Blending the best of Japan with the best of the world
Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group
When people ask me what makes Rakuten unique, my answer is simple: we are a Japanese company with a global mindset. We stay rooted in Japan while embracing the wider world – a crucial balance that has been a key foundation of our success.
I started Rakuten with a clear vision. I wanted to challenge the status quo – not just here in Japan, but globally. I wasn’t interested in copying what was being done in the U.S. or Europe. I wanted to take the best ideas, wherever they came from, and reimagine them through our own lens. This is how we’ve built something truly different: a unique ecosystem of services that is innovative, inclusive and cohesive.
As we prepare to host Rakuten AI Optimism later this month – an event which brings together top innovators and business minds from Japan and around the world to explore the transformative potential of AI – I believe more strongly than ever in the vital balance of embracing diversity, while maintaining connection to one’s roots.
Blending the best ideas
I have no doubt that our Japanese background plays a major role in our success. Discipline, a respect for detail, a focus on continuous improvement – these are all values that are embedded in Japanese culture.
Rituals like our Asakai weekly all-hands meetings, and even morning office cleaning – something every team member, myself included, engage in weekly – may seem minor, but they shape a certain mindset. They foster humility and accountability, and reflect a collective spirit that continues to define our company to this day.
Our ecosystem-first approach to business also reflects a distinct mindset. We’ve built Rakuten for the long term, creating interconnected value across many different services, rather than chasing quick profit.
This approach not only fosters deep customer loyalty, but helps us weather market volatility and stay resilient. It’s the reason we didn’t rest on our e-commerce laurels, but instead invested into fintech, digital content, and now mobile technology and AI.
But to achieve true growth at a global scale, discipline alone is not enough. What has propelled Rakuten beyond the boundaries of Japanese business culture is our proactive embrace of global best practices. This is what has enabled us to reach some 2 billion users worldwide with operations in 30 different countries and regions around the globe.
We didn’t just try to replicate the successes of Silicon Valley; we studied what worked, took inspiration from a variety of places, and built something of our own. We didn’t simply import ideas; we translated them into a new language of business.
This translation involves more than a change in strategy or structure – it requires a deep shift in mindset. You have to be open. You have to be willing to change. And most importantly, you have to be willing to strike a balance by blending the strengths of one culture with the insights of another.
Often, that balance requires you to hold two different ideas in tension: teamwork vs. individual strength, bold leadership vs. bottom-up thinking. These ideas may seem contradictory, but managing this tension effectively is what sets a global company apart.
Our diversity is our strength. So is our unity
Diversity is much more than just an ‘initiative’ at Rakuten; it’s one of the engines driving innovation. The diverse nationalities, backgrounds and perspectives within Rakuten are what help us see problems from different angles, pushing us to ask better questions and discover smarter solutions.
Rakuten is a multilingual, multicultural, multidimensional organization, made up of talented employees from more than 100 countries and regions. Had we limited ourselves to hiring local expertise, we could never have built the extraordinary engineering team we have today.
This global talent has allowed us to achieve incredible things. We built the world’s first fully virtualized, cloud-native mobile network with an incredible multicultural team, challenging industry norms and solving problems that legacy operators had never been able to crack. Our diversity gives us insight into best practices from around the globe, and our ability to embrace those insights is one of our greatest strengths.
In addition to diversity, a company also needs a shared philosophy, and for us that unifying philosophy is optimism.
Optimism is much more than just blind positivity. It is the belief that challenges can be overcome, even when things are difficult. We enjoy these challenges, because we all believe in where we’re going.
I expect everyone to bring their own perspectives to Rakuten, but I also hope that they will align with our culture – our passion, our focus, our willingness to get things done and dedication to empowering society through transformative technologies like AI. If these ideas don’t resonate with someone, they may be better suited elsewhere. But if they do, then I believe Rakuten is one of the most exciting companies to be a part of.
Building a global, Japanese brand
Our diversity gives us perspective, our culture gives us direction and our optimism fuels everything we do. It is this combination that allows Rakuten to build not just innovative new businesses and technological solutions, but a stronger digital identity for Japan on the global stage.
We’ve never been about following global trends; we’re looking to redefine what’s possible by blending the best of Japan with the best ideas from around the globe. Combining different strengths creates something better than either could achieve alone, and I truly believe that this mindset – grounded in one’s own values but open to change – is what every global company needs to thrive.
I welcome you to join us in Yokohama later this month for Rakuten AI Optimism and experience this incredible fusion of cultures and innovation in action.
About Rakuten AI Optimism
Rakuten AI Optimism runs from July 30 to August 1 at Pacifico Yokohama in Japan. Free to attend with registration, the three-day event will host a diverse roster of speakers from Japan and around the globe, and give visitors a chance to experience for themselves how Rakuten is employing AI tech to empower businesses and everyday life. Learn more and register today.
