PRIVACY NOTICE
Last updated: July 2026
We, Kasame & Associates Co. Ltd., give importance to the protection of Personal Data (as defined below) and are aware of our duties under the PDPA (as defined below). Therefore, we have prepared this Privacy Notice (as defined below) to notify and explain how we collect, use, and/or disclose your Personal Data when you engage us or receive services from us.
When you engage us, request or receive our services, communicate or interact with us in relation to our services, we may collect the following types of Personal Data and/or documents containing Personal Data:
Please note that certain copies of ID cards may also contain Sensitive Data (i.e., religious data and blood type), which we do not intend to collect. Therefore, when collecting a copy of an ID card, we may redact or ask you to redact the religious data and blood type before sending it to us.
We may collect Personal Data from the following sources:
We receive Personal Data from the sources set out above in written or verbal form, through phone calls, emails, posts, automatic/electronic means, website, etc., or by ourselves preparing the Personal Data as documents or electronic data.
If you provide us with the Personal Data of any other third party, you represent that you have informed such individual of the disclosure of their Personal Data to us and have obtained their consent (if applicable) or have another lawful basis to provide such Personal Data to us.
We will duly collect, use, and/or disclose your Personal Data on a limited basis pursuant to the purposes and the lawful basis set out below, and the procedures pursuant to the PDPA.
To provide legal updates, articles, newsletters, or marketing communications
To take steps requested by you before entering into an engagement with us (e.g., responding to your initial inquiry, assessing the nature of the legal matter, conducting conflict-of-interest checks, providing a fee quote or scope of work, and preparing an engagement letter/contracts/records, etc.)
To prepare, negotiate, enter into, and/or maintain contracts/agreements/evidence of the provision of services and/or other transaction contracts/agreements with you
To perform and fulfill the contracts/agreements (e.g., provision of legal services, advise on legal matters, draft and review documents, and represent your or your organization before courts or authorities, etc.)
To issue invoices and receipts, process billing and payment, and manage tax and other financial matters arising from our contract, agreement, or engagement with you
To contact and communicate with you, including to respond to your inquiries, requests, feedback, or concerns, and to collect and maintain business cards or your contact details that you may have provided to us for communication purposes
To pursue debt collection and financial administration in connection with unpaid fees
To carry out any other activities that are necessary for us to operate our business
To protect our rights, property, personnel, safety, and business operations
To defend the Firm and proceed with litigation and/or arbitration proceedings (if any/necessary)
To comply with applicable laws or regulations, or orders of the court, competent authorities, or other government agencies, including maintaining accounting, billing, and tax records as required under the Revenue Code and other applicable law
Where the processing of Personal Data is based on contractual necessity, if you do not provide the required or necessary Personal Data, we may not be able to consider or proceed with your request to engage our legal services, enter into or perform a contract/agreement or engagement with you, or otherwise fulfil our rights and obligations under such contract/agreement or engagement, in whole or in part. This may include, for example, our inability to provide the requested legal services or to receive payment for such services.
Where the processing of Personal Data is based on compliance with a legal obligation, if you do not provide the required or necessary Personal Data, we may be unable to comply with our legal obligations, which may result in the Firm and/or the relevant person being in breach of applicable laws and subject to punishment or penalties as prescribed by applicable law.
In providing our services, we may also collect, use, and/or disclose certain Sensitive Data. The collection, use, and/or disclosure of such Sensitive Data shall be carried out only after you have given your consent, pursuant to Section 26 of the PDPA (in which case, you may withdraw your consent at any time).
We will retain Personal Data and/or documents containing Personal Data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, and for an additional period of 10 years thereafter.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any law to which we are subject requires us to retain any Personal Data or any document containing such Personal Data for a longer period, we will retain such Personal Data or document for the period required by the applicable law.
If we consider that certain Personal Data and/or documents containing such Personal Data may be necessary or important for our establishment of a right of claim under the law, compliance with, or exercise of a right of claim under, the law, or raising of a defense under the law, or may help us in any potential dispute, claim and/or litigation in any form, we may retain such Personal Data and/or document for a longer period than the periods set out above.
We will ensure to erase or destroy or anonymize the Personal Data upon the end of the relevant retention period set out above, or erase or destroy or anonymize the Personal Data that is irrelevant or unnecessary as per the purpose of collection of such Personal Data or as requested by you, or erase or destroy or anonymize the Personal Data for which you have withdrawn your consent (only in case the collection of relevant Personal Data requires consent).
We may disclose Personal Data to the following persons/entities:
Where it is necessary for the provision of our services and/or business operations, we may also disclose or transfer certain Personal Data to our business partner/partner firms in Japan, which may have data protection standards different from those under the PDPA. In such case, we will ensure that the cross-border transfer complies with the PDPA.
The disclosure mentioned above will be made on a limited basis, and we will disclose only the Personal Data that is necessary to achieve the lawful purpose of the disclosure, and we will, to the extent practicable, ensure that the persons to whom the Personal Data are disclosed by us will comply with the PDPA.
In the event that we must obtain consent from you pursuant to the PDPA for disclosing any Personal Data to any person set out above, we will request such consent and must duly obtain such consent before disclosure.
You are entitled to the rights in relation to your Personal Data as prescribed in the PDPA as follows:
You can contact us to exercise any right under subparagraphs (1) – (8) above, as per the details set out in paragraph 10 below.
When you interact with us through our website or digital platforms, we may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience. Please refer to our Cookie Policy for further details.
We may review and revise this Privacy Notice on a regular basis to ensure its consistency with the relevant guidelines and the PDPA. We will notify you of such changes to this Privacy Notice by appropriate means as soon as possible.
If you have any questions or suggestions in relation to our protection of Personal Data or wishes to exercise the right as a data subject, please contact us as per the following contact details: