Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 13, 2026
The Sake Encounter is an independent blog about Japanese sake and sake ware, written and published from Japan. This page explains what information is collected when you visit, how it is used, and what choices you have.
The short version
I don't sell your data. I use one analytics tool to see which articles people actually read, some links on this site set cookies so retailers can credit me for a sale, and the site is being set up to carry ads served by Google, which use cookies of their own. That's the whole story.
Who is responsible
This site is operated by an individual publisher based in Kyushu, Japan. For any question about privacy or your data, email [email protected].
Information collected automatically
Analytics
This site uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4), provided by Google LLC. GA4 sets cookies and collects:
- which pages you view, and how long you spend on them
- the site or search engine that referred you
- your approximate location, at country or region level, derived from your IP address
- your device type, browser, operating system, and screen size
IP addresses are anonymised by Google before storage and are not available to me. I see aggregated reports only — I cannot identify individual readers, and I have no way to connect a visit to a person.
Google's privacy practices: https://policies.google.com/privacy
To opt out of Google Analytics across all websites: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Hosting and delivery
This site is hosted on Cloudflare Pages. Cloudflare processes standard server logs — IP address, time of request, browser user agent — to deliver the site and to protect it from abuse. See Cloudflare's privacy policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/
Advertising
This site is in the process of joining Google AdSense. Once it is approved, ads served by Google will appear alongside the articles. This section describes how that works, so you know before it happens; it applies from the moment ads appear on the site.
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous visits to this site and to other sites on the internet.
- Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
- These cookies are set and read by Google and its advertising partners, not by me. I receive aggregate reports only — how many ads were shown and what they earned. I never see who you are.
You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info/choices or, in Europe, at youronlinechoices.eu.
How Google uses data from sites that use its services: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
Readers in the EEA and the UK: where consent is required for advertising cookies, you will be asked for it before any such cookie is set, and you can change or withdraw that choice at any time.
Affiliate links and cookies
Some links on this site are affiliate links. When you click one:
- the retailer, or the affiliate network acting for it, sets a cookie in your browser
- if you buy something before that cookie expires, the retailer credits the sale to this site and pays a commission
- the price you pay is exactly the same either way
These cookies are set and read by the retailer or its network, not by me. What I receive is an aggregate report: how many clicks, how many orders, how much commission. I never see your name, your address, your payment details, or anything else you bought.
Current affiliate partners are listed on the Affiliate Disclosure page. New partners will be added there as they are approved.
Information you give me directly
If you email [email protected], I receive your email address and whatever you choose to write. Mail sent to that address is routed through Cloudflare Email Routing and delivered to a Google (Gmail) mailbox.
I use it to reply to you and nothing else. I don't add you to a mailing list, I don't sell it, and I don't pass it on.
Cookies: your choices
You can block or delete cookies at any time in your browser settings.
Blocking analytics cookies won't affect anything you read here. Blocking affiliate cookies is fine too — it simply means a purchase won't be credited to this site. Blocking advertising cookies means any ads you see will be less relevant, not that they disappear. None of these will lock you out of any content.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask for access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data relating to you, and to object to certain kinds of processing.
Because this site has no accounts, no logins, and no newsletter, in practice this applies mainly to email correspondence. If you'd like me to delete an email exchange, write to [email protected] and I'll do it.
Readers in the EEA and the UK: the above reflects your rights under the GDPR and UK GDPR.
Readers in California: I do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA.
Age
This site is intended for readers who are of legal drinking age in their own country. It is not directed at children, and I do not knowingly collect information from them. See Age & Responsible Drinking.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the revised version will be posted here with a new date at the top.