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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If the problem is not resolved, please contact us

Troubleshooting

Q1.
Page does not display.
A.
Please check your browser currently using, as Internet Explorer is not supported. Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Safari are supported to browse our website.
Q2.
I am subscribed, but cannot view all of the project pages.
A.
Please verify the email address you are logged in with, and confirm that it is the subscribed account. Also, please kindy doublecheck your subscription plan and if that includes journals ("Shinkenchiku," "Jutakutokushu," or "a+u") you wish to browse for. You will only be able to view all contents which appeared in the journal to which you are subscribed.
Q3.
Completing sign-up could not be done because the confirmation code cannot be received.
A.
If you are using Internet Explorer, you likely will not receive the authentication confirmation code. Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Safari are supported to browse our website. Also, our emails may be classified as spam mail. Please kindly check your spam folder.

Payment

Q1.
I'd like to subscribe and am an individual user. What payment options do you offer?
A.
You may choose one of the third party online payment service, PayPal or Stripe. And payment can be made via credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB), Apple Pay, Google Pay, WeChat Pay, LINK, and Alipay.
Q2.
If I pay monthly, is it more beneficial to start at the beginning of the month?
A.
This service counts for one month from the date of application. The number of days you can use the service is the same no matter when you start.
Q3.
[For individual users] Can I get the invoice?
A.
[Customers paid through PayPal ] Please download the transaction rerecipt from the PayPal account used for payment. Since the transaction is made on PayPal, we are not able to issue receipts. Paypal: How to issue a receipt and check your payment history (personal) Customers who paid via Stripe When you make a payment via Stripe, you can download a receipt from the email you receive after payment.
Q4.
I am using my personal account for business use. Can you issue me an invoice?
A.
Please see the question and answer above. Be sure to check out via Stripe if you wish you receive an invoice via E-mail, when subscribing to our service.

Subscription

Q1.
I’d like to cancel my subscription. What should I do if I do not wish to subscribe for the next month or the next year?
A.
For individual users, cancellations can be made from " Subscription Plans" on My Page. Click the "Unsubscribe"" and select which plan you wish to cancel. Please note that your next and subsequent billings will be canceled, if you've completed the procedure by the day before the next payment cycle.
Q2.
Can I switch from monthly plan to annual plan?
A.
To make this switch, please follow the steps below. 1. cancel your monthly subscription (you will keep your account but subscription) 2. subscribe on annual plan after the expiration of the monthly subscription Note: Please note that the amount of your monthly subscription will not be refunded. Please use the service until the end of the subscription period, as the amount of the monthly subscription is non-refundable. *The next subscription will be available from the day after the end of the monthly subscription.
Q3.
If I cancel my service plan in the middle of my contract term, will I be refunded the money I have already paid?
A.
If in the case of monthly payment plan, no refund would be made if you decide to cancel the subscription in the midst of subscription. In contrast, in the case of annual payment plan, if you cancel your subscription within 14 days of completing payment and contact us via the service’s inquiry form, we will refund to your account used for payment the amount of the monthly fee for one month of monthly payment, less handling fees. Please refer to Article 11 of the “Terms of Use” for details.
Q4.
Can I change the registered credit card I am using for recurring payment?
A.
Normally, we will not be able to arrange for any changes on our end. [Customers who paid by PayPal] If you have a PayPal account, please log in to PayPal and follow the procedure to change your payment method. If you do NOT have a PayPal account, please follow the procedure below. (1) cancel your current subscription plan by the day before the next payment date (please note that this is not a ""cancellation procedure"") 2) resubscribe and make payment with the changed card on or after the day following the end of the subscription period. [Customers who paid by Stripe] If you have paid by Stripe, please let us know using the inquiry form.
Q5.
I duplicated my subscription with a different email address.
A.
Please contact us with the information of all email addresses you have subscribed to.

Student Plan

Q1.
I cannot upload my student ID for verification.
A.
Please check the image file format you have uploaded. Supported formats are JPEG and PNG.
Q2.
If my student plan is verified and approved, is it valid until my graduation?
A.
Whether you pay annually or monthly, the validity period is one year, and you must resubmit your student ID before the one-year period has elapsed (at a time determined by us). Failure to present the ID by the deadline indicated will result in cancellation of the subscription.
Q3.
How are uploaded student ID and its personal information protected?
A.
It will be temporarily stored on the cloud server (AWS) and will be automatically deleted after the student ID screening is completed. It will not be downloaded or stored in the local system. It will only be utilized for the screening purpose, and will not be disclosed or provided to any third party.
Q4.
I am an individual subscriber to an academic plan, but my university has signed a university group contract for "Shinkenchiku DATA". What should I do?
A.
Please follow the procedure below. 1. change the email address on your private account, to the email address provided by your university 2. cancel your personal subscription. 3. if you are subscribing to an annual subscription, please contact us with your university address and personal address. Refunds may be issued for any remaining term of the subscription.

About Shinkenchiku.ID

Q1.
How to change my e-mail address registered on the account?
A.
If you are registered with an personal email address, you can make the change from My Page. If you are registered with a organization contract address, please send us your current registered address and the address you would like to change using the contact form. Shinkenchiku ID: My Page
Q2.
Can accounts be shared?
A.
An account is tied to a single user, and cannot be shared. If you would like to use the service with multiple users, please contact us using the Inquiry Form for organization contract.

Group Contract

Q1.
What is the minimum number of people who can sign a group contract?
A.
Group contracts starts with a minimum of 5 users at your convenience.
Q2.
How do I know details of the group contract?
A.
Please contact us using the inquiry form.
Q3.
I'd like to know if my company / university is compatible for your group contract.
A.
Please browse our NOTE edited frequently by us to see if your university is covered.
Q4.
Our organization is considering for the group subscription/contract. How do I start?
A.
For groups interested in purchasing our subscriptions for your organization, we offer a convenient plan for groups with a discount price. Currently, more than 60 % of well-renown universities, as well as corporates in Japan are utilizing our service. For more information, please contact us using the Inquiry Form.

Contents

Q1.
What is the 'Shinkenchiku DATA'? How is it different from an e-book?
A.
Shinkenchiku DATA' is a web-based, bilingual service for searching and browsing the most essential architectural projects, professionally curated and published in 'Shinkenchiku,' 'Jutakutokushu,' 'a+u.' Generally, E-books enable reading through journals published in the past, and have a reading experience based on the topicality of the time. In contrast, our 'DATA' service is a database that offers to search through vast essential architectural archives on a project-by-project basis, going beyond chronology, architects, and location. Detailed search filters specialized for architectural projects and free word search functions support users to seek any architectural work.
Q2.
What are the characteristics of each periodical journal, 'Shinkenchiku,' 'Jutakutokushu,' and 'a+u'?
A.
Shinkenchiku' is Japan's leading architecture magazine, first published in August 1925. Shinkenchiku archives contemporary architecture in Japan and by Japanese architects, using the finest photographs, drawings, and other materials in a consistent editorial style. 'Jutakutokushu (Housing Special)' was launched in May 1985. As a sister magazine of Shinkenchiku, the journal focuses on housing design works in Japan. The journal also features contemporary housing issues, aimed at responding to the wide range of interests of our readership. 'a+u' was first published in January 1971, as a bilingual (Japanese-English) architectural journal that provides essential architectural coverage from around the globe.
Q3.
What are the contents currently published in the archive?
A.
Currently, 'Shinkenchiku DATA' database contains over 36,000 projects. The availability of curated projects is from the following journal and back numbers. 'Shinkenchiku': 1975 to the latest 'Jutakutokushu': 1985 (first issue) to the latest 'a+u': from 2000 to the latest *excluding some issues for a+u
Q4.
When will contects from latest issue be updated?
A.
Shinkenchiku': archive will be released on the 5th of every month (1 months gap after the publication issue date) 'Jutakutokushu': archive will be released on the 25th of every month (1 months gap after the publication issue date) 'a+u': archives will be released on the 15th of every month (3 months gap after the publication issue date)
Q5.
Is the building I am researching for in the database?
A.
You do not need to be registered with Shinkenchiku.ID to search for articles. If you register, you will be able to search for architectural works using advanced search functions and engines.
Q6.
What does the "i" icon next to the name of project or designer indicate?
A.
Few projects in the database which originally appeared in publications prior to the particular year (For 'Shinkenchiku,' January 1988, and for 'Jutakutokushu" January 2009) have been translated by the neural machine translation tool "DeepL." As there were no English texts in the publications at that time, the translation has been newly translated, so please note that the English text with the "i" icon is not the authorized text provided by the designers. Dear designers of these projects We welcome any inquiries regarding the official project title of the work and the name of the designer. Please give us an indication by filling out the form below. https://forms.gle/35W7R7pp7GoTT6jW8