Terms of Service

Last updated: August 27, 2026

1. Who we are

Shoku Noren (the "Service") is operated by JSTARs Inc. ("we", "us"), a company registered in Tokyo, Japan. The Service arranges restaurant reservations in Japan on behalf of guests ("you").

2. Nature of the service

1. The Service is offered exclusively to consumers residing outside Japan. Residents of Japan may not use the Service, and reservation requests originating in Japan are not accepted. （本サービスは日本国外に居住する旅行者専用であり、日本居住者は利用できません。）
2. You submit a reservation request. Submitting a request does not guarantee a reservation.
3. We will notify you by email whether we can confirm your requested reservation, offer an alternative, or decline the request.
4. Your request functions as a standing search mandate: it remains active until the end of your requested dates, or until you withdraw it — which you may do at any time before confirmation, free of charge, by email. If we secure your requested table within that period, the reservation is confirmed at that moment and we send you a written confirmation ("Confirmation"), which is binding. Where the restaurant charges a non-refundable cancellation fee from the moment of booking, we check with you before securing the seat; otherwise the booking is confirmed automatically under your request. If your requested dates pass without the table being secured, the request closes automatically and nothing is charged. While a request is active we may send you brief status notes; no reply is required.
5. All fees under these Terms — including the booking fee and any cancellation charges — are payable to us as consideration for our reservation and guarantee services, under our own name and on our own account.

3. Fees

1. Booking fee: ¥6,000 per seat for restaurants listed in our collection, and ¥10,000 per seat for restaurants not listed in our collection (requested via the free-entry field), charged to your registered card when the reservation is confirmed under Section 2.4 (after checking with you first where the restaurant charges a non-refundable fee from the moment of booking), as consideration for searching for and securing the reservation. It is non-refundable once charged, except where we or the restaurant cancel the reservation.
2. Additional concierge services (private table briefings, advance menu and drink composition, gifts for the chef, a food-culture docent's day accompaniment, celebration staging, sourcing of craft items, thank-you letters to the chef, an on-call concierge, food-journey design, and other non-transport, non-accommodation services) are quoted individually and charged to your registered card when their content is agreed in writing and arrangement begins. Refunds and cancellation charges for these services follow Section 4 of the Cancellation Policy. Standard request deadlines apply — briefings by 10 days before departure; advance menu composition and celebrations by 2 weeks before the meal; a docent by 4 weeks before the day — with later requests handled on a best-effort basis. Any third-party provider's own fee follows that provider's cancellation terms, which we state when we quote. International shipping of sourced items is subject to the import and export rules of the destination country and is confirmed individually before we quote.
3. The restaurant's course price is paid to the restaurant directly, ordinarily at the restaurant. Where course prepayment is required (certain high-demand houses, allocation seats, or large parties), we check with you before securing the seat, and any refund follows that restaurant's schedule.
4. We do not arrange transport or accommodation for a fee. Where your trip requires them, we provide information free of charge and, where helpful, introduce licensed travel partners who contract with you directly.
5. All fees payable to us include Japanese consumption tax unless stated otherwise.

4. Card registration and automatic charges

1. You must register a valid payment card to submit a request. By registering, you authorize us to charge the booking fee upon Confirmation and any cancellation charges under the Cancellation Policy, without further action on your part (merchant-initiated transactions).
2. If a charge fails, you agree to pay the outstanding amount by an alternative method within 7 days of our notice.

5. Cancellation

Cancellations are governed by our Cancellation Policy, which forms part of these Terms. Our own fees are charged upon Confirmation and are non-refundable as consideration for work delivered. We do not set or take a margin on cancellation charges: where a restaurant has its own cancellation policy, we state it in your Confirmation — and, where it is the house charges a non-refundable fee from the moment of booking, we check with you before securing the seat. If you cancel, we charge the amount due under that policy to your registered card and remit it to the restaurant. Where a restaurant has no such policy, no cancellation charge applies. The reservation is confirmed as set out in Section 2.4.

6. Your responsibilities

1. Arrive on time. Restaurants may treat arrival more than 15 minutes late as a no-show.
2. Communicate dietary restrictions in advance. Same-day menu changes may not be possible.
3. Follow the house rules of each restaurant (photography, fragrance, children, dress).

7. Our liability

1. We are liable for arranging the reservation as confirmed. We are not the operator of the restaurant and are not liable for the content or quality of the meal.
2. If we or the restaurant cancel a Confirmation, we will refund all amounts you paid for that reservation, including the booking fee. To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability is limited to the amounts you paid for the reservation concerned.
3. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Japanese law, including the Consumer Contract Act.

8. Personal data

We handle your personal data (name, email, reservation details) to provide the Service. Card details are held by our payment processor (Stripe) and never touch our servers. We share only your name, party size, and dietary notes with the restaurant.

9. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of Japan. Disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court in the first instance.