Terms and Conditions

Introduction

These terms and conditions form a binding agreement between you and Topaz Heron Kabushiki Kaisha whenever you engage our consulting services, whether initiated through this website or otherwise.

User obligations

1. You agree to provide accurate information when submitting an enquiry or agreeing to an engagement.
2. Where an engagement requires participation from staff or family members, the client company is responsible for coordinating that participation.
3. Confidential information shared during an engagement is to be treated appropriately by both parties.
4. Engagements are intended for legitimate business purposes; misuse of consulting materials is not permitted.

Liability and warranties

• Consulting recommendations are offered based on professional judgment and direct observation; no specific business outcome is guaranteed.
• To the extent permitted by law, liability for indirect or consequential damages arising from an engagement is excluded.
• Neither party is liable for delays or failures caused by circumstances beyond reasonable control (force majeure).

Legal information and disputes

• These terms are governed by the laws of Japan.
• Any dispute arising from these terms will first be addressed through direct discussion between the parties.
• If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply.
• These terms may be updated from time to time; continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of any changes.

How an engagement is agreed

After a first conversation we send a short written proposal: the question the engagement is meant to answer, who will be interviewed or take part, the number of sessions, what will be delivered and the fee. The engagement starts when the client confirms the proposal in writing. If the interviews show that the original question is the wrong one, we raise it with the client before continuing rather than completing work that will not help.

Our role, and yours

We describe what we observe and set out options with their likely consequences. The decisions remain with the client: who holds which responsibility, what format a meeting takes, how and when leadership passes on. We do not act as a manager, mediator in a legal sense, or representative of any party.

The client company arranges time for interviews and sessions, tells participants what the engagement is for, and confirms that taking part is voluntary.

Confidentiality of interviews

Both parties keep the other's confidential information private. In addition, the client agrees that individual interview notes remain with us and will not be requested, as set out in the Privacy Policy. This is what allows people to speak openly, and it is a condition of every engagement.

Fees, rescheduling and cancellation

Fees are invoiced when the proposal is confirmed and are payable within thirty days. Sessions can be rescheduled free of charge with three working days' notice. If the client cancels before the first interview, the fee is refunded less any preparation already carried out; after the first interview it is not refundable. Our total liability for an engagement is limited to the fee paid for it.

Court of first instance

If discussion does not resolve a dispute, it will be referred to the Sapporo District Court, which has exclusive jurisdiction at first instance.

Materials delivered

Deliverables are written for the people who will use them: a responsibility grid that a manager can pin to a wall, a meeting format that fits on one page, a summary of what was agreed in a succession session in words everyone present has approved. Ownership passes to the client company on delivery, as set out in the Terms of Service. We keep a copy for our records under the retention period in the Privacy Policy and do not reuse client materials as templates for other companies.

Follow-up after the final report

Organisational changes take time to settle. Each engagement includes one follow-up conversation within three months of the final report, to review how the new arrangement is working and whether anything in the grid or format needs adjusting. Further follow-up, or a second round of interviews, is agreed as a new engagement.

If staff who took part leave the company or new managers join before the follow-up, the client should tell us beforehand, so that we can explain the background to newcomers without sharing anything said in earlier interviews.

Participation and withdrawal

Any interviewee may decline to answer a question, stop an interview, or ask for their notes to be withdrawn before the report is written. Withdrawal is not reported to the client company as an individual decision; the report simply draws on fewer conversations, and we will say if that limits a finding.