Fellowship Terms, Conditions & Travel Disclaimer

ONE CREATOR. ONE FELLOWSHIP. JAPAN.

The SpicedLore Japan Fellowship is intended to provide one selected creator with an immersive educational and cultural experience connected to Japanese fermentation, craftsmanship, ingredients and food culture.

The Fellowship is an opportunity for learning and exchange. It is not a holiday package, employment arrangement, academic qualification, business investment or guaranteed commercial opportunity.

1. THE FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENT

One individual may be selected from the 3 eligible category winners to receive the SpicedLore Japan Fellowship.

The recipient will be referred to as the Fellow.

The Fellowship may be awarded only after:

  • The participant’s eligibility has been verified;
  • All required declarations have been completed;
  • The participant has accepted the applicable Fellowship conditions;
  • The participant is able to satisfy relevant travel and documentation requirements.

SpicedLore may withhold or withdraw the Fellowship if the selected person does not satisfy the applicable conditions.

2. PURPOSE OF THE FELLOWSHIP

The Fellowship is designed to encourage deeper understanding of:

  • Japanese fermentation;
  • Soy sauce production;
  • Koji and fermentation practices;
  • Wooden-barrel ageing;
  • Japanese ingredients;
  • Traditional food craftsmanship;
  • Producers and makers;
  • Japanese culinary culture;
  • The relationship between food, place, time and craft.

Potential activities may include:

  • Visits to producers;
  • Meetings with brewers or makers;
  • Educational sessions;
  • Ingredient experiences;
  • Cultural and culinary activities;
  • Visits to relevant food or craft establishments;
  • Guided experiences connected to Japanese food culture.

The final itinerary is subject to availability, operational feasibility and confirmation by SpicedLore and its relevant partners.

3. PLANNED TIMING

The Fellowship is currently planned for February 2027.

The exact:

  • Dates;
  • Duration;
  • Departure arrangements;
  • Return arrangements;
  • Itinerary;
  • Locations;
  • Activities;
  • Accommodation arrangements;

will be communicated when confirmed.

The planned date is not a guarantee that travel will occur during that month.

4. WHAT MAY BE INCLUDED

Subject to final arrangements, the Fellowship may include selected travel, accommodation and curated programme experiences.

Any inclusion will be binding only if expressly confirmed in writing by SpicedLore.

Unless specifically confirmed, the Fellowship does not automatically include:

  • Personal spending;
  • Meals;
  • Alcoholic beverages;
  • Personal shopping;
  • Travel insurance;
  • Medical expenses;
  • Visa expenses;
  • Passport expenses;
  • Excess baggage;
  • Personal excursions;
  • Additional accommodation;
  • Local travel unrelated to the official programme;
  • Costs arising from missed or changed travel;
  • Expenses incurred by accompanying persons.

SpicedLore may use third-party travel, accommodation, transport or experience providers.

5. TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION

The Fellow is solely responsible for obtaining and maintaining:

  • A valid passport;
  • Any required visa;
  • Required permits;
  • Travel documents;
  • Health or vaccination documents, where applicable;
  • Travel insurance, where required;
  • Accurate personal information;
  • Any other documents required by relevant authorities or service providers.

Selection for the Fellowship does not guarantee:

  • Visa approval;
  • Entry into Japan;
  • Permission to undertake any particular activity;
  • Airline boarding;
  • Immigration clearance;
  • Access to any particular venue or producer.

SpicedLore is not responsible for visa refusal, delayed documentation, immigration decisions or failure to meet travel requirements.

6. TRAVEL AND HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY

The Fellow must independently assess their ability to travel and participate in the planned activities.

The Fellow should obtain appropriate:

  • Travel insurance;
  • Medical advice, where relevant;
  • Emergency coverage;
  • Personal insurance;
  • Documentation for pre-existing travel requirements.

The Fellow must promptly disclose any relevant restriction that may materially affect safe participation.

SpicedLore does not provide medical advice and is not responsible for a Fellow’s medical condition, personal health decisions or inability to travel.

7. NON-TRANSFERABILITY

The Fellowship is awarded to one named individual only.

It may not be:

  • Sold;
  • Transferred;
  • Assigned;
  • Exchanged for cash;
  • Exchanged for another person;
  • Used by a company or organisation;
  • Converted into another prize.

A Fellow may not nominate a substitute without SpicedLore’s prior written approval.

8. INABILITY TO TRAVEL

If the selected Fellow:

  • Cannot travel;
  • Fails to obtain a visa;
  • Fails to provide required documentation;
  • Becomes unavailable;
  • Refuses the applicable terms;
  • Does not respond within the required period;
  • Breaches the programme rules;

SpicedLore may withdraw the Fellowship and select an alternative eligible recipient or take another reasonable course of action.

The Fellowship will not automatically be:

  • Rescheduled;
  • Transferred;
  • Replaced with cash;
  • Converted into another benefit.

Any alternative arrangement will be entirely at SpicedLore’s discretion and subject to feasibility.

9. CHANGES TO THE ITINERARY

SpicedLore may modify the itinerary due to:

  • Producer availability;
  • Weather;
  • Travel disruption;
  • Government restrictions;
  • Health or safety concerns;
  • Venue closure;
  • Operational limitations;
  • Force majeure;
  • Partner or supplier changes;
  • Other circumstances beyond reasonable control.

SpicedLore does not guarantee access to any particular person, producer, venue, activity or experience.

10. CONDUCT AND CULTURAL RESPECT

The Fellow must behave respectfully towards:

  • Hosts;
  • Producers;
  • Partner organisations;
  • Other participants;
  • Local communities;
  • Cultural practices;
  • Venues;
  • Programme personnel.

The Fellow must not:

  • Harass or intimidate others;
  • Disclose confidential information;
  • Misuse images or recordings;
  • Misrepresent the Fellowship;
  • Make unauthorised commercial commitments;
  • Engage in unlawful conduct;
  • Damage property;
  • Disrupt programme activities.

SpicedLore may remove a Fellow from an activity or terminate participation in response to serious or inappropriate conduct.

Any resulting personal costs will be the Fellow’s responsibility, to the extent permitted by law.

11. PHOTOGRAPHY AND DOCUMENTATION

The Fellowship may be documented through:

  • Photography;
  • Video;
  • Interviews;
  • Written accounts;
  • Social media;
  • Editorial content;
  • Programme reports.

The Fellow may be asked to provide consent for reasonable programme-related documentation.

The Fellow must not photograph, record, reproduce or publish confidential information, proprietary processes or restricted activities without permission.

12. CONFIDENTIALITY

The Fellow may encounter information relating to:

  • Producers;
  • Brewing methods;
  • Recipes;
  • Manufacturing processes;
  • Commercial plans;
  • Partner organisations;
  • Programme operations;
  • Unreleased products.

The Fellow must not disclose or commercially exploit confidential information without the relevant rights holder’s written permission.

This obligation survives the completion or termination of the Fellowship.

13. NO GUARANTEE OF COMMERCIAL BENEFIT

The Fellowship does not guarantee:

  • Employment;
  • Certification;
  • Investment;
  • Business partnerships;
  • Product launches;
  • Distribution;
  • Licensing;
  • Commercial contracts;
  • Media coverage;
  • Future invitations;
  • Commercial success.

Any future commercial relationship must be documented separately.

14. LIMITATION OF RESPONSIBILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by law, SpicedLore and Tropical Trading Co. are not responsible for:

  • Travel delays or cancellations;
  • Visa or immigration decisions;
  • Lost, stolen or damaged personal property;
  • Injury or illness;
  • Third-party service failures;
  • Changes to the itinerary;
  • Personal expenses;
  • Missed connections;
  • Acts or omissions of third-party providers;
  • Events outside SpicedLore’s reasonable control.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded.

15. FORCE MAJEURE

SpicedLore will not be responsible for delay, modification, suspension or cancellation caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including:

  • Natural disasters;
  • Epidemics or pandemics;
  • War;
  • Civil unrest;
  • Government restrictions;
  • Transport disruption;
  • Industrial action;
  • Venue or producer unavailability;
  • Regulatory restrictions;
  • Severe weather;
  • Other comparable events.

16. ACCEPTANCE OF FELLOWSHIP TERMS

Acceptance of the Fellowship constitutes confirmation that the Fellow:

  • Has read these terms;
  • Understands that the Fellowship is educational and cultural in nature;
  • Accepts responsibility for travel documentation;
  • Accepts the non-transferability conditions;
  • Understands that the itinerary may change;
  • Agrees to comply with applicable conduct and confidentiality requirements.

17. FINAL NOTE

The Fellowship represents a continuation of the Spice The Lore journey:

Japanese craft → Indian creativity → A new product idea → Deeper learning at the source.

The Fellowship is an opportunity to learn, observe, exchange and return with a deeper understanding of the craft.