Kamakura Ethical Lab Membership Agreement

Article 1 (Purpose)
The Membership Agreement of the Kamakura Ethical Lab (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Agreement’) sets out the membership fees as stipulated in the Articles of Association of the Kamakura Ethical Lab (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Association’), as well as the basic matters regarding the management of the Association and membership activities, including the admission and withdrawal of the Association's members (excluding Executive Committee members, hereinafter the same) and the privileges and obligations of members.

Article 2 (Name)
The name of the Association is Kamakura Ethical Lab.

Article 3 (Members)
The following three types of members (excluding Executive Committee members) are defined by the Association.
(1) Individual members
　　Individuals who agree with the objectives of the Association and apply for membership, and whose membership has been approved by the Association's officers.
(2) Corporate members
　　Corporations, organisations, etc., which have applied for membership in support of the objectives of the association and whose membership has been approved by the association's officers.
(3) Special members
　　Organisations that have applied for membership in support of the objectives of the association and have been approved for membership by the officers of the association as being particularly closely related to the activities of the organisation.
(4) Supporting members
　　Legal entities, organisations and individuals who agree with the objectives of the association and support its operational funds.

Article 4 (Application for membership)
Any person wishing to become a member of the Association must submit a separate application form.
Upon receipt of an application as described in the preceding paragraph, the officers of the Association shall decide whether to approve or disapprove the application and notify the applicant of this decision.
The date of payment of the membership fee as stipulated in Article 6 shall be the date of admission.

Article 5 (Criteria for membership)
Upon receipt of an application as described in the preceding article from a person wishing to become a member of the Association, the officers of the Association may not approve membership if any of the following apply
If the applicant does not agree with the aims of the Association.
The member has been expelled or withdrawn from membership in the past for violation of these Terms and Conditions or other terms and conditions.
When there are false statements, errors or omissions in the membership application form as described in the preceding article, or when the business or products of a prospective member are in breach of the law or extremely contrary to social norms, or when the board of directors resolves that there is a risk of such a breach.
When the association otherwise deems the application to be inappropriate.

Article 6 (Membership fees)
The annual membership fee for each member shall be as follows
Individual member 3,000 yen
Corporate member 10,000 yen
Special member (1 unit: 50,000 yen or more)
Supporting members (1 unit: JPY 3,000 or more) Corporate members: 5 units or more / Individual members: 1 unit or more
However, this does not apply in cases where the officers of the association approve reasons that should be taken into consideration. This does not apply to individual members who fall under Article 8, Clauses 2 and 3 of the Kamakura Ethical Lab Constitution.
The annual membership fee for the first year of membership must be paid within two weeks of being approved and notified by the Society's officers in accordance with Article 4.2.
Annual membership fees for the year following the year of admission and thereafter must be paid by the day before the start of the relevant year.
Once paid, the annual membership fee shall not be refunded for any reason whatsoever.

Article 7 (Period of validity)
The period of validity of membership shall be from the time when the Society receives an application for membership, approves the application and confirms payment of the membership fee as stipulated in Article 6 until 30 April of the following year, and shall be automatically renewed thereafter unless there is a request for withdrawal from membership in accordance with Article 8, expulsion in accordance with Article 9 or loss of membership in accordance with Article 10.

Article 8 (Withdrawal from membership)
A member may voluntarily withdraw from membership by submitting a separate notice of withdrawal at least one month prior to the date of withdrawal.

Article 9 (Expulsion)
If a member falls into any of the following categories, the member may be expelled by a resolution of the Board of Directors
Violates this Constitution or other rules and regulations
The member has damaged the honour of the association or acted contrary to its objectives.
If the member engages in independent commercial activities for members that are not related to the activities of the Association without the Association's permission.
If you act in competition with the Association without the Association's permission
Infringes the trademark rights owned by the Association without the Association's permission
If you apply for a trademark that is similar to a trademark owned by the Association without the Association's permission
If the information registered with the Association contains false information.
If there is any fact which is deemed to be slanderous or defamatory to the Association or any interested party of the Association.
If the Member has adversely affected the business activities of the Association by obstructing the Association's business activities, etc.
If the member engages in multi-level marketing, network marketing, solicitation for other chain sales transactions, or solicitation for religious activities (including all acts deemed to be such solicitation) to other members.
If the member commits an act that offends the law or public order and morals
If there are other justifiable grounds for expulsion.

Article 10 (Loss of membership)
In addition to the cases mentioned in the preceding article, a member shall be disqualified if he/she falls into any of the following categories
Death, declaration of disappearance or dissolution.
Becomes an adult ward or a person under curatorship
When a member has failed to pay the membership fee for more than six months without justifiable reason
When the general membership agrees.

Article 11 (Privileges and obligations upon disqualification of members)
If a member loses his/her membership in accordance with the provisions of the preceding three articles, he/she loses the privileges and is relieved of his/her obligations as a member to the Association. However, any unfulfilled obligations may not be discharged. In addition, no refund of membership fees and other contributions already paid may be claimed.

Article 12 (Member privileges)
Full members shall have the following privileges
Opportunities to gather information on the Association's activities
Support for the dissemination of member information
Invitations to various seminars, events and social events
Participation in working groups
Others.

Article 13 (Obligations of members)
Members have the following obligations
Obey the Association's Articles of Association and other rules and decisions.
Pay the Association's membership fees, etc.
Endeavour to increase the number of members.
If a member wishes to conduct business with other members of the association or with persons he or she has come to know through the association's activities, he or she shall immediately report this to the Secretariat.
If there is a change in a member's registered details, the member must submit a notification of change of registered details to the officers of the association. The Association shall not be held responsible for any disadvantage caused by a member's failure to submit a notification of change.

Article 14 (Register of members)
The Association shall prepare a register of members, which shall include the name or names of members and their e-mail address, etc.

Article 15 (Office)
The Association shall have its principal office in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. The Association may, with the approval of the Board of Directors, establish branches in necessary locations.

Article 16 (Additions and changes to membership rules)
Matters not stipulated in these rules and deemed necessary shall be decided by a resolution of the General Membership Meeting.
The Association may change all or part of the Terms and Conditions by resolution of the General Membership Meeting.
The Terms and Conditions as amended by a resolution of the General Membership Meeting of the Association shall come into effect as soon as they are posted on the Association's website, and the members shall thereafter be bound by the amended Terms and Conditions.

Article 17 (Protection of confidential information)
The Association shall take all possible measures to protect confidential information obtained in the course of its business.

Article 18 (Protection of personal data)
The Association shall take all possible measures to protect personal data obtained in the course of its work.

Article 19 (Disclaimer and compensation for damages)
Members shall decide at their own discretion whether or not and how to use materials and information obtained in connection with the activities of the Association, and the Association shall not be liable for any damage incurred by members or third parties as a result of such use. In the event that the Association is liable for damages to a member, irrespective of the cause, the Association shall not be liable for indirect damages, special damages, lost profits, claims from third parties or damages based on negligence, regardless of whether they were foreseen or not.
The provisions of this article shall remain in force for the member concerned even after he has lost his membership due to withdrawal, expulsion, etc.

Article 20 (Compliance with laws and regulations)
All members of the Association shall comply with the provisions of all laws, ordinances, ministerial decrees and other laws and regulations, as well as with the Code of Ethics if the Association has prescribed otherwise.

All members of the Association shall agree to and abide by these Terms and Conditions.

Supplementary provisions
These Terms and Conditions shall come into force as from 1 May 2023.
2 This Membership Agreement may only be amended by a resolution of the General Assembly of the Association.

​