When you create an experience, please ensure that it does not include any actions that break the law or support such actions.
If we find that the content of your experience involves prohibited actions, we may take steps such as making the experience inactive or canceling bookings.
The following are some examples of activities that are likely to violate laws when offering an experience. Please check with the appropriate health department or authorities to confirm their legality.
Alcohol Serving and Sales
1. If the Experience Is Held On-Site
If you host an experience in person and serve or sell alcohol to guests, it is necessary for the host to have licenses such as a liquor sales license (酒類販売業免許) and a restaurant operation permit (飲食店営業許可).
The regulations for obtaining restaurant operation permits vary depending on the city or municipality where you live. We recommend reaching out to the local public health office that handles these permits.
Example:
If a restaurant serves alcoholic beverages within its establishment alongside food offerings, or if alcohol is served at festival venues (e.g., pouring beer into cups), it is not necessary to obtain a separate liquor sales license under the Liquor Tax Law. Instead, having a valid restaurant operation permit (including temporary store notifications and refreshment booth notifications) is all that is required.
Also, It is perfectly fine to offer guests unopened bottled or canned alcoholic beverages as a part of hospitality as long as the guests themselves open and consume them within the premises.
However, selling unopened cans or bottled alcoholic beverages to guests for consumption outside the premises requires a liquor sales license under the Liquor Tax Law.
Related Cases:
The production of certain types of alcoholic beverages such as plum wine (umeshu) for personal consumption is not subject to regulation under the Liquor Tax Law.
It is also acceptable for ryokans (inns), restaurants, and similar establishments to produce certain types of alcoholic beverages such as plum wine (umeshu) on their premises and serve them within the establishment. However, if these beverages are provided for takeout or off-site consumption, it would be a violation of the Liquor Tax Law.
2. If You Are Hosting an Online Experience
If a host wishes to sell alcoholic beverages to guests as part of an online experience or include the cost of alcoholic beverages in the experience fee, it is necessary for the host to possess the license for the online retail sale of alcoholic beverages (通信販売酒類小売業免許), which is a type of liquor sales licenses.
If you are planning to host an online experience where you'll be selling alcoholic beverages, you are required to have the necessary license for the online retail sale of alcoholic beverages. To comply with the regulations, make sure to clearly state in your profile or experience listing that you possess the required license.
Sea and River Experiences
When organizing experiences in the sea or river, please adhere to the regulations set by each prefecture. Aini does not assume responsibility for incidents or accidents that may occur due to hosting experiences outside of permitted areas.
River Fishing in Tokyo
In Tokyo, it is prohibited to use dip nets for catching fish in any rivers or shared water bodies, regardless of the size of the river.
Therefore, dip nets fishing is a violation of the Inland Fisheries Regulation, specifically, Article 28, Sections 3 and 4 (内水面漁業調整規則 28条3項4項), and both the offender and any companions present during the violation will be subject to penalties.
Fishing gear and methods allowed for recreational fishing in Prefectural Fisheries Regulation (surface fishing only):
https://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/j/yugyo/y_kisei/kisoku/todo_huken/
Tokyo Inland Fisheries Regulation:
https://www.sangyo-rodo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/nourin/suisan/yuugyo/yuugyorec/rule/
Excerpt:
Restrictions and Prohibitions on Fishing Gear and Methods Article 28
The following fishing gear or methods are prohibited for capturing aquatic animals.
- Fishing weir
- Tension net fishing
- Hand nets
- Push nets
- Gill nets
- Traps or similar fishing gear
- Digging
- Damming
- Fishing gear or methods utilizing fire or light
- Fishing gear or methods involving the passage of electric current through water
- Underwater guns or other devices that use elastic force for shooting
If you are unsure whether the experience contents violate the regulations or not, please contact the Fisheries Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs (東京都産業労働局農林水産部水産課).
The Use of the Term "Organic" for Agricultural Experiences
To host agricultural experiences where participants take home agricultural produce or processed produce products, hosts who do not possess organic JAS certification are not permitted to use the term "organic" to label or describe their products on profiles, listings, and the like.
Furthermore, it is important to note that even if you have obtained JAS Organic Certification for a particular type of produce you cultivate, the use of the term "organic" may not be allowed for processed food products that incorporate this organic produce. This is because it depends on the composition of other ingredients used in the food product.
Boat Experience without Fishing Vessel Registration
When engaging in fishing experiences or harvesting marine resources using a boat, it is necessary for the owner of the boat to register it as a recreational fishing vessel. However, for activities such as diving or watching the scenery, registration is not required.
For more details, please contact the recreational fishing vessel registration office in the prefecture where the experience will take place.
Resource: Tokyo Recreational Fishing Inquiries
Cooking and Serving Food in an Experience
Hosts who have not obtained a Food Hygiene Manager Registration (食品衛生責任者登録) and Restaurant Operation Permit (飲食店営業許可登録) are not allowed to serve homemade dishes to guests.
What You Can Do without the Permits
Even if you do not possess these permits, you can let guests participate in meal preparation as an activity and eat the cooked food together. We encourage this for it enhances guest satisfaction.
Additionally, even without the permits, you can provide guests with store-bought, non-perishable food items (such as canned or bottled beverages, instant noodles, etc.) as long as they are served without any cooking or processing. You can serve store-bought, non-perishable food free of charge or include the cost in the experience fee.
If you are hosting a culinary experience where you take on the role of cooking for guests, you do not need permits as long as the guests purchase all the ingredients and the purpose of the experience is for them to learn cooking skills from you.
Statement Requirements
If you have obtained Food Hygiene Manager Registration and Restaurant Operation Permit, you are required to clearly indicate this on your listings or profile.
If you cook together with the guests but provide them with samples of food prepared by the host, you are required to clearly indicate this on your listings or profile too.
If you are offering meals without explicitly stating on your listings or profile that both you and the guests will be involved in the cooking process, and without clearly mentioning that you possess the required permits, we may send you a reminder to include the necessary information on your listings or profile.
Hunting Experience
When conducting a hunting experience, please make sure to consult and confirm the legality of the experience with the appropriate health department.
In order to provide guests with meat from hunting animals other than commercially sold game meat, certain permits such as a hunting license, business permit, meat processing permit, and meat sales permit may be required.
Hosts who do not possess the necessary licenses and permits may not be able to serve guests meat from hunting animals, depending on the nature of the experience.
Guidelines for the hygiene management of wild game meat can be found at the following link:
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11130500-Shokuhinanzenbu/GLhonbun_1.pdf
Please make sure to include in your listing page or profile section that you possess the necessary licenses and permits, such as a hunting license, business permit, meat processing permit, and meat sales permit.
Before listing your experience on Aini, it is required to consult with the health department in your area and ensure that your experience complies with the relevant laws and regulations even if you have appropriate permits already. Confirmation from the health department is mandatory, so if you have received confirmation, please include a statement such as "Confirmed by Health Department" in your profile or listing page.
Additionally, for the risks of food poisoning and hygiene reasons, it is strictly prohibited to provide guests with uncooked meat (regardless of whether it is game meat) as souvenirs, regardless of whether a fee is charged or not. This includes uncooked food processed in appropriate facilities, and the takeaway or serving of any "raw food" during the experience is prohibited.
Cosmetics Crafting and Sales
To manufacture or sell cosmetics, it is necessary to obtain a Cosmetic Manufacturing and Sales Permit, as well as a Cosmetic Manufacturing Permit. Hosts who do not possess these permits are not permitted to sell their own homemade cosmetics to guests.
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health: http://www.tokyo-eiken.go.jp/k_yakuji/i-sinsa/
In order to incorporate handmade cosmetics into the experience without possessing a Cosmetic Manufacturing and Sales Permit or a Cosmetic Manufacturing Permit, please ensure that the guests themselves craft the cosmetics.
If you have a Cosmetic Manufacturing and Sales Permit or a Cosmetic Manufacturing Permit, please indicate this in your listing or profile.
If your guests engage in crafting cosmetics during the event, but any cosmetics made by you are provided to them as samples, please make sure to mention this in your listing or profile.
Failure to mention that the cosmetics will be crafted by guests or engaging in crafting and selling without obtaining the necessary permits may result in a warning issued by the management.
Hosting a Hair Coloring Class
If you plans to offer hair coloring services (including henna coloring) to guests as part of the experience, whether for a fee or free of charge, you must hold a professional Hair Stylist Certification. Without the proper certification, hosts are not permitted to provide hair coloring services to guests. However, hosts who do not have the required certification can still offer guidance to guests on hair coloring techniques, allowing guests to perform the hair coloring themselves.
When conducting such activities, it is important to use hair coloring materials that comply with regulatory standards and have obtained the necessary approval. Mixing or preparing materials on your own is not permitted unless authorized by the relevant authorities, therefore, please make sure to use commercially available products.
Also, please note that hair coloring materials can potentially cause allergies. It is strongly recommended to conduct a patch test before the event.
Providing Transportation for Fee
Aini is not a travel agency, therefore hosts are not allowed to sell experiences that include activities prohibited by the Travel Agency Act. Providing transportation using personal vehicles for fee is prohibited by the Travel Agency Act. Even if a host is an individual or company registered as a travel agency, selling tours that involve using personal vehicles on aini is not permitted.
According to the Travel Agency Act (旅行業法), "travel agency" is defined as the business of planning, soliciting, and arranging services related to transportation and accommodation (Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 1).
There are no issues with activities that involve walking or using public transportation, as they do not violate the Travel Agency Act.
Please also see here for the rules regarding complimentary transportation.
Experiences that involve Overnight Stays
Experiences involving overnight stays cannot be listed on Aini, as it would be a violation of the "Travel Trade Act". While you are unable to include overnight stays as part of the experience, you can provide recommendations for nearby accommodations.
Hosts who operate private accommodation businesses are welcome to register as hosts on Aini, however, soliciting guests for accommodation services on Aini is not permitted. Please ensure that you list and sell day experiences only. For further details, please refer to Article 5 of the Aini Terms of Use.
To learn more about the camping experiences, please see here.
Interaction with Animals
To host experiences that involve interaction with animals, it is necessary to be registered under the "Animal Handling Business" at the local health department, which governs the location where the experience takes place. If you are not registered, you cannot list animal interaction experiences on Aini. If you are already registered as an animal handling business, it is required to mention it in your listing or profile.
Please note that even if the animal interaction is provided free of charge, if it may serve the purpose of attracting customers, it will be considered an "animal handling business" experience.
Selling Multiple Experiences in Bulk
To ensure the security of our guests, Aini implements an escrow payment system. This system involves a third party, Aini, to facilitate a reliable transaction between the buyer (guest) and the seller (host). With the escrow system, the payment is securely held by Aini until the host confirms the successful completion of the experience. Once the host verifies that the experience has been carried out smoothly, Aini releases the payment to the host. This process guarantees a trusted and seamless payment process for all parties involved.
When featuring experiences that involve multiple consecutive events spanning across months (e.g., "3 times in total”, etc.), please be aware that there may be instances where you won't be able to receive support or services from Aini, and in some cases, it could even lead to account suspension. Please see below for more details:
Penalty for incomplete service
If a guest reports being unable to contact the host during the experience period or that not all the contents described on the experience listing page were provided, and the operations team verifies these claims, the host will not receive payment for the affected experience. Depending on the circumstances, the host may face immediate account suspension and be blacklisted, which could result in the host being permanently unable to use Aini services in the future.
No Refund for Unimplemented Experiences
If you have arranged to have multiple consecutive experiences spanning across months with a lump sum payment, but encounter difficulties in continuing the experience due to circumstances involving the host or guest, the full refund service will not be available.
If either the host or guest reschedules multiple consecutive sessions that were initially planned within the same month to a later month, Aini's support (including the Aini Care system, full refund policy, and cancellation refund) will not be applicable for the affected bookings that extend beyond the original month.
Specific Continuous Service Provision
Please make sure that experiences held throughout the year or spanning multiple sessions across different months do not fall under the category of "specific continuous service provision (特定継続的役務提供)."
If your experience is classified as Specific Continuous Service Provision, preparation of written documentation is necessary. However, please be aware that Aini does not provide assistance in preparing the required documentation.
What Is Specific Continuous Service Provision?
Specific Continuous Service Provision refers to transactions involving the long-term, continuous provision of services in exchange for a fee. This category includes six types of services: aesthetic salons, language schools, private tutors, learning programs, marriage agencies, and computer training centers.
When organizing an experience that consists of multiple consecutive sessions, please consider the following listing approaches:
- Schedule the sessions within the same month without spanning across months.
- Create a listing for each session and collect the fees separately for each session
- For example, if there are a total of 6 sessions, create separate listings for the 1st, 2nd... 6th sessions, and include links to each other on the respective pages.
- Create a single listing indicating the total number of sessions. Set the experience fee for one session, register the dates for each session separately, and collect fees for each session.
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For instance, create one listing specifying that there are a total of 3 sessions, with a fee of 500 yen per session. Register the dates individually for the 1st to 3rd sessions and allow guests to make reservations for each session.
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Related article: For Hosts: Guidelines for Online Experiences
Related article: For Hosts: Important Guidelines for Hosting Experiences
Related article: For Hosts: Alert System for Violations of Terms of Use/Guidelines