Terms of Service

Last updated: October 26, 2026

These terms govern your use of birchriverhorizon.com (the “site”), which is operated by Birch River Horizon (“we”). By using the site you agree to them. If you do not agree, please do not use it. Our paid or free consulting work, if you ask for it, is covered by a separate written agreement, described in section 5.

1. What this site is

The site gives general information about end-of-life preparation in Japan, known as shukatsu, and describes the planning-support service we offer: notes, lists, family conversations and document folders. It is not a law office, a tax office, a medical practice, a funeral provider or an insurance or trust company, and nothing on it is offered as such.

2. No professional advice

Everything on the site is general information. It is not legal, tax, medical, financial or insurance advice, and it takes no account of your personal circumstances. The rules on wills, inheritance, registration, guardianship and tax in Japan are set by law, they change, and they apply differently from case to case. Before you act on anything you read here, check it with a licensed professional or the public office concerned. We do not claim on this site to hold any professional qualification, and we will not represent you before a court, a tax office or a public authority.

3. Our service in outline

If you ask us for help, we help you to think, list, write and organise. We explain, in general terms, what a will, a notarial deed, a registration or a guardianship arrangement is for and which kind of licensed professional prepares it. We do not draft legally binding documents, give opinions on legal rights, calculate tax, advise on treatment, or sell funeral, grave, insurance or trust products. We do not store your passwords, originals or recordings. We do not promise any particular result, and we cannot promise that your family will agree with your plans or follow them.

4. Using the site

You may read the site and use the planning tools for your own purposes. You agree not to:

• copy, republish or sell the text, images or layout without our written permission, except for brief quotation with credit;
• interfere with the site or try to gain access to anything that is not meant to be public;
• use the enquiry form to send advertising, harmful content or the personal information of other people without their consent;
• use the site in a way that breaks Japanese law.

5. Enquiries and agreements

Sending an enquiry does not create a contract. The first conversation is free and carries no obligation. If you wish us to do further work, we will send you a written scope and fee first, and work begins only when you accept it. Cancellation, payment and refund terms are set out in that written quote and on our commercial notice. Fees of notaries, lawyers, scriveners, registrars, tax accountants, doctors, funeral providers and temples are separate and are paid to them directly.

6. The planning tools

The checklist on the planning tools page is an aid to memory. It saves your ticks only on your own device and is not a complete list of what your situation requires. Descriptions of documents are orientation only and are not templates.

7. Illustrative images

The photographs on the site are illustrations. They do not show our clients, staff or premises, and they are not testimonials.

8. Links to other sites

We link to official bodies and to Google Maps for your convenience. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content or availability. Use them under their own terms.

9. Accuracy and changes

We try to keep the site accurate, but laws, fees and procedures change, and we cannot guarantee that every page is complete or current. We may change, suspend or remove any part of the site, or these terms, at any time. Changes take effect when posted here, and the date above shows the latest revision. If you keep using the site after a change, you accept it.

10. Limit of liability

To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for loss arising from your use of, or reliance on, the information on this site, including loss caused by a change in the law or by acting without professional advice. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Japanese law, such as liability for intentional or grossly negligent acts, or any rights you have as a consumer under the Consumer Contract Act.

11. Governing law and courts

These terms are governed by the laws of Japan. If a dispute cannot be settled by discussion, the Nara District Court, or the Nara Summary Court where the claim is within its jurisdiction, is the court of first instance, without limiting any mandatory right you have to bring a claim in another court.

12. Contact

Birch River Horizon
2-15-12 Sanjohonmachi, Nara, Nara 630-8122, Japan
〒630-8122 奈良県奈良市三条本町2丁目15-12
Phone: +81 742-63-4534
Email: office@birchriverhorizon.com