Rakuten Today: Sports & Entertainment

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The Warriors took on the opportunity to connect with local Japanese fans by undertaking a refurbishment project at a local basketball court in Setagaya.

1 week ago

Warriors surprise young NBA fans with court makeover

Last month’s NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented By Rakuten marked the NBA’s first outing to Japan since Rakuten held the event in 2019. Basketball fans were treated to a matchup of two of the most watched teams in Japan: The Washington Wizards, starring up-and-coming Japanese forward Rui Hachimura; and reigning NBA champions the Golden State Warriors, with whom Rakuten has partnered since…

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The 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Final 8 is fast approaching, and tennis fans are geared up and more invested than ever before.

2 weeks ago

A World Cup of Resilience: Tennis fans gear up for 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals

The 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Final 8 is fast approaching, and tennis fans are more invested than ever. One of the only major tennis events to be played in teams, the Davis Cup is an important presence on the men’s tennis calendar. During this tournament, over 140 countries put forward their most talented players to battle it out over the course of an entire year. 16 teams made it through th…

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At Rakuten Optimism, HIRO joined Mickey Mikitani and Kashiwa Sato to share thoughts on the future of Japan's entertainment industry.

3 weeks ago

EXILE HIRO wants to take J-pop global

After over two decades of leading the Japanese pop scene, it’s hard to overstate just how influential EXILE has been on Japan’s modern music scene. Hiroyuki Igarashi — known as EXILE HIRO — has led EXILE since its debut in 2001, and went on to establish LDH JAPAN Inc. from which he oversees a broad portfolio of entertainment outfits. He remains an influential figure today, even after s…

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On October 9, three years since the last Rakuten Japan Open, America’s Taylor Fritz became Tokyo's new men's tennis champion.

October 27, 2022

Fritz bests Tiafoe in Rakuten Japan Open tennis debut

Three years since the last Rakuten Japan Open, Tokyo has a new men’s tennis champion: On October 9, America’s Taylor Fritz bested compatriot Frances Tiafoe in a tight double-tiebreaker at Ariake Coliseum. The week-long tournament brought together world-class men’s tennis talent such as world no. 2 and recent US Open finalist Casper Ruud of Norway; resurgent former Japan Open champion N…

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Rakuten hosted the first ever “Rakuten esports cup”,bringing together the gaming community in celebration of virtual competition.

October 14, 2022

Gear up for the “Rakuten esports cup”

Baseball, soccer, tennis, basketball — and now, esports: Rakuten has entered yet another realm of the professional sporting world. On July 23, 2022, Rakuten hosted the first ever “Rakuten esports cup”, a community-oriented event bringing together some 60 different streamers, YouTubers, VTubers and their fans in a celebration of virtual competition. Rakuten’s first esports tournament garnered serio…

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The Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors met for a pair of preseason contests in Saitama Super Arena for NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan.

October 5, 2022

Wizards and Warriors dazzle Japan NBA fans

For the first time in three years, the NBA has made its way to Japan. Over the weekend, two of the country’s most popular teams crossed the Pacific to take part in two preseason contests in front of a sold-out crowd at Saitama Super Arena, located just north of Tokyo for the NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan. The Washington Wizards – a favorite among Japanese fans since their…

Blog

Lenzo Yoon, CEO of HYBE America, joined Mickey Mikitani for a deep-dive into the ever-changing world of musical entertainment at Rakuten Optimism 2022.

October 3, 2022

Behind the BTS phenomenon: Lenzo Yoon raises the curtain on the future of entertainment

One cannot talk about modern music without acknowledging the meteoric rise of BTS. The South Korean boyband’s influence on musical entertainment over the past half-decade has been compared to that of the Beatles in the 1960s, and many credit the group with bringing K-pop definitively to the world stage. One key driver of BTS’ rise to superstardom is Lenzo Yoon of the music label HYBE. Lenzo…

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The Golden State Warriors will meet the Washington Wizards at Saitama Super Arena for the NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan.

September 20, 2022

Back in Japan: Behind the scenes of NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan

Between September 30 and October 2, tens of thousands of basketball fans will gather at Saitama Super Arena, northwest of Tokyo, to watch the 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors take on the Washington Wizards for the NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan. The spectacle marks the second time Rakuten has hosted NBA preseason games in the country: In 2019, the NBA came to Japan f…

Blog

Japan Expo, the biggest European festival of Japanese culture is back at Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition with Rakuten as its newest strategic partner.

August 20, 2022

Cosplay, Manga, Sumo and Godzilla: Japan Expo 2022 in Paris

Japan Expo, the biggest European festival of Japanese culture is back! After being canceled in 2020 and 2021, more than 250,000 visitors and 900 exhibitors gathered at Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center from July 14 to 17 – and Rakuten was at the center of the event as Japan Expo’s newest strategic partner. The can’t-miss event for fans of Japanese culture offered endless discoveries fo…

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