Last updated: April 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what data Explore Osaka (explore.osaka) collects from visitors, how that data is used, and what rights you have over your personal information.

By using this website, you agree to the practices described below.

Who We Are

Explore Osaka is an independent English-language travel publication focused on Osaka, Japan. For privacy-related inquiries, contact us via the Contact page.

What Data We Collect

There is only one way for visitors to submit personal information on this site: the contact form. If you use it, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. This is used solely to respond to your inquiry.

We do not run membership systems, comment sections, newsletter sign-ups, or any other mechanism that collects personal information from visitors.

Beyond the contact form, certain technical data is collected automatically by third-party services that operate on the site. These are described in full below.

Third-Party Services

Google Tag Manager

We use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to manage and deploy third-party scripts on this site. GTM itself does not collect personal data or set cookies. However, it acts as a container through which other tools — including analytics and advertising scripts — are loaded. The specific tools currently loaded through GTM are described in this policy. If additional tools are added in the future, this policy will be updated accordingly.

Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), loaded via Google Tag Manager, to understand how the site is used — which pages are visited, how long visitors stay, and how they arrive at the site. GA4 collects anonymized, aggregated behavioral data. We cannot identify individual visitors from this data.

GA4 sets cookies in your browser to track sessions and page interactions. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking using Google’s opt-out browser add-on. For more information on how Google handles data, see Google’s Privacy Policy.

Google Search Console

We use Google Search Console to monitor the site’s presence in Google Search results. Search Console provides us with aggregated data about search queries and site performance. It does not set cookies on visitor browsers and does not collect any personally identifiable information about site visitors.

Google AdSense

We display advertising through Google AdSense. Google may use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ad Settings. For more information, see Google’s Privacy Policy.

Cloudflare

This site is served through Cloudflare, which acts as a reverse proxy and content delivery network. Cloudflare processes visitor IP addresses and request metadata for security, performance, and DDoS protection purposes. This data is handled in accordance with Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy. We do not have access to raw visitor IP data through Cloudflare’s dashboard at an individual level.

Affiliate Links

This site contains affiliate links to third-party platforms including Booking.com, Agoda, Klook, Viator, GetYourGuide, Tripadvisor, and TravelPayouts. These are standard hyperlinks — we do not run any affiliate tracking scripts on this site. When you click an affiliate link and visit a third-party platform, that platform’s own cookies and tracking technologies apply. We are not responsible for the data practices of any external site. Please review the privacy policy of any third-party platform before submitting personal information.

Future Tools

We may add further analytics, advertising, or affiliate tools to this site over time. Any such additions that involve the collection or processing of visitor data will be reflected in an update to this policy. We encourage you to check this page periodically.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored in your browser when you visit a website. The cookies currently active on this site come from the following sources:

  • WordPress — Strictly necessary session cookies required for the site to function.
  • Cloudflare — Security and performance cookies set by our CDN provider.
  • Google Analytics 4 — Analytics cookies tracking anonymized session and behavior data, loaded via Google Tag Manager.
  • Google AdSense — Advertising cookies used to serve and measure ads.

If you are visiting from the European Union or United Kingdom, you will be asked to provide consent before non-essential cookies are set.

Data Retention

Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months, then deleted unless an ongoing correspondence requires otherwise. We do not store any other personally identifiable visitor data.

Your Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have specific rights over your personal data.

European Union and United Kingdom (GDPR / UK GDPR)
You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of any personal data we hold about you, the right to restrict or object to processing, and the right to withdraw consent at any time. In practice, the only personal data we hold about any individual visitor is a contact form submission. To exercise any of these rights, use the Contact page. We will respond within 30 days.

If you believe we have not handled your data appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). In the EU, contact your national data protection authority.

California (CCPA)
California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected and to request deletion. We do not sell personal information. For any data requests, contact us via the Contact page.

Australia
Australian visitors have rights under the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. For data access or correction requests, contact us via the Contact page.

Children’s Privacy

This site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted information via our contact form, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, the “last updated” date at the top of this page will be revised. Continued use of the site after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

For any privacy-related questions, use the Contact page.

This policy applies to all pages and content published on explore.osaka.