This English translation is provided for convenience only. If there is any discrepancy between the Japanese and English versions, the Japanese version prevails. View the Japanese original
Last revised: October 9, 2026
This Privacy Policy (this “Policy”) sets out how information is handled in “HANETOOL,” a set of browser-based business tools (the “Service”) provided by JAPANCARNET CO., LTD. (the “Company”). For the Company’s overall policy on the protection of personal information, please see the Company Privacy Policy (in Japanese). If this Policy differs from the Company Privacy Policy, this Policy prevails with respect to the Service.
Introduction: the short version
- Your files never reach us. Processing of PDFs, CSVs, images, and other files is completed entirely within your browser, and nothing is stored on our servers. We never record the contents of your files or what you do with them. Nor do we view or analyze their contents.
- We collect only the information needed to run the Service. We limit it to what is necessary to manage usage counts and prevent abuse.
- The only exception is the postal code lookup tool (HANEYubin). Because it matches against about 150,000 records, only the search term you enter (an address or postal code string) is sent to our server. No files are sent. Search terms are not recorded anywhere, including access logs, and are discarded as soon as the matching is complete.
The articles below set out these points in detail.
Article 1 (Business Operator)
- Business operator: JAPANCARNET CO., LTD.
- Address: Kanda 91 Bldg., 1-8-3 Kajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0044, Japan
- Personal information protection contact: info@j-carnet.co.jp
Article 2 (Basic Policy of the Service)
- As a rule, processing of files handled with the Service (PDFs, CSVs, images, address data, etc.) is completed entirely within the user’s browser, and files are not saved or stored on the Company’s servers.
- The following six features of the PDF editor (HANEPDF) temporarily send files to the Company’s server for processing: compression that preserves text, conversion to Word, conversion to PowerPoint, saving with a password, text recognition of scanned PDFs, and saving after adding or rewriting text on a page. Files sent are deleted immediately after processing and are not saved or stored. When you use the WordPress integration of the image compressor (HANEGazo), compressed images are relayed through the Company’s server to your WordPress site (relay only; nothing is saved or stored). No files are sent by any other feature.
- By design, the postal code lookup tool (HANEYubin) sends only the search term you enter (an address or postal code string) to the Company’s server. This is because the postal code data, at about 150,000 records, is too large to keep within the browser. The Company uses the search terms it receives solely for matching against the postal code data and discards them as soon as the matching is complete. The Company does not record or store search terms in any form, including in access logs. No files are sent.
- None of the following are sent to the Company’s servers: video and audio recorded with the screen recorder (HANERec); files loaded into the file converter (HANEConv); page images captured with the full-page screenshot tool (HANESukusho); stamp impressions created with the digital name stamp tool (HANEHanko); passwords created with the password generator (HANEPass); photos and files loaded into the file metadata remover (HANEClean), the ID photo tool (HANEPhoto), or the vector converter (HANEVector); and numbers and dates entered into the calculators (HANEKeisan). All of these are processed only within your browser.
- For the AI used in background removal (HANECut), face detection in masking (HANEMask), and the character finder (HANEPad), the components (trained models) are delivered from the Company’s server and the computation runs within the user’s browser. Photos, images, and handwritten characters or drawings are never sent to the Company’s servers or to any external AI service. The Company does not use external AI services.
- Names, addresses, career histories, amounts, and other information entered into the business card creator (HANECard), the résumé creator (HANERireki), and the noshi/gift envelope tool (HANENoshi) are used only to produce PDFs or print data within the browser, and are neither sent to the Company’s servers nor saved in the browser. In the résumé creator and the noshi/gift envelope tool, users who want to keep work in progress can save it themselves as a draft file on their own device.
- The Company never views, analyzes, or uses for training purposes the contents of files handled with the Service.
- The information collected by the Service and the purposes of its use are as set out in Article 3, and the Company does not use it beyond the scope of the purposes set out in that Article. The external services used by the Service are listed in Article 5.
Article 3 (Information Collected and Purposes of Use)
The Service collects the following information to the extent necessary to provide the Service. The reason each item is needed is also described.
| Information collected | How it is collected | Purpose of use |
|---|---|---|
| Email address Password (stored as a hash) Whether you receive newsletters, and when this was set |
Entered by you when registering an account (you can change whether you receive newsletters at any time on My Page) | Creating and authenticating accounts, sending identity verification emails, resetting passwords, sending important notices, and sending newsletters about new features and the like (only to those who have chosen to receive them) |
| IP address, date and time of use, tools used and number of uses (recorded in association with your account while you are signed in) |
Recorded automatically when you use the Service | Managing usage counts under the free plan, understanding usage, detecting fraudulent or excessive use, and improving the Service |
| HANETOOL usage level records: the date each tool was first used, the total number of uses, and the IP address and date/time of your most recent use (linked to a random identifier issued for each browser when you are not signed in, or to your account when you are signed in) |
Sent from your browser to the Company’s servers when you operate a tool’s screen or save a file | Displaying titles and rewards based on the number of tools used and the number of uses, understanding usage, and improving the Service |
| Country and organization name estimated from the IP address | Obtained from the above IP address using the external service listed in Article 5 | Understanding which organizations use the Service, and improving the Service |
| Search terms entered into the postal code lookup tool (HANEYubin) (address or postal code strings) |
Sent from your browser to the Company’s server when a search is run | Used solely for matching against postal code data. Discarded as soon as the matching is complete and not stored or recorded anywhere, including access logs. Never linked with other information. |
| Addresses (URLs) of pages viewed, referrer, information about your browser and device, and date and time of viewing | Recorded automatically when you use the Service (via Google Analytics as described in Article 5 and via aggregation on the Company’s own server) | Understanding how the Service is used, and improving the Service |
IP addresses are recorded in order to count usage under the free plan and to prevent fraudulent or excessive use. We do not record what you do on the Service or the contents of the files you handle.
In addition, to understand and improve how the Service is used, we collect the addresses (URLs) of pages viewed, the referrer (the address of the website you visited immediately before accessing the Service), information about your browser and device, the date and time of viewing, and similar information. Some of this is obtained through the web analytics service (Google Analytics) described in Article 5 and is collected using cookies. The Company uses this information only within the scope of improving the Service and not for the purpose of identifying you personally. In the aggregation the Company performs on its own server, no personally identifiable information (IP addresses, accounts, or cookies) is stored; only daily totals per page, per referrer, and per launch method (viewed in a browser / launched as an app, and the type of OS) are recorded.
For use without signing in, we record only daily aggregate figures (such as the number of users) that do not include personally identifiable information. However, the “HANETOOL usage level records” in the table above are linked to an identifier issued for each browser. This identifier is generated randomly and does not include information that directly identifies you, such as your name or email address. We record only which tools you used and how many times, not the text you entered or the contents of your files. Records made while not signed in are merged into your account’s records when you sign in, and the records for the identifier are then deleted. For information saved in your browser’s local storage, please see Article 4. Article 4 also explains how to stop collection by Google Analytics if you do not wish it.
Article 4 (Cookies and Local Storage)
- The Service uses a session cookie to keep you signed in. It becomes invalid when you sign out or close your browser.
- The Service uses your browser’s local storage to keep each tool’s settings, usage counts under the free plan, and similar information. Content saved in local storage stays within your browser and is never automatically sent to the Company’s servers (except for the identifier used for the “HANETOOL usage level records” described in Article 3, and the tools used and number of uses). The noshi/gift envelope tool (HANENoshi) saves only style choices such as the typeface and decorative cords (mizuhiki) and fine adjustments to the print position; it does not save names, addresses, or amounts.
- Some tools offer “saved settings,” which let you name and keep a set of settings. These are also saved in your browser’s local storage on your device and are not sent to the Company’s servers. Only the settings (choices such as paper type, text size, and number of characters to generate) are saved; the stamp impressions, passwords, or QR codes created, and any text or files entered, are not saved. Saved settings do not carry over to other devices or browsers and are erased when you delete your browser’s site data.
- The Service uses Google Analytics (provided by Google LLC) for web analytics, and uses the analytics cookies issued by that service. These cookies are used to understand usage, such as the pages viewed and referrers, and do not identify you personally. See Article 5 for details.
- You can delete or refuse cookies and local storage through your browser settings. In that case, however, some features, such as staying signed in and saving settings, will not be available.
- If you wish to stop collection by Google Analytics, please use the opt-out browser add-on provided by Google, or disable cookies in your browser settings.
Article 5 (Transmission to External Services)
The Service uses the following external services to the extent necessary to provide the Service. None of them receive your account information or the files you handle. The handling of information by these providers is governed by the privacy policies each provider has established.
All software components (libraries, including trained AI models) that the tools use to run are delivered from the Company’s servers. Your information is never sent to the servers of third parties, including the providers of these components (except for the web fonts in the table below, and YouTube when you press the play button on an introductory video). The components used and their copyright notices and licenses are listed on the License Notices page.
| External service | Information sent | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| ipwho.is (ipwhois.io) | IP address | Estimating the country and organization name. Sent from the Company’s server when an IP address not yet looked up is displayed in the admin screen; the result is cached on the Company’s server (the same IP address is never sent repeatedly). |
| Google Analytics (Google LLC) | IP address, addresses (URLs) of pages viewed, referrer, information about your browser and device, date and time of viewing, and analytics cookies | Understanding and improving how the Service is used (web analytics). IP addresses are configured to be sent anonymized. For how Google handles information, see the Google Privacy Policy; for details, see the Google Analytics Terms of Service. How to stop collection is described in Article 4. |
| Google Fonts (Google LLC) | IP address, browser type and version, etc., and the font files requested | Loading the typefaces (web fonts) used for on-screen display. The noshi/gift envelope tool (HANENoshi) also loads five typefaces used for printing (Yuji Boku, Yuji Syuku, Yuji Mai, Shippori Mincho B1, and Zen Antique) from Google Fonts. Because Japanese typefaces are delivered in pieces by character range, the font files needed to display and print the names and other text entered are loaded, but the entered text itself is never sent. This is a transmission that commonly occurs whenever a website loads external fonts and is not specific to the Service. |
| YouTube (Google LLC) | IP address, information about your browser and device, and the address (URL) of the page being viewed | Playing introductory videos. Sent only when you press a video’s play button. Unless you press it, no communication with YouTube takes place (video thumbnails are delivered from the Company’s server). Playback uses the cookieless delivery method (youtube-nocookie.com). For how Google handles information, see the Google Privacy Policy. |
| Mail servers of our email delivery provider | Email address and email body | Sending identity verification emails, password reset emails, important notices, newsletters (only to those who have given consent), and the like |
Article 6 (Retention Periods)
- Usage records, including IP addresses, are retained for the most recent one year (365 days), and records older than that are deleted on a rolling basis.
- HANETOOL usage level records are deleted, per identifier or account, once one year (365 days) has passed since the last use.
- Daily aggregate figures that contain no personally identifiable information (number of users and number of uses per tool) are retained indefinitely for statistical purposes.
- Account information is retained for as long as the account exists. If you request to close or delete your account, it will be deleted through the procedure in Article 9.
- The cache of country and organization names estimated from IP addresses is retained on an ongoing basis to avoid resending data to the external service.
Article 7 (Provision to Third Parties)
The Company will not provide personal information it has obtained to any third party without the prior consent of the individual concerned, except in the following cases:
- When required by laws and regulations
- When necessary to protect a person’s life, body, or property, and it is difficult to obtain the consent of the individual
- When it is necessary to cooperate with a national government agency or the like in carrying out affairs prescribed by laws and regulations, and obtaining the consent of the individual is likely to impede the performance of those affairs
The use of the external services described in Article 5 constitutes entrustment of handling within the scope necessary to achieve the purposes of use, and the Company exercises necessary and appropriate supervision over its contractors.
Article 8 (Security Measures)
- All communication with the Service is encrypted using HTTPS. Transmissions to the external services in Article 5 also use encrypted channels.
- Passwords are stored after conversion into an irreversible form (hash values), so the Company cannot know your actual password.
- Access to usage records and to the admin screen is restricted to authorized Company personnel.
Article 9 (Requests for Disclosure, Correction, Deletion, etc.)
If you wish to request disclosure, correction, addition, or deletion of personal information held by the Company, or the suspension of its use or of its provision to third parties, please contact the office below. After confirming that the request comes from the individual concerned, we will respond without delay in accordance with laws and regulations.
- JAPANCARNET CO., LTD., Personal Information Protection Inquiry Desk
- Kanda 91 Bldg., 1-8-3 Kajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0044, Japan
- Email: info@j-carnet.co.jp
Article 10 (Changes to This Policy)
The Company may change this Policy as necessary. The revised Policy takes effect from the time it is posted on the Service. If we make important changes, we will announce them on the Service.
Supplementary provisions: This Policy takes effect on July 21, 2026.
Revised August 31, 2026 (with the addition of tools, we specified the handling of postal code lookup search terms, the saving of “saved settings,” and where software components are delivered from). Effective the same day.
Revised September 10, 2026 (with the posting of introductory videos, we specified transmissions to YouTube). Effective the same day.
Revised September 25, 2026 (with the addition of the full-page screenshot tool (HANESukusho), we added that tool’s images to the information processed only within the browser, and specified that images sent via the WordPress integration of the image compressor (HANEGazo) are relayed through the Company’s server). Effective the same day.
Revised October 8, 2026 (with the addition of ten tools, we added to Article 2 the delivery of AI components and in-browser computation, and the handling of information entered for business cards, résumés, and noshi; specified in Article 4 what the noshi/gift envelope tool saves; and specified in Article 5 the loading of typefaces for the noshi/gift envelope tool). Effective the same day.
Revised October 9, 2026 (with the addition of the HANETOOL usage level feature, we specified in Articles 3, 4, and 6 the recording of tools used and number of uses, the handling of per-browser identifiers, and their retention period). Effective the same day.
Revised October 16, 2026 (we added, to the purposes of use of email addresses in Articles 3 and 5, sending newsletters to those who have given consent, and added to Article 3 the record of whether you receive them and when this was set). Effective the same day.