Terms and Conditions

1. Definitions and Entity Structure

The Service is operated by the Aplash group, comprising the following entities:

(a) APLASH (HONG KONG) LIMITED ("Aplash HK"), a company incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which operates this website, holds the group's intellectual property, and provides legal advisory, tax advisory, mergers and acquisitions advisory, and cross-border strategic consulting services to clients worldwide; and

(b) Aplash G.K. ("Aplash Japan"), a Japanese 合同会社 registered in Osaka, which delivers all Japan-regulated services, including Importer of Record (IOR), Exporter of Record (EOR), Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP / 税関事務管理人 under 関税法第95条), Japanese company incorporation (KK / GK), and immigration support.

References to "Aplash", "we", "us", or "our" in these Terms of Use mean the applicable Aplash group entity in the relevant context. Unless otherwise specified, the counterparty to website access and informational content is Aplash HK; the counterparty to Japan-delivered regulated services is Aplash Japan. The specific contracting entity for any engaged service is identified in the applicable Statement of Work (SoW), Master Services Agreement (MSA), or ACP appointment letter.

2. Scope of These Terms

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of the Service only. They do not govern any engaged services provided by Aplash, including but not limited to IOR, EOR, ACP, incorporation, immigration, legal advisory, tax advisory, or mergers and acquisitions advisory. Engaged services are governed exclusively by the applicable SoW, MSA, ACP appointment letter, or engagement letter executed between you and the relevant Aplash entity. In the event of any conflict between these Terms of Use and an engagement contract, the engagement contract prevails for that engagement.

3. Service Allocation by Entity

For the avoidance of doubt, the following allocation applies to engaged services:

(a) Services provided by Aplash HK (governed by Hong Kong law): legal advisory, tax advisory, mergers and acquisitions advisory, cross-border strategic consulting, and group-level contracting.

(b) Services provided by Aplash Japan (governed by Japanese law): IOR, EOR, ACP, Japanese company incorporation, immigration support, and any other service requiring execution within Japan or before Japanese regulatory authorities.

Aplash HK does not practice Japanese law, file tax returns with the Japanese National Tax Agency, or hold any Japanese professional licence. Where a client matter requires Japan-licensed professional services (弁護士, 税理士, 司法書士, 行政書士, 通関士), Aplash will refer the client to, or coordinate with, an appropriately licensed Japanese professional; such licensed professionals are independent from Aplash and contract directly with the client for those regulated acts.

4. Special Features

From time to time, we may offer specific features through the Service, such as online inquiry forms, webinar registrations, downloadable content, or gated resources. Such features may be subject to additional terms and conditions supplementing these Terms of Use. Where additional terms specifically apply to a feature, those additional terms control to the extent of any conflict with these Terms of Use, but only with respect to that feature. Additional terms will not retroactively modify the terms of any previously executed engagement contract.

5. Disclaimer and No Professional Advice

The Service, including all content, materials, articles, blog posts, worked examples, pricing indications, regulatory summaries, and commentary on Japanese, Hong Kong, or international law, is provided for general informational purposes only. Such content is not legal advice, tax advice, customs advice, investment advice, or professional advice of any kind, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from a qualified professional on the particular facts and circumstances of your matter. Regulatory frameworks, tax rates, administrative procedures, and enforcement practices change without notice, and internally held views reflect Aplash's understanding at the time of publication only.

Aplash makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the Service or its contents for any purpose. Aplash accepts no responsibility for any loss which may arise from access to, or reliance on, information contained on the Service. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Aplash expressly disclaims all liability for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or its contents. This disclaimer applies to the Service (website content) only and does not limit or disclaim Aplash's obligations under any executed engagement contract.

6. Collection and Processing of Personal Data

7. Copyright and Content Ownership

The Service and all contents, across all language versions (English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese), are owned by, or licensed to, Aplash HK. Information, names, logos (including the Aplash wordmark and associated marks), designs, brand colour palette, typographic treatments, pages, documents, articles, online graphics, photographs, illustrations, and multimedia are protected by applicable intellectual property laws, including copyright and trademark laws.

Content on the Service may not be reproduced, modified, adapted, translated, published, uploaded, transmitted, publicly displayed, indexed by unauthorised means, or otherwise distributed, in any format or medium, without our prior written consent issued by an authorised representative of Aplash HK. Nothing on the Service grants, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any licence or right to use any Aplash trademark without prior written consent. Limited personal, non-commercial browsing of the Service is permitted.

8. Third-Party Links

The Service may contain links to external third-party websites, databases, or resources, including Japanese government portals (NACCS, e-Gov, METI, MHLW, MLIT, MIC, National Tax Agency), Hong Kong government portals, and international regulatory databases. These links are provided for convenience only. Aplash is not responsible for the content, accuracy, currency, or operation of any external site, and your use of any third-party website, goods, or services is strictly at your own risk.

9. Limitation of Liability (Service Use Only)

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Aplash, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential, or exemplary damages, including loss of profits, loss of data, loss of goodwill, or business interruption, arising out of or in connection with your access to, use of, or inability to use the Service.

This Section 9 applies to the Service (website use) only. Liability in respect of engaged services is governed exclusively by the relevant SoW, MSA, ACP appointment letter, or engagement letter, which typically contains a separate, negotiated liability framework. Nothing in this Section 9 excludes or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including the Control of Exemption Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 71, Hong Kong) where applicable.

10. Jurisdiction and Governing Law

11. Force Majeure

Aplash shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance of obligations under these Terms of Use caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, earthquake, typhoon, tsunami, fire, flood, pandemic, epidemic, war, armed conflict, terrorism, civil unrest, strike, labour dispute, government action, change in law or regulation, embargo, sanctions designation, loss of telecommunications or internet connectivity, power failure, cyberattack, or supply chain disruption affecting a material input.

12. Severability

If any provision of these Terms of Use is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or, if modification is not possible, severed. The remaining provisions of these Terms of Use shall continue in full force and effect.

13. No Waiver

No failure or delay by Aplash in exercising any right, power, or remedy under these Terms of Use shall operate as a waiver of that right, power, or remedy, nor shall any single or partial exercise preclude any further exercise.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Use, together with the Privacy Policy and any additional terms referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and Aplash in relation to your use of the Service, and supersede all prior oral or written communications, representations, or agreements relating to the subject matter. Engaged services are governed by their own separate contracts per Section 2.

15. Assignment

You may not assign, transfer, sublicense, or otherwise dispose of any of your rights or obligations under these Terms of Use without Aplash's prior written consent. Aplash may assign or transfer its rights and obligations under these Terms of Use, in whole or in part, to any affiliate within the Aplash group or to a successor in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of assets.

16. Notices

Legal notices to Aplash under these Terms of Use must be sent by email to support@aplash.io with the subject line "Legal Notice" or by registered post to the relevant entity's registered office. Notices from Aplash to you may be sent to the email address you have provided through the Service and are deemed received on the business day after transmission.

17. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms of Use from time to time. The revised Terms of Use will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Material changes will be signalled where reasonably practicable. Your continued use of the Service after a revision becomes effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms of Use. Revisions do not retroactively modify the terms of any engagement contract executed before the revision date.

18. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Use: