What is the Method to Delete Reviews on 'Minna no Wedding'?

Minna no Wedding is a website where you can search for wedding venues across Japan, view photos of the venues, and book bridal fairs. On Minna no Wedding, you can also post reviews of wedding venues. However, there may be instances where negative reviews are posted, such as “I was insulted by staff member A and it upset me” or “I was charged extra for a service I didn’t request”. In such cases, users who search for wedding venues on search engines like Google or within Minna no Wedding may come across these negative reviews.
If negative reviews have been posted on Minna no Wedding, is it possible to take measures such as deleting these reviews? Also, under what circumstances should you consult a lawyer?

What is Minna no Wedding?

Minna no Wedding is a platform where you can search for wedding venues by area or keyword, and book bridal fairs. Additionally, you can post and check reviews of wedding venues. The reviews on Minna no Wedding include ‘actual’ and ‘preview’ reviews based on the experiences of the bride and groom, and ‘invitation’ reviews based on the experiences of invited guests. Furthermore, those who have applied to a venue or cancelled their application can also write application reviews. There is a risk that if negative reviews of a wedding venue are posted on Minna no Wedding, users searching for wedding venues on search engines like Google or on Minna no Wedding may see these reviews and avoid holding their ceremony at that venue.

What are the Negative Reviews Posted on Minna no Wedding?

When you search for wedding venues on Minna no Wedding, you can see reviews about the cost performance of the wedding venues, and the satisfaction with the staff and food. Among these reviews, there may be negative ones, including slanderous comments. What kind of negative reviews can be posted on Minna no Wedding? Here are some examples of negative reviews.

Reviews saying “I was insulted by Staff A and felt bad”

This is a case where a guest has posted a review saying, “I was insulted by Staff A and felt bad”. Of course, if there is a staff member who suddenly abuses a guest, it may be inevitable that such a review is posted. However, there may be a misunderstanding due to a communication gap between the guest and the staff, and such a review may be posted based on that misunderstanding. Such negative reviews may have adverse effects, such as reducing the number of reservations for bridal fairs and weddings at the wedding venue in question.

Reviews saying “I was charged extra for a service I didn’t want”

This is a case where a bride who held a wedding posted a review saying, “I was charged extra for a service I didn’t want”. Such a review can be useful information for users looking for a wedding venue, if it is true. However, there is a possibility that the poster misunderstood and thought they were unfairly charged extra, even though the service originally costs that much. In such cases, if a review is posted saying “I was charged extra for a service I didn’t want”, the wedding venue in question may suffer damages such as a decrease in the number of weddings due to the review.

Other baseless slanderous posts and rumor damage posts, etc.

On Minna no Wedding, there may be posts of slanderous reviews and rumor damage reviews against the wedding venue and its staff, beyond the scope of the atmosphere and satisfaction of the wedding venue. It is believed that such reviews should be deleted, just like slanderous posts and rumor damage posts on anonymous bulletin boards like 5ch. For information on how to request the deletion of posts on 5ch (formerly 2ch), please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/deletionrequest-for-2chand5ch[ja]

How to Request Removal of Posts Violating the “Everyone’s Wedding” Posting Guidelines

If you believe a post violates the “Everyone’s Wedding” posting guidelines, you can report it through the guideline violation report form available at the support desk. From the report form below, you can specify the reason for the guideline violation and the part of the post that violates the guidelines, and then send it to the support desk. After verification at the support desk, if the post is judged to be in violation of the guidelines, it will be removed.

According to the “Everyone’s Wedding” posting guidelines (for domestic weddings), posts that violate the guidelines may be requested to be corrected or removed at the discretion of “Everyone’s Wedding”. (Guidelines for overseas reviews and other non-domestic wedding reviews are not covered in this article.)
Examples of unacceptable posts under the “Everyone’s Wedding” posting guidelines (for domestic weddings) are as follows:

＜Examples of unacceptable posts under the “Everyone’s Wedding” posting guidelines (excerpt)＞
・Untruthful posts
・Posts that are difficult to verify
・Defamation, slander
・Criticism of other posters or users
・Unfounded, definitive criticism of wedding venues, etc.
・Criticism that identifies staff at wedding venues, etc., even if it is a personal opinion
・Rumors, speculation, and other information not experienced or confirmed by the poster
・Posts that do not contain any specific facts
・Posts concerning hygiene issues
・Posts containing complaints, troubles, or accidents related to wedding venues, staff, etc.
・Staged posts
・Posts made by wedding venue staff or other related parties pretending to be someone else
・Posts that may induce or promote illegal activities such as crimes
・Posts that may infringe on others’ rights such as privacy, portrait rights, copyright, trademark rights
・Posts containing obscene expressions or nude images
・Posts intended for advertising, promotion, or other commercial purposes, or to guide to other websites or services (except those specifically approved by our company)
・Posts containing harmful programs such as computer viruses, scripts, or guiding to websites containing such
・Posts that are irrelevant or inappropriate to the set theme of the post
・Posts containing specific company or service names (However, mutual aid associations and mutual aid societies do not fall under the category of “specific companies or services”.)

“Everyone’s Wedding” Posting Guidelines (for domestic weddings) URL: ttps://www.mwed.jp/guide

According to these guidelines, posts such as “Staff A said something rude to me and it upset me” seem to be eligible for removal requests as they are “unfounded, definitive criticism of wedding venues, etc.” and criticism that identifies specific staff.

Examples of Removal Requests Based on Illegality

When considering the “Defamation, Slander” section of the posting guidelines, it is necessary to consider defamation (infringement of the right to honor). What constitutes defamation? Defamation is established when the following conditions are met:

• Publicly
• Pointing out facts
• Defaming someone’s honor

It is established when these requirements are met. For example, if a review is posted stating, “I was charged an additional fee for a service I didn’t want,” such a statement has a specific meaning, and the act of adding unwanted services to a customer and arbitrarily charging additional fees is subject to certain legal regulations. It would be disadvantageous for the wedding venue to be perceived as engaging in such practices. The venue would argue that it does not charge additional fees without the customer’s consent. However, even if the requirements for defamation are met, defamation is not established if the following conditions are met:

• There is public interest
• It is a truth that serves the public interest
• Or the truthfulness is recognized

Not limited to the above example, it is necessary to consider whether other defamatory reviews or rumor damage reviews also constitute defamation. However, removal negotiations based on such claims and legal arguments may be difficult if you are not familiar with the law. Consulting with a lawyer with extensive knowledge can lead to smooth removal in some cases. The requirements for establishing defamation are explained in detail in the following article.

https://monolith.law/reputation/defamation[ja]

Removal by Provisional Disposition

If a review is not removed even after reporting it through the guideline violation report form, you will need to request removal through the courts. Reviews on “Everyone’s Wedding” can be removed not only through litigation but also through a procedure called provisional disposition. Litigation often takes at least 3-12 months, and in some cases, it may take more than a year. On the other hand, if you consult with a lawyer who has extensive knowledge of rumor damage, there is a high possibility that the removal can be done in about 2-3 months from the request. The flow of provisional disposition is as follows:

1. Filing for provisional disposition
2. Examination (a procedure similar to oral argument)
3. Payment of security deposit
4. Issuance of provisional disposition order
5. Execution
   

In the case of provisional disposition, in addition to legal claims, evidence to prove those claims is also necessary. For example, in the case of “being charged an additional fee for a service you didn’t want,” you would submit as evidence:

• Written documents of the customer’s request or notes from the person in charge
• Contract and invoice with the customer
• Manual regarding the conclusion of a contract with the customer

And argue that “this venue proposes a wedding plan according to the customer’s request, and does not force unwanted services and charge additional fees.” However, making such claims and proving them can be quite difficult without the help of a lawyer. For more details on the removal provisional disposition, please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/provisional-disposition[ja]

Identifying the Poster through Provisional Disposition

If there are numerous instances of baseless defamatory reviews or damaging rumors posted over a long period of time, you can request a lawyer to make a disclosure request for sender information. A disclosure request for sender information is a procedure stipulated under Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Japanese Provider Liability Limitation Act. This procedure requests the disclosure of information such as the IP address, name, and address of the poster of defamatory reviews or damaging rumors. While Minna no Wedding has guidelines to prevent defamatory reviews as mentioned above, it cannot be definitively said that there are no cases where someone with a grudge against a certain wedding venue posts baseless rumors or defamatory reviews. In such cases, if the poster’s IP address and other information can be identified, it may be possible to identify the poster. The procedure for identifying the sender is as follows:

1. Request for information disclosure to the content service provider
2. Application for provisional disposition for disclosure of sender information
3. Identification of the transit provider
4. Application for provisional disposition to prohibit deletion of sender information to the transit provider
5. Lawsuit for disclosure of sender information
6. Identification of the sender based on the court’s judgment
   

Once the poster has been identified through the above procedures, you can claim damages from the poster for the legal fees incurred in identifying them and for emotional distress. For more details on the disclosure request for sender information, please refer to the following article.

https://monolith.law/reputation/disclosure-of-the-senders-information[ja]

Summary

Minna no Wedding is a convenient website where you can search for wedding venues online and make reservations for bridal fairs. However, it cannot be denied that there may be defamatory reviews and reputation damage reviews based on misunderstandings or malice. In the face of such malicious posts, it may be better to report them through the guideline violation report form, request deletion through the courts, or proceed with identifying the poster. Legal claims such as defamation often proceed more smoothly when a lawyer is involved. If you are troubled by defamatory reviews or reputation damage reviews, it is important to consult with a knowledgeable lawyer.

You can view the deletion methods for wedding-related review sites other than Minna no Wedding from the links below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/delete-wedding-park-reputation[ja]