Corporate Operations Manual

Ride · Stay · Explore — Version 1.0 (Management Draft)

Important: This manual is the operational handbook for GS Astuto. It complements the legal documents and SOPs. It is intended for management, employees, contractors and future business partners.

CORPORATE OPERATIONS MANUAL

KK GS Astuto / 株式会社 GS Astuto

Classification: PRIVATE — INTERNAL USE ONLY

Version: Draft v1.0
Effective: 7 September 2026

This document establishes the baseline operating procedures for GS Astuto.

It is not a customer-facing document and must not be published through the public website, application API, search index or other publicly accessible system.

1. PURPOSE

GS Astuto operates an integrated cycling, travel and hospitality business including:

• cycling tours and guided rides;
• bicycle rental;
• route development;
• accommodation;
• café and food service;
• bicycle atelier/workshop activities;
• vehicle and guest support;
• digital travel services; and
• associated commercial activities.

The purpose of this manual is to establish consistent minimum standards while allowing staff appropriate judgment in real operating conditions.

Safety-critical decisions take priority over schedule, commercial pressure and itinerary completion.

2. RESPONSIBILITY AND AUTHORITY

A responsible person must be identifiable for each operating activity.

Operational roles may include:

• Company Director / Responsible Manager;
• Operations Lead;
• Ride Leader / Guide;
• Support Driver;
• Mechanic;
• Accommodation Responsible Person;
• Café / Food Responsible Person; and
• Administration / Booking Support.

One individual may perform several roles.

The person responsible for an activity has authority to:

• delay departure;
• alter a route;
• substitute equipment;
• stop an activity;
• remove unsafe equipment from service;
• refuse unsafe participation;
• call emergency services; and
• escalate an incident.

3. CUSTOMER BOOKING CONTROL

Before service delivery, staff should be able to identify:

• customer;
• booked product;
• date;
• party size;
• payment status;
• agreed options;
• bicycle requirements where applicable;
• accommodation requirements where applicable;
• operational contact information; and
• material special arrangements.

Do not collect sensitive personal information merely because it may be useful.

Only information reasonably necessary for operating the service should be retained.

4. DAILY OPERATIONS

Opening procedures should include, as applicable:

• review of bookings;
• staffing confirmation;
• weather and warning review;
• vehicle status;
• rental bicycle availability;
• battery charging status;
• accommodation arrivals/departures;
• special guest requirements;
• outstanding maintenance; and
• unresolved incidents from the previous day.

Closing procedures should identify:

• unreturned equipment;
• unresolved guest issues;
• equipment requiring repair;
• cash/payment exceptions;
• incidents or near misses;
• next-day operational risks; and
• property/security status.

5. BICYCLE FLEET CONTROL

Every rental or tour bicycle must be considered either:

READY — approved for customer use

or

OUT OF SERVICE — customer use prohibited

There is no intermediate assumption that a questionable bicycle is “probably fine.”

Pre-Ride Check

At minimum inspect:

• brake operation;
• wheel security;
• tire condition and pressure;
• steering;
• drivetrain;
• pedals;
• saddle/seatpost security;
• frame/fork apparent condition;
• lights where required;
• battery and controls for e-bikes; and
• obvious loose components.

Post-Ride Check

Record or report:

• crashes;
• unusual noises;
• punctures;
• damaged tires;
• shifting problems;
• brake problems;
• wheel damage;
• e-bike faults; and
• customer-reported problems.

A bicycle involved in a significant crash must be inspected before being returned to READY status.

6. E-BIKE OPERATIONS

Electric-assist bicycles must remain compliant with the configuration approved for their intended use in Japan.

Staff must not make unauthorized modifications intended to increase assistance speed or power beyond lawful specification.

Battery management should consider:

• state of charge;
• planned climbing;
• expected distance;
• rider;
• temperature;
• spare battery availability;
• charging opportunities; and
• battery condition.

Range must never be represented to a guest as an unconditional guarantee.

7. TOUR / RIDE PREPARATION

Before departure, the responsible guide should review:

• authoritative/intended route;
• reasonable alternatives;
• current weather;
• road or trail closures known to GS Astuto;
• daylight;
• expected group pace;
• food/water requirements;
• major transport dependencies;
• bicycle readiness;
• communications;
• first-response equipment;
• vehicle/SAG arrangements where applicable; and
• known guest limitations relevant to safe participation.

The authoritative route is a planned experience, not an instruction to proceed through a dangerous or closed section.

8. GROUP MANAGEMENT

For guided rides:

• establish a ride leader;
• establish sweep/support responsibility where appropriate;
• brief guests before departure;
• communicate major hazards;
• regroup when required;
• monitor large differences in pace;
• account for participants after significant stops; and
• ensure that intentional separation from the group is understood.

Head counts should be performed whenever circumstances make loss of a participant plausible.

9. ROUTE CHANGE AUTHORITY

A guide may deviate from the planned route when reasonably required by:

• road closure;
• trail closure;
• weather;
• flooding;
• landslide;
• snow or ice;
• traffic;
• construction;
• group condition;
• accident;
• mechanical problem;
• daylight;
• public-authority instruction; or
• another material operational concern.

Completion of the advertised route is subordinate to safe and practical operation.

Material deviations should be reported after the activity where they may affect future route planning.

10. WEATHER AND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS

Staff should review authoritative weather and disaster information where relevant.

Particular attention should be given to:

• typhoons;
• extreme rainfall;
• landslide warnings;
• extreme heat;
• thunderstorms;
• snow and ice;
• high winds;
• flooding;
• wildfire where relevant; and
• earthquakes and subsequent transport disruption.

A no-go decision does not require certainty that an accident would occur. A credible unacceptable risk is sufficient.

11. VEHICLE OPERATIONS

Company and support vehicles must be operated only by authorized drivers.

Drivers are responsible for:

• lawful operation;
• appropriate license;
• basic pre-use condition;
• secure loading;
• passenger safety;
• bicycle/equipment restraint; and
• reporting damage or mechanical problems.

Schedules must not require unsafe driving.

12. ACCOMMODATION OPERATIONS

Accommodation procedures must comply with the license/registration applicable to the property and current Japanese requirements.

Daily controls should include as appropriate:

• guest/booking reconciliation;
• required guest records;
• cleaning;
• linen;
• waste;
• bathroom condition;
• water;
• fire exits;
• smoke/fire equipment;
• heating/cooling;
• keys/access control; and
• identified maintenance hazards.

Safety defects should be corrected promptly or the affected area withdrawn from guest use.

13. CAFÉ AND FOOD SERVICE

Food operations must follow the GS Astuto food hygiene management plan and applicable HACCP-based procedures.

Required records should be maintained according to the hygiene plan.

Operational controls include, as applicable:

• receiving;
• storage;
• refrigeration;
• cross-contamination prevention;
• cooking;
• cooling;
• reheating;
• cleaning;
• hand hygiene;
• pest control;
• allergen communication; and
• disposal of unsafe food.

If staff cannot reasonably establish that food is safe to serve, it must not be served.

14. ALLERGIES

Never guarantee that food is allergen-free unless the operation can genuinely provide that assurance.

Where a guest reports a serious allergy:

• communicate the information to responsible food staff;
• verify ingredients where practical;
• identify obvious cross-contact risks;
• explain uncertainty honestly; and
• allow the customer to decide based on accurate information.

Suspected severe allergic reactions require immediate medical escalation.

15. WORKSHOP OPERATIONS

Workshop work affecting customer safety must be performed by competent personnel.

Critical work includes:

• brakes;
• steering;
• wheel retention;
• wheel building;
• frame/fork inspection;
• drivetrain installation;
• e-bike electrical systems; and
• safety-critical fasteners.

Where manufacturer torque specifications apply, appropriate tools and specifications should be used.

Unresolved doubts concerning safety mean the bicycle remains OUT OF SERVICE.

16. INCIDENT LEVELS

Incidents should be categorized operationally.

Level 1 — Minor

Examples:

• minor mechanical problem;
• superficial injury;
• customer delay;
• minor property issue.

Managed locally and recorded where useful.

Level 2 — Significant

Examples:

• injury requiring professional non-emergency medical attention;
• significant bicycle crash;
• lost participant resolved without emergency services;
• vehicle incident without serious injury;
• substantial property damage.

Notify management and complete an incident report.

Level 3 — Serious

Examples:

• ambulance attendance;
• police attendance;
• hospitalization;
• significant missing-person event;
• serious road collision;
• major fire or property incident.

Immediate management notification required.

Preserve relevant records.

Level 4 — Critical

Examples:

• fatality;
• life-threatening injury;
• multiple casualties;
• major disaster involving guests;
• major criminal event;
• incident likely to require significant regulatory or legal response.

Emergency services and Company Director must be contacted immediately.

Only an authorized person should issue external statements on behalf of GS Astuto.

17. INCIDENT RESPONSE

Use the following order where circumstances permit:

1. STOP

Prevent the incident from becoming worse.

2. ASSESS

Determine hazards, casualties, location and immediate needs.

3. EMERGENCY SERVICES

Call:

• 119 — Ambulance / Fire
• 110 — Police

when circumstances require.

4. ACCOUNT

Establish the status of other participants.

5. ASSIST

Provide first response within available competence and equipment.

6. COMMUNICATE

Notify GS Astuto management and relevant operational personnel.

7. DOCUMENT

Record facts as soon as practical.

18. INCIDENT RECORDS

A significant incident record should include:

• date;
• time;
• location;
• GPS coordinates where relevant;
• individuals involved;
• witnesses;
• factual sequence of events;
• injuries;
• equipment involved;
• vehicles involved;
• weather/conditions;
• actions taken;
• emergency-service involvement;
• photographs where appropriate;
• staff involved; and
• follow-up required.

Separate known facts from assumptions.

Do not rewrite an original incident record merely to make it appear cleaner after the event. Corrections or later information should be identifiable as additions.

19. PHOTOGRAPHS AND EVIDENCE

Following a significant incident, obtain photographs where safe and appropriate of:

• location;
• road/trail;
• bicycle;
• vehicle;
• equipment damage;
• relevant signs;
• environmental conditions; and
• other factual evidence.

Do not compromise emergency care in order to collect photographs.

20. FIRST RESPONSE

Staff should operate within their actual training and capability.

First-response equipment should be appropriate to the type and remoteness of the activity.

Emergency medical services should be involved whenever the situation exceeds staff competence or there is reasonable doubt concerning a potentially serious condition.

21. MISSING PARTICIPANT PROCEDURE

Establish:

• identity;
• last confirmed location;
• time last seen/contacted;
• intended route;
• telephone status;
• GPS/location data available lawfully;
• clothing/equipment;
• physical capability;
• daylight remaining;
• weather; and
• specific hazards.

Attempt reasonable direct contact.

Do not allow an uncoordinated search to create additional missing or injured persons.

Escalate to police/emergency authorities where circumstances justify it.

22. NATURAL DISASTER RESPONSE

During earthquakes, typhoons, flooding or similar events:

1. protect immediate life;
2. follow official warnings and evacuation instructions;
3. account for guests and staff where practical;
4. suspend affected operations;
5. avoid unnecessary travel into hazardous areas;
6. communicate practical information to customers; and
7. reassess operations before restarting.

23. CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS

Complaints should be handled as operational information rather than automatically treated as conflict.

Record:

• customer;
• booking;
• issue;
• relevant facts;
• requested resolution;
• response; and
• final disposition.

Repeated complaints concerning the same issue should trigger an operational review.

24. DATA AND PRIVACY

Customer information should be accessible only to persons with a legitimate operational need.

Particular care applies to:

• identity documents;
• medical information;
• emergency contacts;
• payment information;
• location data;
• accommodation records; and
• account credentials.

Do not place credentials or secrets in source code, shared documents, screenshots or messaging systems unless those systems are specifically approved for that purpose.

Production credentials should not be distributed to development personnel unless operationally necessary and explicitly authorized.

25. DIGITAL SYSTEMS

Production systems should follow controlled access principles.

At minimum:

• unique user accounts;
• appropriate role permissions;
• multi-factor authentication for sensitive administrative access where supported;
• secure credential management;
• backups;
• documented deployments;
• logging appropriate to the system;
• removal of departed users; and
• separation of development/test credentials from production credentials.

Production changes should be recoverable or have a defined rollback strategy where practical.

26. PAYMENT SYSTEMS

Payment-card information should not be manually collected or stored where an approved payment provider can handle it.

Staff should never request customers to send full card details by ordinary email or messaging.

Refunds and adjustments should be traceable to the underlying booking or transaction.

27. CASH

Where cash is handled:

• record material transactions;
• reconcile the cash position;
• investigate unexplained discrepancies; and
• minimize unnecessary cash retained onsite.

28. KEYS AND PHYSICAL ACCESS

Keys, access codes and privileged physical access should be limited according to operational need.

Lost keys or compromised codes should be reported.

Departing staff or contractors must return company access devices and lose access to systems and restricted premises as appropriate.

29. CONTRACTORS AND GUIDES

External guides, drivers and contractors must receive enough information to safely perform the assigned activity.

GS Astuto should establish, where relevant:

• scope;
• responsibility;
• required licenses or competence;
• compensation;
• insurance expectations;
• confidentiality;
• customer handling expectations; and
• incident reporting requirements.

30. MEDIA AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AFTER A SERIOUS INCIDENT

Staff must not speculate publicly concerning:

• fault;
• cause;
• medical condition;
• legal responsibility; or
• confidential customer information.

For serious incidents, external statements should be coordinated by the Company Director or delegated responsible person.

Factual communication with emergency authorities is not restricted by this section.

31. NEAR MISSES

A near miss is an event that could reasonably have produced a serious incident but did not.

Near misses should be reported where learning from them could reduce future risk.

They should not be ignored simply because nobody was injured.

32. MAINTENANCE AND DEFECT REPORTING

Any staff member may identify equipment as potentially unsafe.

Safety-critical equipment identified as defective should be clearly removed from service until:

• repaired;
• inspected; and
• explicitly returned to service.

Commercial demand is not sufficient reason to override an unresolved safety defect.

33. DOCUMENT CONTROL

Policies should contain:

• title;
• version;
• effective date; and
• responsible owner where appropriate.

Material policy changes should be identifiable.

Superseded documents should be archived rather than silently substituted where maintaining historical records is operationally important.

34. PERIODIC REVIEW

Management should periodically review:

• incidents;
• near misses;
• customer complaints;
• bicycle defects;
• vehicle problems;
• route changes;
• accommodation issues;
• food hygiene records;
• security events; and
• digital-system problems.

The purpose is to identify recurring patterns rather than merely resolve isolated events.

35. OPERATING PRINCIPLE

GS Astuto exists to enable adventurous, meaningful travel.

The objective of this manual is not to eliminate adventure or impose unnecessary procedure. It is to ensure that the risks we choose are understood and intentional rather than the result of poor equipment, missing information or avoidable operational mistakes.

Staff are expected to exercise judgment.

When reality conflicts with the plan, respond to reality.

Owner: GS Astuto Management
Classification: Internal
Version: 1.0 Draft
Next Review: Annual