrusted will be required to manage personal information at a level that meets or exceeds that of the website.
As a rule, the website will not provide personal information to third parties without the express personal approval of the user, except in accordance with laws and regulations. However, insofar as it does not violate related laws and regulations, personal information may be disclosed without the user's consent in the following cases:
1. In situations necessary to protect a person's life, health, or property, and there is difficulty in obtaining the personal consent of the user;
2. When official governmental agencies request disclosure of personal information through proper legal procedures;
3. When the user explicitly requests disclosure or supplying of information to a third party;
4. In other situations where the website deems that disclosure is necessary to provide services directly to the user.
In the case that a user personally requests release of personal information, the website will fill such request upon confirmation of the user's identity.
In the event that the user personally wishes that personal information be confirmed, revised, modified, or deleted, stored information will be reported, revised, modified, or deleted by appropriate means, according to the request, upon confirmation of the user's identity.
As a means to improve service, the website may use "cookies" to gather information such as user access logs. Cookies are small bits of information that the website sends to the user's browser, which may be stored as a file on the user's computer.
These Personal Information Handling Procedures may be revised by the website in accordance with changes in purpose of use, to improve safety, changes in applicable laws and regulations, or revision of standards. Details of any such revisions will be posted on the website.