Privacy policy

Effective Date: September 7, 2026
Last updated: September 7, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how personal information is collected, used, disclosed, and otherwise processed when you visit or use thehouseofumami.com (the “Site”), make a purchase, apply for or use a professional chef or B2B account, contact us, or otherwise interact with The House of Umami.

“The House of Umami” is the brand and store name used on the Site and is not a separate legal entity.

The Site and its online storefront are owned and operated by Ys and Partners Japan Co., Ltd. (“YS Japan”). YS Japan manages the Site, online checkout, product curation, producer relationships, and Japan-side sourcing.

Ys and Partners, Inc., a California corporation (“YS US”), provides U.S. customer support, professional chef and B2B account services, invoicing, ACH payment support, and domestic fulfillment coordination. YS US also handles B2B chef account transactions.

For personal information collected through the Site and in connection with Online Checkout Orders, YS Japan is the entity primarily responsible for the processing described in this Privacy Policy.

For personal information processed in connection with professional chef accounts, B2B Orders, invoicing, ACH payments, U.S. customer support, and U.S. fulfillment and delivery, YS US is the entity primarily responsible for those activities.

YS Japan and YS US may share personal information with each other where reasonably necessary to operate The House of Umami and perform the activities described in this Privacy Policy.

PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Depending on how you interact with the Site and our services, we may collect the following categories of personal information.

Information You Provide to Us

This may include:

  • Your name;
  • Email address;
  • Mobile or other phone number;
  • Billing address;
  • Shipping or mailing address;
  • Restaurant, company, or business name;
  • Professional role or title;
  • Information submitted through forms, customer service inquiries, or other communications; and
  • Other information you voluntarily provide to us.

Order and Transaction Information

When you place or attempt to place an order, we may collect information necessary to process and fulfill the transaction, including:

  • Products ordered;
  • Order quantities;
  • Billing and shipping information;
  • Payment status;
  • Transaction records;
  • Order history;
  • Shipping and fulfillment information; and
  • Communications regarding product availability, changes to an order, returns, refunds, or replacements.

Payment information is processed through Shopify and/or other applicable payment service providers.

We may receive information regarding the status and details of a payment without receiving or storing the complete payment card number.

Device and Usage Information

When you visit or use the Site, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

  • IP address;
  • Browser type;
  • Device information;
  • Operating system;
  • Time zone;
  • Pages or products viewed;
  • Referring website or search terms;
  • Information about how you interact with the Site; and
  • Other technical or usage information.

This information may be collected through cookies, pixels, tags, web beacons, log files, and similar technologies.

B2B and Chef Account Information

If you apply for or use a professional chef or B2B account, we may collect information necessary to review, verify, administer, and support your account, including:

  • Your name, email address, mobile phone number, and mailing address;
  • Restaurant, company, or business name;
  • Professional role or title;
  • Type of cuisine or specialty;
  • Business website, restaurant page, or professional social media profile;
  • Professional credentials or other supporting information you choose to provide;
  • Referral information, if applicable;
  • Information about the types of products you are interested in;
  • Notes or other information you voluntarily submit in connection with your application; and
  • Your marketing and newsletter preferences.

We use this information to evaluate eligibility for professional account access, verify professional or business status, administer B2B accounts, provide account and customer support, understand product interests, and communicate with you regarding products and services.

If you separately opt in to receive marketing communications, we may also use your contact information and stated product interests to send newsletters, product updates, ingredient inspiration, rare finds from Japan, and other promotional communications.

You may unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in those communications or other available preference controls.

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may use personal information for the following purposes:

  • To process, confirm, and fulfill orders;
  • To process payments and maintain transaction records;
  • To verify product availability and communicate with customers regarding changes to an order;
  • To provide invoices, order confirmations, shipping information, and other transaction-related communications;
  • To manage professional chef and B2B accounts;
  • To evaluate eligibility for professional account access;
  • To provide customer service and respond to inquiries;
  • To coordinate fulfillment, shipping, delivery, returns, refunds, and replacements;
  • To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, security incidents, and other misuse;
  • To operate, maintain, analyze, and improve the Site and our services;
  • To understand how customers use the Site and our services;
  • To personalize communications and customer experiences where appropriate;
  • To provide marketing communications when permitted by applicable law and consistent with your preferences;
  • To comply with legal, tax, accounting, regulatory, and recordkeeping obligations; and
  • To protect the rights, property, safety, and security of our businesses, customers, service providers, and others.

HOW WE DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may disclose personal information when reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to the following categories of recipients.

YS Japan and YS US

Personal information may be shared between YS Japan and YS US as necessary to:

  • Operate The House of Umami;
  • Process transactions;
  • Provide customer service;
  • Manage professional chef and B2B accounts;
  • Support invoicing and ACH payments;
  • Coordinate fulfillment and delivery;
  • Process returns, refunds, or replacements; and
  • Respond to customer inquiries.

Shopify and Payment Service Providers

We may disclose information to Shopify and applicable payment service providers as necessary to operate the online store, process transactions, prevent fraud, and provide payment-related services.

Depending on the particular service used, certain service providers may process some personal information under their own applicable terms and privacy policies.

Shipping, Logistics, Warehouse, and Fulfillment Providers

We may disclose information necessary to prepare, ship, track, and deliver orders, including customer name, delivery address, contact information, and relevant order information.

Technology and Service Providers

We may disclose information to companies that provide services such as:

  • Website hosting;
  • Analytics;
  • Information technology;
  • Security;
  • Customer service;
  • Email and communications;
  • Marketing technology; and
  • Other services necessary to operate the Site and our business.

Professional Advisers

We may disclose information to professional advisers such as attorneys, accountants, consultants, auditors, and insurers when reasonably necessary.

We may disclose personal information when required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, court order, subpoena, or another lawful request.

We may also disclose information where reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property, safety, or security of YS Japan, YS US, our customers, our employees, our service providers, or others.

Business Transactions

Personal information may be disclosed in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or other business transaction involving YS Japan, YS US, or The House of Umami operations.

COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

We and our service providers may use cookies, pixels, tags, and similar technologies to operate the Site, maintain Site functionality, understand how visitors interact with the Site, measure performance, prevent fraud, and support marketing and advertising where permitted.

You may be able to control or disable certain cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Site.

Where required by applicable law or applicable platform requirements, additional consent or privacy controls may be made available through the Site.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

We may send promotional emails or other marketing communications when you have provided the appropriate consent or when otherwise permitted by applicable law.

Marketing communications may include:

  • Product announcements;
  • Ingredient inspiration;
  • Rare product discoveries from Japan;
  • New product information;
  • Promotions;
  • Editorial content; and
  • Other information relating to The House of Umami.

You may unsubscribe from promotional email communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in the email.

Transactional communications relating to an order, account, payment, shipping, customer service, or other ongoing business relationship may still be sent even if you unsubscribe from promotional communications.

YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information.

These rights may include the right to:

  • Request information about personal information we hold about you;
  • Request access to or a copy of certain personal information;
  • Request correction, addition, or deletion of inaccurate personal information;
  • Request suspension of use, deletion, or suspension of certain disclosures where permitted by applicable law;
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
  • Submit a complaint or inquiry regarding our handling of personal information.

These rights are subject to applicable legal limitations and exceptions.

To request access, correction, deletion, suspension of use, or other rights available under applicable law, please contact us using the information in the “Contact Us” section below.

We may request information reasonably necessary to verify your identity and identify the relevant records.

We will respond to valid requests as required by applicable law.

INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

The House of Umami operates through YS Japan in Japan and YS US in the United States.

As a result, personal information may be transferred to, stored in, or processed in Japan, the United States, or other countries where our service providers operate.

Privacy and data protection laws may differ between jurisdictions.

Where required by applicable law, YS Japan and YS US use contractual, organizational, and other appropriate measures designed to protect personal information transferred between Japan and the United States.

Where personal information is processed by third-party service providers outside the country in which it was collected, we take reasonable steps, where required by applicable law, to use service providers and arrangements that provide appropriate protections for personal information.

DATA RETENTION

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to:

  • Complete transactions;
  • Provide customer service;
  • Maintain professional chef and B2B accounts;
  • Maintain business, accounting, and tax records;
  • Resolve disputes;
  • Prevent fraud;
  • Enforce agreements; and
  • Comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, the nature of our relationship with you, and applicable legal requirements.

When personal information is no longer reasonably necessary for these purposes, we may delete, anonymize, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with applicable law.

DATA SECURITY

We maintain reasonable administrative, organizational, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction.

These measures may include:

  • Limiting access to personal information to personnel who require access for legitimate business purposes;
  • Maintaining appropriate account and system access controls;
  • Providing appropriate supervision of personnel who handle personal information;
  • Using reasonable security measures for systems used to store or process personal information;
  • Limiting the personal information shared with service providers to information reasonably necessary for the relevant service; and
  • Reviewing our personal information handling practices from time to time.

Where personal information is processed outside Japan, YS Japan takes reasonable steps, as required by applicable law, to understand the relevant data protection environment and maintain appropriate safeguards for that information.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any account credentials associated with your use of the Site.

MINORS

The Site and our services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age.

We do not knowingly solicit personal information from individuals under 18.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from an individual under 18 in circumstances where such collection is not permitted, we will take reasonable steps to delete it as required by applicable law.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, services, legal requirements, or other operational needs.

When we update this Privacy Policy, we will revise the “Effective Date” and “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

Where required by applicable law, we will provide additional notice of material changes.

CONTACT US

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, our privacy practices, would like to submit a privacy-related request, or wish to make a complaint regarding our handling of personal information, please contact us using the information below.

U.S. Customer Support and B2B Correspondence

Ys and Partners, Inc.
5151 California Avenue, Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92617
United States
Phone: +1 (949) 263-1600
Email: contact@thehouseofumami.com

Ys and Partners Japan Co., Ltd.
TORANOMON ALCEA TOWER 3F
2-2-3 Toranomon, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
Email: contact@ysandpartners.com

Information regarding YS Japan that is required to be made available under applicable Japanese privacy law, including information regarding its representative director and additional information regarding its personal information handling procedures and security measures, is available upon request through the Japan-side contact above.