Terms & Policies

This policy explains how LUMA collects, uses and protects your personal information. It follows Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Who we are

The controller of your personal information is Sho Asano, trading as LUMA, based in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. We'll provide our full address without delay if you ask for it.

This policy covers studio-lumadesign.com and these services:

• LUMA Frame (on-location photography)
• LUMA Path (private English-language tours for visitors to Japan)
• LUMA Craft (web, social media and app production)
• S.League (health mahjong tournaments)

For anything about your personal information, contact us through the contact form or at info@studio-lumadesign.com.

2. Information we collect

• Contact form: first name, last name, email address, phone number (optional), the service you're interested in, and your message.
• Applications (Google Forms): your name (a nickname is fine), email address, phone number, and the information the service needs. For S.League, this includes your mahjong experience and how many times you've taken part.
• Payments: Square processes card payments, and Wise processes payments on USD invoices. We don't hold your card number.
• Website visits: if you agree to analytics cookies, Google Analytics 4 cookies and data about how you use the site. Our hosting provider, Cloudflare, also processes your IP address and similar connection data when you visit.
• LINE: if you contact us on LINE, your LINE account name and your messages.

3. Why we use it and our legal basis

Each use of your information relies on a legal basis under GDPR Article 6(1).

Taking applications and bookings, contacting you, delivering the service and billing	Performance of a contract, and steps taken at your request before entering a contract (GDPR Art. 6(1)(b))
Replying to your enquiries	Steps taken at your request before entering a contract (GDPR Art. 6(1)(b)), or our legitimate interest in answering your enquiry (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f))
Keeping accounting and tax records	Compliance with a legal obligation (GDPR Art. 6(1)(c))
Emails about upcoming events	Your consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)). You can unsubscribe at any time.
Website analytics (Google Analytics 4)	Your consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)), given only if you choose "Accept" on the cookie banner
Delivering the website securely (Cloudflare)	Our legitimate interest in keeping the site secure (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f))
Photographing tournaments and events, and publishing the photos	Our legitimate interest in recording our events and showing what our services are like (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)). You can ask to be left out (see section 7).

4. Service providers and international transfers

We use the service providers below. Some are in the United States, so the information you give us is transferred to the United States. We checked each DPF certification on the DPF list on 2 October 2026. Japan holds an EU adequacy decision (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/419), which was kept in place after the 2023 review.

Google LLC (United States)	Google Forms, Google Sheets and Google Analytics 4. Certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Google Privacy Policy
Block, Inc. (Square, United States)	Payments and invoicing. Block states in its privacy notice that it uses the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for transfers outside the EU. Square Privacy Notice
Wise Payments Japan K.K. (Japan)	Issuing USD invoices through Wise and processing payments and refunds. Wise data controllers
Formspree, Inc. (United States)	Delivering contact form messages. Formspree is not certified under the DPF. Formspree Privacy Policy
Cloudflare, Inc. (United States)	Website hosting. Certified under the DPF. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
LY Corporation (Japan)	LINE messages, if you contact us on LINE. LY Corporation Privacy Policy

We don't share your personal information with anyone else, except with your consent or when the law requires it (for example, a request from the police or a court). We never sell your personal information.

5. How long we keep it

We keep your information until we've fulfilled the purpose we collected it for. After that, we keep only what we need to follow up on your enquiry, and what the law requires us to keep, such as accounting and tax records. Then we delete it.

If you've signed up for event emails, we keep your email address until you withdraw your consent.

6. Cookies and analytics

The only cookies we use are Google Analytics 4 cookies. They load only if you choose "Accept" on the banner shown on your first visit. If you choose "Decline", every part of the site still works.

_ga	Distinguishes one visitor from another. Expires after 2 years.
_ga_<container-id>	Keeps the state of your session. Expires after 2 years.

Source: Google Analytics Help

Your choice is saved in your browser (localStorage). You can change it at any time with "Cookie settings" at the bottom of the page, or with the button below. If you switch to "Decline", we delete the _ga cookie.

Change cookie settings

7. Photos and video

Event staff may take photos and video at S.League events. These may appear on our website (studio-lumadesign.com) and on social media (Instagram, etc.). If you'd rather not be featured, say so in the notes field of the application form or contact us through the contact form.

For anyone under 18, we confirm a parent or guardian's consent before taking photos.

8. Your rights

Under GDPR Articles 15 to 22, you have the right to:

• access the personal information we hold about you
• have it corrected
• have it erased
• restrict how we process it
• receive it in a portable format (data portability)
• object to our processing of it
• withdraw your consent at any time. This doesn't affect processing carried out before you withdrew it.

To make a request, contact us using the details in section 14. We may ask for more information to confirm your identity. We'll normally reply within one month. If a request is complex, we may extend this by up to two more months. We'll tell you, and explain why, within the first month. There's no charge, unless a request is clearly unfounded or excessive.

We accept requests under Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information (for disclosure and similar) through the same contact point.

9. Complaints

If you live in the EU, you can lodge a complaint with the data protection supervisory authority in the country where you live, where you work, or where you believe the breach took place (GDPR Article 77). The European Data Protection Board lists these authorities on its members page.

In Japan, you can contact the Personal Information Protection Commission.

10. Required information and automated decisions

To accept an application, we need your name, your contact details and the information the service requires. Without them, we can't take your application. Everything else is optional.

We don't make automated decisions about you, including profiling.

11. Security and data breaches

We protect your information with appropriate security measures, including controls on who can access it.

If a data breach occurs, we'll report it to the supervisory authority as the law requires. Under the GDPR, this is generally within 72 hours. Where required, we'll also tell you.

12. Children under 16

If you're under 16, you need a parent or guardian's consent before agreeing to event emails or analytics cookies (GDPR Article 8). Some EU countries set a lower age, down to 13.

13. Changes to this policy

We'll post any changes to this policy on this page. If we make a significant change, we'll point it out clearly on this page. The date at the top shows when the policy was last updated.

14. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, use the contact form or email info@studio-lumadesign.com.

Cancellation fees differ by service. See part 1 for S.League mahjong tournaments, part 2 for photography sessions (LUMA Frame) and part 3 for private tours (LUMA Path). Part 4 covers what applies to all services, such as refund methods. In every case, please send all cancellations via the contact form or email (info@studio-lumadesign.com).

1. S.League mahjong tournaments

The following policy applies to cancellations after S.League registration.

Events with a special guest

For anniversary or special events featuring an invited special guest (for example, the S.League 24 4th Anniversary Tournament), due to guest booking arrangements and related commitments, cancellations made after registration are non-refundable (100% of the entry fee), regardless of the cancellation fee tiers set out above. Such events will be clearly identified as such at the time of registration; please register only after acknowledging this condition. The treatment set out in "Substitute participant" below also applies to events with a special guest.

Substitute participant

Even when a cancellation fee would apply, you may waive it by introducing a substitute participant (someone you arrange yourself). Please share the substitute's name and contact details in advance.

Cancellation by the organiser

If the event is cancelled or rescheduled due to natural disaster, infectious disease, venue issues, or other force majeure, full refunds will be issued. If a participant changes the cancellation due to personal circumstances, the policy above applies.

2. Photography sessions (LUMA Frame)

Photography sessions are paid in full up front. Once you accept the quote, I'll email you a Square payment link. Your shoot date is confirmed when the payment clears, and the policy below applies from that point. Cancelling before you pay is free and costs you nothing.

The date is held for you, and a late cancellation means the slot cannot be offered to anyone else, so the refund depends on when you cancel.

Rescheduling

If you would rather move the date than cancel, the fees below apply. They are set lower than the cancellation fees, so rescheduling is worth considering if you are unsure.

You may reschedule up to twice. A third request is treated as a cancellation.

Please settle the new shoot date within 3 days of your request. If it is not settled within 3 days, that is treated as a cancellation. To allow time to prepare, the new date must also fall 7 or more days after the day you contact me (for example, if you write on 15 August, the new date must be 22 August or later).

Bad weather

1. Advance notice
For shoots planned outdoors, if the Japan Meteorological Agency's chance of rain for your shoot date and municipality is 50% or higher at 9:00 am four days before the shoot, I'll email you. Reply by 11:59 pm that same day to tell me whether you want to reschedule or cancel. No rescheduling or cancellation fee applies in that case, and a cancellation is refunded in full. If I don't hear from you by then, the shoot goes ahead as booked and the standard terms above apply from that point.

2. Cancellation on warnings and advisories
If a heavy rain warning, storm warning or strong wind advisory (or an emergency warning above any of these) is in force for the shoot location's municipality, including on the day itself, the shoot is cancelled. You may either reschedule or receive a full refund, and no rescheduling or cancellation fee applies.

3. Other bad weather
Where only a heavy rain advisory is in force, or the weather otherwise falls short of point 2, the standard terms apply. That said, if I judge the shoot unsafe or unworkable for the quality of the photos, I'll propose cancelling or moving it, and no rescheduling or cancellation fee applies in that case either.

Cancellation by the photographer

If the shoot cannot go ahead because of the photographer's sudden illness or injury, a major equipment failure, natural disaster, infectious disease or other force majeure, you may either reschedule or receive a full refund. No rescheduling or cancellation fee applies in that case. If you then cancel for your own reasons, the policy above applies.

Wedding day shoots

For shoots on the day of the ceremony (the Ceremony plan), the date cannot be moved, so the "Rescheduling" and "Bad weather" terms above do not apply. Only cancellation is possible, and refunds work as follows.

If the photographer has to cancel, you are refunded in full as with any other shoot. If the ceremony itself is cancelled or postponed, you may either reschedule or receive a full refund, regardless of the table above.

Reworks and refunds after delivery

If you'd like something changed about the finished photos, I'll rework them once, free of charge. Please get in touch within 14 days of delivery.

Only where a rework does not resolve a technical fault (a serious focus or exposure error, corrupted data and the like) will a reshoot or refund apply. Refunds cannot be given for differences in style or taste, or for the expressions, weather or surroundings on the day. You're welcome to look through sample work before the shoot, so please do raise any questions about the look you're after.

Travel and out-of-pocket costs

For shoots outside Yokohama, Kawasaki and Tokyo's 23 wards, and for any venue booked for an indoor shoot, costs already incurred at the point of cancellation (non-refundable transport bookings, for example) are charged separately from the cancellation fee. You will be told in advance when this applies.

3. Private tours (LUMA Path)

Private tours are paid in full up front. Please pay at least 5 days before the tour date. Your booking is complete once I've confirmed your payment. If I haven't confirmed it by then, there is no booking.

If you cancel for your own reasons after your booking is complete, the refund depends on when you cancel. For two-day tours, the timing is measured from day 1.

Rescheduling

You can reschedule once, free of charge. Please ask to reschedule no later than 7 days before the tour date, even if a cancellation fee would otherwise apply. I can't reschedule within 6 days of the tour.

The new date must fall within 6 months of the original tour date. Please confirm it with me within 3 days of your request. If we haven't confirmed a new date by then, your booking stays on the original date.

If you cancel for your own reasons after rescheduling, there's no refund, regardless of timing.

Bad weather

1. Weather check before the tour
I check the warnings for the tour area 3 hours before the meeting time. If a heavy rain warning, storm warning or emergency warning is in force, the tour is cancelled. I'll email you as soon as I decide to cancel. You may either reschedule or receive a full refund, and this reschedule doesn't count as your one free change.

2. Warnings issued after the check
If one of these warnings is issued after the check but before the meeting time, the tour is cancelled at that point. You may either reschedule or receive a full refund. If one is issued during the tour, I'll end the tour right away for safety, and no refund is given.

3. Rain
On rainy days without a warning, tours run as normal.

Public transport suspensions

If a rail operator announces, by the day before the tour, that it will suspend services on a large scale, you may either reschedule or receive a full refund. This reschedule doesn't count as your one free change. If a large-scale suspension happens without warning on the day, I'll talk it through with you. We'll decide together whether to run the tour on a different route, reschedule or refund you.

Cancellation by the guide

If I can't run the tour because of sudden illness or a similar reason, you may either reschedule or receive a full refund. This reschedule doesn't count as your one free change.

Views

What you can see depends on the weather. A view hidden by cloud, such as Mt Fuji on an overcast day, isn't a reason for a refund.

Late arrivals and no-shows

If you haven't arrived within 15 minutes of the meeting time and I haven't heard from you, it's treated as a no-show. There's no refund. If you let me know you're running late, I'll wait up to 30 minutes from the meeting time. After that, there's no refund. If you join late, the tour still finishes at the scheduled time.

Leaving partway through

If you leave a tour partway through for your own reasons, there's no refund. The same applies if you don't join day 2 of a two-day tour.

Bookings through listing sites

If you booked through GetYourGuide or another listing site, that site's cancellation terms apply instead of this policy.

Refund methods, how to get in touch and how timing is measured are covered in part 4, "Applies to all services", below.

4. Applies to all services

Refund methods

Card payments are refunded to the original card via Square (refunds typically take 3 to 10 business days). Bank-transfer payments are refunded by transfer to your specified account. Payments on USD invoices through Wise are refunded in USD, through Wise, to the account the payment came from. Processing fees are covered by LUMA, so they never come out of your refund. Where this policy says "full refund", you get back everything you paid.

How to get in touch

Send cancellations and rescheduling requests via the contact form or email (info@studio-lumadesign.com). Timing is measured from when your message is received.

1. Health and safety

S.League follows a "health mahjong" policy without alcohol. Please confirm your own health condition before participating. Refunds are not issued for departures during the event due to illness, pre-existing conditions, or injury. The organiser is not liable for medical issues or injuries arising during participation.

2. Disputes between participants

The organiser does not mediate, arbitrate, or accept liability for disputes between participants. By applying, you agree to treat other participants with respect.

3. Belongings and loss

The organiser is not liable for loss, theft, or damage to participant belongings at the venue. Please manage your valuables yourself.

4. Tournament results and records

S.League results are published on the website. Scores are calculated by event staff; we will correct mistakes promptly when discovered. Disputes regarding results should be raised with staff before the closing ceremony on event day.

5. Website information

Information on this website (studio-lumadesign.com) may change or be removed without notice. The Operator does not guarantee accuracy or completeness, and disclaims liability for damages arising from use of this site.

6. External links

This site may contain links to external websites. The Operator is not responsible for the content or operation of linked destinations.

7. Governing law and jurisdiction

This policy is governed by Japanese law. Disputes regarding this policy fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Chiba District Court of first instance.

This policy applies to portrait photography services and event photography (S.League and similar) provided by LUMA (the "Operator").

1. Image rights for portrait photography

Before each portrait shoot, the Operator confirms the publication scope with the client.

Where photos are published	The Operator's website (studio-lumadesign.com) Instagram (@luma_frame.jp) Other portfolio and promotional materials
Purpose	Portfolio, service introduction, and reference work
If you don't want to be published	Please notify the Operator before or after the shoot. Non-publication is fully supported, including selectively excluding specific photos.
Removal of published photos	If you request removal after publication, please contact us via the contact form. We will respond promptly.
Copyright of delivered photos	Copyright in delivered photos belongs to the Operator (Sho Asano). Delivered files may be used freely for personal use and social media posting; commercial use, resale, and secondary use require prior consultation.

2. Image rights at S.League and other events

S.League and other events the Operator hosts may include venue photography during the event.

• Photos and videos may appear on the Operator's website and social media.
• If you prefer not to be featured, please note it in the application form or tell on-site staff.
• To request removal of published photos, please use the contact form.
• If you post photos containing other participants on your own social media, please obtain consent from those individuals before posting.

3. Photographing minors

For subjects under 18, the Operator confirms guardian consent in writing or verbally before the shoot.

4. Copyright of photographs on this website

All photographs published on this website (studio-lumadesign.com) and on Instagram are the copyright of the Operator (Sho Asano).

Allowed without permission	Sharing a link with the share buttons on each page, or referring to a page by its URL
Permission required	Copying or saving image files, re-publishing saved images, editing or compositing, use in print or video, commercial use, and use as training data for AI models
Licensing requests	Tell us which photographs you would like to use and for what purpose via the contact form. Terms are quoted individually
Unauthorised use	We will ask the publisher to remove the material. If the request is ignored, we will take the necessary steps, including reporting to the hosting service

Image saving is restricted on this site to reduce unintended copying. Regardless of that restriction, the uses listed above require permission.

5. Contact

For questions or removal requests regarding image rights, please use the contact form or email info@studio-lumadesign.com.