Terms of service
Article 1 (General Provisions)
These Terms of Service ("Terms") set forth the conditions for your use of Zen Name (https://zenname.org/) (the "Service"), operated by Tokuzoji Temple (Religious Corporation) ("we," "us," or "the Temple"). The Service operates on Shopify, through which we provide the Service to you.
By using the Service, you are deemed to have agreed to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please refrain from using the Service.
These Terms contain important information regarding your legal rights (including disclaimers of warranty and limitations of liability). Please read them carefully.
Article 2 (Eligibility and Account)
By agreeing to these Terms, you represent that you have attained the age of majority in your country of residence and that you accept responsibility for the use of the Service by any minor dependents.
To use the Service, you may be required to provide an email address, billing information, payment information, shipping information, and similar details. You represent and warrant that all information you provide is accurate, current, and complete.
You are solely responsible for the management of your account credentials and for all activity within your account. You may not transfer, sell, assign, or license your account to any third party.
We are not liable for any discrepancy in naming content arising from errors or omissions in the information you provide. Additional fees may apply if re-production is required.
Article 3 (Nature of the Service)
The Service is a fully made-to-order service in which a monk of a Japanese Buddhist temple (Tokuzoji Temple), drawing upon your life story, selects and calligraphs a kanji name (a "Zen Name") imbued with prayer, and delivers digital data, a hanging scroll, a certificate, and related items.
Important: The Service provides a cultural and artistic experience; it does not require religious conversion or affiliation. It does not guarantee good fortune, success, health improvement, or any other specific outcome.
On the Nature of the Service: The Service is a human-performed naming service in which a monk of Tokuzoji Temple interprets your story and selects a kanji name with prayer. The essential value of the Service lies in the human labor of interpretation and prayerful selection; the deliverables (such as kanji data) are the result of that labor. The Service does not qualify as "electronically supplied services."
Regarding the Temple's Situation: Information on our site concerning the relocation, continuation, and preservation of cultural properties of the Temple, and related plans, is based on current intentions, and we do not guarantee the realization, timing, or specific content thereof. These plans may be changed, postponed, or canceled due to circumstances.
We make every reasonable effort to represent products and services accurately, but colors and appearance may differ depending on your device. Reasonable differences in brushwork, composition, color, and similar attributes between reference images and actual deliverables do not constitute defects or non-conformities, except in cases of intentional misconduct or gross negligence on our part.
Product descriptions may change without notice, and we reserve the right to discontinue the sale of any product or service at any time.
Article 4 (Orders and Purchases)
4.1 Purchase Flow
You complete the hearing form on the product page with the required information and then proceed to payment.
4.2 Formation of Order
An order is not formed solely by your completion of the payment process. The sales contract between us and you is formed when we have verified your order contents and payment and have sent an "Order Confirmation" email to the address you registered at the time of order.
We reserve the right, in our sole discretion and for any reason, to accept or decline any order. If we decline an order, we will notify you at the email address provided at the time of order and promptly refund any payment already received.
4.3 Returns and Refunds
Returns, exchanges, cancellations, and refunds for purchases are handled solely in accordance with our Refund & Cancellation Policy and these Terms. Because the Service is individually produced for each customer, cancellations, returns, and refunds after production has commenced are, as a general rule, not accepted.
4.4 Personal Use
You represent and warrant that products and services purchased are for personal use only, and not for resale, sublicense, secondary distribution, reposting, export, or similar commercial use.
Article 5 (Pricing and Payment)
The sales price is as displayed on each product page. Orders from within Japan are inclusive of Japanese consumption tax. Orders from outside Japan are not subject to Japanese consumption tax. However, customs duties, import taxes, and value-added tax (VAT) incurred in the destination country are the responsibility of the purchaser.
The shipping fee for the LEGACY Edition hanging scroll is automatically calculated at checkout based on the destination and paid together with the product price.
Prices, discounts, and promotions may change without notice.
5.1 Consideration for Zen Name Products
The purchase price of any Zen Name product (BASIC, PREMIUM, LEGACY Edition, or Custom Order) is entirely consideration for that product and service. It is not a donation. The price is not tax-deductible as a charitable contribution under Japanese tax law. Treatment under tax laws outside Japan is your own responsibility to confirm in accordance with the laws of your country of residence.
Where our site indicates that "a portion of revenue is allocated to the relocation, maintenance, and cultural-preservation activities of Tokuzoji Temple," this represents our internal funds-allocation policy and does not mean that any portion of your purchase price has the character of a donation.
5.2 Regarding Donations
Separate from Zen Name products, the Service offers a voluntary donation mechanism. Donations are not refundable under any circumstances (see Article 3.4 of the Refund & Cancellation Policy for details). Tax treatment of donations is your own responsibility to confirm in accordance with the laws of your country of residence.
Tax Treatment in the United States and Other Jurisdictions: Donations to Tokuzoji Temple are not tax-deductible in the United States or other jurisdictions unless otherwise specified. Tokuzoji Temple is a Japanese religious corporation and is not registered as a 501(c)(3) organization in the United States.
5.3 Representations and Warranties Regarding Payment Information
You agree to provide current and accurate payment information for all purchases, and you represent and warrant that (i) your credit card information is true and accurate, (ii) you are duly authorized to use such card, and (iii) you will pay the charges incurred, including the displayed price, shipping fees, and taxes.
Article 6 (Naming Process and Preview Confirmation)
6.1 Naming
The monk interprets your responses to the hearing form and selects your Zen Name with prayer. Typically, a preview will be sent 2 to 6 weeks after payment.
6.2 Preview Confirmation
After naming, we will send you a preview of the kanji, its reading, and its meaning. You may reply with either "Approve" or "Request Revision." If you request a revision, we will adjust the name in consultation with the monk.
6.3 After Approval
Changes after preview approval will require a new naming process and may incur additional fees. If you intend to use the Zen Name for permanent purposes such as a tattoo, please confirm with particular care.
Delivery is deemed complete upon the transmission of the specified digital data. Due to the one-of-a-kind nature of the work, modifications, re-production, or design changes after delivery are, as a general rule, not accepted.
Article 7 (Shipping and Delivery)
7.1 Digital Delivery
For BASIC and PREMIUM plans, digital data is delivered by email or by the provision of a download link, at which point delivery is deemed complete.
7.2 Physical Delivery (LEGACY Edition)
Title and risk for the hanging scroll transfer to you upon its handover to the shipping carrier. We are not responsible for delays caused by the shipping carrier, customs procedures, or force majeure. Delivery times are estimates only and are not guaranteed.
Article 8 (Intellectual Property Rights)
8.1 Our Intellectual Property
All content of the Service (including trademarks, brands, text, images, graphics, video, audio, and the design, selection, and arrangement thereof) belongs to us or our licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws of Japan and other countries.
8.2 Ownership of Your Content
All rights, including copyright, in the information you provide through the hearing form or otherwise (origin of your name, life story, values, requests, etc.; collectively, "Your Content") belong to you. We use Your Content only to the extent necessary for the provision of the Service (naming, calligraphy, sending previews, delivery, dispute resolution, service-quality verification, etc.). We will not publish, provide to third parties, or otherwise use Your Content beyond the purposes of the Service without your prior consent.
8.3 License to You
The Zen Name you purchase (kanji design, calligraphy scan data, etc.) may be used by you for personal, non-commercial purposes (tattoo, art, social media, interior decoration, meditation symbol, etc.).
8.4 Prohibited Acts
Without our prior written consent, you may not engage in any of the following acts:
- Resale, sublicense, or commercial use of the delivered work.
- Trademark registration or NFT minting.
- Use as training data for AI.
- Commercial redistribution to third parties.
- Reproduction, distribution, modification, creation of derivative works, public display or performance, reposting, downloading, storage, or transmission of content from the Service.
Use that involves application to the body, such as a tattoo, is undertaken solely at your own risk and judgment. We do not guarantee the universality of any interpretation based on a particular cultural or religious background, nor do we bear any liability for damages arising from such use.
Article 9 (Prohibited Conduct)
You agree to access and use the Service only for lawful purposes. The following acts are prohibited:
- Use for unlawful or malicious purposes.
- Violation of international, Japanese, or other applicable laws.
- Infringement of our or any third party's intellectual property rights.
- Harassment, abuse, or threatening of our employees or other persons.
- Submission of false or misleading information.
- Sending advertisements, spam, chain emails, or similar.
- Impersonation of any person or entity.
- Uploading or transmitting viruses or other malicious code.
- Copying, reproducing, selling, reselling, or otherwise misusing any part of the Service.
- Collection or tracking of others' personal information.
- Access to the Service via robots, spiders, scrapers, AI tools (including agentic AI), or other automated means.
- Circumvention of security or authorization features.
We reserve the right, without prior notice, to suspend, disable, or terminate accounts found to be in violation of this Article.
Article 10 (Agents)
If you use an agent (software or service that performs actions autonomously or semi-autonomously) to access the Service, such agent must always identify itself and indicate, on every request, that the request originates from an agent.
Agents are prohibited from (i) mimicking human behavior, (ii) circumventing CAPTCHAs or other means of distinguishing humans, or (iii) circumventing technical measures restricting access to the Service. We may restrict agent access through technical means.
Article 11 (Third-Party Links and External Services)
The Service may contain links to websites operated by third parties. We are not responsible for the accuracy or safety of third-party site content.
Access to third-party tools may be provided as part of the Service. Such tools are provided "as is," and we make no warranties or endorsements with respect to them.
Article 12 (Relationship with Shopify)
Zen Name is operated on Shopify, through which we provide the Service to you. All sales on this store, however, are made directly with Zen Name.
By using the Service, you acknowledge and agree that Shopify shall not be responsible for any aspect of the sale between you and Zen Name (including any damages or injury arising from the products or services purchased). You expressly release Shopify and its affiliates from any and all claims, damages, and liabilities arising out of your purchases and transactions with Zen Name.
Article 13 (Privacy Policy)
All personal information collected through the Service is subject to our Privacy Policy. Because the Service is hosted by Shopify, your personal information may be shared with Shopify and with third parties located outside your country of residence.
Article 14 (Feedback)
If you submit ideas, suggestions, feedback, reviews, or other content (collectively, "Feedback") to us, you are deemed to grant us a perpetual, worldwide, sublicensable, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, and distribute the Feedback for any purpose, including commercial use.
The "Feedback" in this Article does not include responses to the hearing form, communications with us regarding orders or custom orders, or other information you provide to us for the purpose of receiving the Service (collectively, "Your Content"). Treatment of Your Content is governed by Article 8.2.
We have no obligation to keep Feedback confidential, to pay compensation, or to respond. We may edit or delete Feedback we deem inappropriate.
Article 15 (Errors and Inaccurate Information)
The Service may contain typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions relating to product descriptions, pricing, promotions, shipping fees, availability, and similar matters. We reserve the right to correct such matters, to change or update information, and to cancel orders without prior notice (even after the order has been placed).
Article 16 (Disclaimer of Warranties)
The Service and all products provided through the Service are provided "as is" and "as available," without any representation, warranty, or condition of any kind, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, durability, title, or non-infringement.
We do not warrant that use of the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free. Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of implied warranties, in which case the foregoing may not apply.
Article 17 (Limitation of Liability)
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, neither we, our partners, directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, nor Shopify or its affiliates shall be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the Service.
Even where we are liable, our total aggregate liability shall be limited to the amount actually paid by you for the relevant order. The foregoing limitations do not apply, however, to liability arising from our intentional misconduct or gross negligence, or to liability that cannot be limited under consumer protection law.
Article 18 (Indemnification)
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless us, Shopify, and our and their affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and others, from any losses, damages, or liabilities (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to:
- Your breach of these Terms or any document incorporated herein.
- Your violation of any law or any third-party right.
- Your access to or use of the Service.
This Article does not apply to the extent its application is limited by consumer protection laws of the EU/EEA, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, or other countries.
Article 19 (Termination)
We may terminate this Agreement or your access to the Service at any time, without notice, in our sole discretion. You remain responsible for all amounts unpaid as of the date of termination.
Provisions concerning intellectual property, Feedback, disclaimers of warranty, limitation of liability, indemnification, severability, governing law, and other provisions that by their nature should survive shall continue in effect after termination.
Article 20 (Severability)
If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be effective to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
Article 21 (Waiver and Entire Agreement)
Our failure to exercise any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right.
These Terms, together with any policies posted on our site, constitute the entire agreement between you and us and supersede all prior agreements. Any ambiguity in interpretation shall not be construed against the drafting party.
Article 22 (Assignment)
You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer these Terms and our rights and obligations without notice to you.
Article 23 (Language)
The original of these Terms, as well as the Privacy Policy and the Refund & Cancellation Policy, is the Japanese version. We may provide translations into other languages for your convenience, but in the event of any discrepancy in interpretation between a translation and the Japanese version, the Japanese version shall prevail.
Article 24 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction)
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.
Provided, however, that for customers residing in the EU/EEA, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, or similar jurisdictions, the mandatory laws of your country of residence (including consumer protection law and personal data protection law) may apply, and notwithstanding the provisions of these Terms, you may exercise rights granted under such laws.
Subject to the foregoing, the Tokyo District Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction as the court of first instance for any disputes arising out of these Terms.
Article 25 (Changes to These Terms)
We reserve the right to update these Terms from time to time.
For material changes (for example, restrictions on your rights, the addition of new obligations, or changes to dispute-resolution provisions), we will actively notify you at your registered email address prior to the effective date. Minor changes may be communicated by posting on the site. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.
Article 26 (Contact)
Zen Name (Tokuzoji Temple, Religious Corporation)
Representative: Senno Aiba (Representative Director of Tokuzoji Temple)
Administrative Manager: Shinjiro Nakamura (Administrative Operations Manager)
Address: 4F Oumonkai Bldg. II, 2-10-7 Shibadaimon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0012, Japan
Phone: +81-3-6453-0792 (Weekdays 10:00–17:00 JST)
Email: zenname@tokuzoji.or.jp
Website: https://zenname.org/