Terms of Service

Tomodachi in Japanese is a Japanese conversation practice web app that uses AI-generated characters to help learners practice friendship-style conversations in Japanese. The Service also includes TonariWords, an AI-generated vocabulary dictionary available to paid members.

The Service is intended for users aged 18 and older. By using the Service, you confirm that you meet this age requirement.

All characters (Sumire, Kenji, and others) are fictional and generated by AI. They are not real people. All conversations are automatically generated by AI and are not exchanges with real humans. Dictionary cards in TonariWords are also generated by AI and may contain errors or omissions.

The Service is a practice and learning tool. It does not guarantee any specific outcome in language acquisition and is not a substitute for professional instruction, coaching, counseling, therapy, or medical, psychological, or legal advice. Nothing generated by the Service, including responses from AI characters, should be relied upon as professional advice of any kind. If you need such advice, please consult a qualified professional.

Some content is available for free. Full access requires a paid monthly membership through Ko-fi (Practice Pass).

Payments are processed by Ko-fi and Stripe. By subscribing, you agree to their respective terms of service.

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your Ko-fi account. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period, and you retain access until then.

Refund policy: Except as required by applicable local consumer law (including EU/UK cooling-off rights where applicable), all payments are non-refundable, including partial refunds for unused portions of a billing period. If you experience a technical issue that prevents you from using the Service, please contact us and we will work with you in good faith to resolve it.

Paid access is granted through a monthly password provided to active Ko-fi members. The same password unlocks both Tomodachi in Japanese and TonariWords. Sharing this password with non-members is a violation of these Terms and may result in loss of access without refund.

You use the Service voluntarily and at your own risk. The Service uses AI-generated characters and conversations for language practice. You understand that AI-generated content may be inaccurate, unexpected, or unsuitable, and that practicing conversation with AI is not a substitute for human relationships, professional instruction, or any form of counseling or care.

You are solely responsible for how you use the Service and for any decisions or actions you take based on your interactions with it.

You agree not to:

· Attempt to manipulate the AI through prompt injection, jailbreaking, or similar techniques
· Copy, reproduce, redistribute, or commercially use content from the Service without permission
· Use the Service to generate illegal, harmful, or abusive content
· Attempt to reverse engineer, scrape, or automate access to the Service
· Place undue load on the system
· Share your access credentials with others
· Engage in any other conduct the operator considers inappropriate

All original content on the Service, including character designs, dialogue systems, learning frameworks, and written materials, is the intellectual property of the operator (Megumi Nawada) unless otherwise noted. Use beyond personal learning requires prior written permission.

The Service includes affiliate links (most notably on the Recommendations page). If you make a purchase through these links, the operator may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend resources we genuinely use or trust.

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE OPERATOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

In particular, and without limiting the above:

· The Service uses AI (Claude API by Anthropic and Gemini by Google). AI-generated responses may be inaccurate, incomplete, inappropriate, offensive, or otherwise unreliable. The operator does not review AI output in advance and does not warrant its accuracy, appropriateness, or reliability.
· The operator does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free. The Service may be temporarily unavailable due to API outages, network issues, maintenance, or system errors.
· Individual outcomes in language learning vary, and no particular result is promised.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE OPERATOR SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE SERVICE, EVEN IF THE OPERATOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

This includes, without limitation, damages arising from AI-generated content, interactions with other members, service interruptions, or unauthorized access to your data.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE OPERATOR'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID TO THE OPERATOR FOR THE SERVICE DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you. In such cases, the operator's liability is limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the operator (Megumi Nawada) from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or in any way connected with your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another party.

The operator may modify, add to, remove, or terminate the Service at any time without prior notice. We will make reasonable efforts to communicate significant changes to active members.

TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND THE OPERATOR AGREE THAT ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.

These Terms are governed by the laws of Japan. Any disputes arising in connection with the Service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court having jurisdiction over the operator's location as the court of first instance.

Questions about these Terms can be sent through our contact form or directly to megumi.nawada@gmail.com.

August 29, 2026