A culture built to Collaborate, Innovate and Empower: Behind the scenes of life at Rakuten

What’s it really like to work at Rakuten Group? A collection of short films brings audiences into the daily lives of Rakuten employees, showing how collaboration, growth and purpose are experienced across teams and locations.

At the heart of Rakuten’s culture is a simple but powerful approach: Collaborate, Innovate, Empower. These values are woven into everything Rakuten does, from product development and cross-border teamwork to community projects and professional growth.

This mindset comes to life in a growing series of short films, each offering a genuine, personal look at the people behind the brand. Rather than following a typical corporate video format, the stories reflect daily life at Rakuten, from bike commutes and team projects to family routines and personal passions, revealing what drew each individual to the company and what keeps them inspired.

Each film embodies one of Rakuten’s four unique Culture Experiences:

• Be One Global Team, represented by Poom, a front-end engineer thriving in a multilingual, cross-border environment where open communication drives collaboration.
• Realize Your Dreams, told through Mirai, a working mom who believes diversity is about how we see the world – not just where we come from – and finds meaning in contributing to a shared purpose beyond herself.
• Reach New Heights, captured through Yuki, who led Rakuten Vissel Kobe to victory by embracing continuous growth, seizing opportunities and believing in the power of collective success.
• Empower a Better World, shared by Vanessa, whose commitment to social impact through sports and storytelling mirrors Rakuten’s mission to empower society.

This storytelling approach earned Rakuten recognition from the Telly Awards in 2024. The awards celebrated the company’s ability to authentically capture employees’ voices and the meaningful ways they bring Rakuten’s corporate culture to life every day.

A culture of limitless growth

With a global ecosystem spanning over 30 countries and regions, Rakuten offers boundless opportunities for growth. A shared belief in collaboration and continuous learning allows team members to build meaningful, borderless careers.

Rakuten employees often explore multiple industries and roles within the company’s broad portfolio, from e-commerce and fintech to mobile services and professional sports. Internal mobility and global teamwork open doors to new challenges and skill-building every step of the way.

Where purpose and diversity meet

Rakuten believes people thrive when they’re respected for who they are and connected to a shared mission. Whether an international hire, a working parent or someone taking a non-traditional career path, anyone can find space to contribute.

For Mirai, a working mom, diversity is about more than background; it’s about perspective. Her experience reflects a culture where inclusion is broad, human-centered and core to innovation. Different ways of thinking aren’t just welcomed, they’re essential to how Rakuten works.

Making an impact beyond the office

Rakuten’s culture encourages people to grow with purpose, not just for their own careers but also to empower those around them. Yuki, President of Rakuten Vissel Kobe, joined with a clear purpose: to drive regional revitalization through sport. His leadership helped take the club from the bottom of the J1 League to national champions, driven by a deep belief in teamwork and shared success.

Rakuten sees achievement as a team effort and change as something built together. From local projects to global initiatives, employees are encouraged to turn bold ideas into action.

A culture that connects and contributes

Rakuten’s culture reaches far beyond the workplace. Through open communication, global collaboration, and a commitment to social impact, employees are empowered to lead, speak up and make a difference.

From Poom’s multi-cultural collaborations to Mirai’s broader view of diversity, to Yuki’s team-driven success and Vanessa’s impact through storytelling, these narratives highlight how Rakuten’s values come alive through people, not policies.

This is a workplace where big ideas are welcomed, unique perspectives are valued, and progress is made together.

Step inside Rakuten’s culture through the voices of Poom, Mirai, Yuki and Vanessa, available now on the Rakuten Culture Landing Page.

Discover how our people are empowered to lead, grow and make meaningful contributions across the Rakuten ecosystem.