Rakuten response to U.S. Executive Order on immigration

As investors and employers in the United States and admirers of American values and its history of openness and innovation, the executive team at Rakuten and our group companies find the United States Executive Order issued last week to exclude people based on their nationality or religion extremely disappointing.

As Rakuten has matured over its first twenty years, we have become aware of the responsibility that comes with innovation and industry leadership. We have led Japan on encouraging diversity and inclusion and developing the next generation of responsible tech entrepreneurs.

As a company, we have started to offer free phone calls via Viber Out between the US and the seven countries subject to the United States immigration bans.

In the coming days and weeks, we will do our best to continue to support all of our colleagues and the many diverse communities they represent, regardless of their nationality or religion.

Mickey Mikitani & the Rakuten Group executive team