Key figures
We’re larger than you think. Get the facts.
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139 billion+
USD global gross transaction volume(As of 2018)
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20,000+
people work for us (and counting!)
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Almost 1.4 billion
Rakuten global members!
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70+
nationalities in our workplace, but English brings us together!
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2.3
transactions every second on Rakuten Travel
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46,000+
merchants and still growing
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10 million
reviews already on Rakuten Travel
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5 million
e-books available on Kobo
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7092
high school students participated to Rakuten’ s philanthropic activities
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1 billion+
JPY donations collected through Rakuten Charity Fund
Mickey’s message
Learn more about your future at Rakuten from our CEO.
Rakuten principles
Rakuten principles
1. Always Improve, Always Advance
There are only two kinds of people in the world: Best Effort people are satisfied with the status “when they fail, they console themselves by saying "I did my best." "Get Things Done" people are absolutely committed to reaching their goals. With enough determination and effort -- by being a Get Things Done person -- you can achieve anything.
2. Passionately Professional
Rakuten is an organization composed of true professionals. Real professionals in any field? Whether in sports, the arts, science, business or anything else? Only reach the top because they have the self-discipline to develop and improve themselves continuously. Only by consistently working many times harder than our competitors can we consistently win.
3. Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika
Success in business depends on making and executing concrete specific action plans.
4. Maximize Customer Satisfaction
Rakuten is first and foremost a service company. We're proud to serve our customers and we ceaselessly seek to improve their experience.
5. Speed!! Speed!! Speed!!
The Internet makes the window of opportunity for every small business. Accomplish in one month what it takes other companies a year to do, because we can only win by being many times faster than our competitors.
History
We’ve already changed the world. Find out how.
0Employees*
- 1997
- 2000
- 2005
- 2010
- Now
*When we started the Rakuten Marketplace service
In 1997 buying and selling online was an uncertain thing to do.
But in Tokyo, 31-year-old Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani saw the possibilities for creating an online marketplace where people could confidently buy goods from anywhere in the world direct from their home.
Rakuten Marketplace, as Mickey called the service, would not only give consumers unprecedented choice. It would give merchants—many of them small, artisan manufacturers far from bustling cities—a place where vast numbers of potential buyers could see them.
This revolutionized the way Japan’s merchants and consumers interacted with each other and formed the template for a new style of business that has swept the world.
Rakuten is now one of the world’s leading internet services companies, with a transformative presence in e-commerce, digital content and FinTech.
While we have offices and talent all over the globe, Rakuten’s HQ remains in Tokyo. And Mickey is still at the helm—hands on, approachable, and always eager to listen to new ideas.
Start me up
We’re big, but it’s just the beginning.
When we launched Rakuten Marketplace in 1997, we were just six people crammed around a table in a small Tokyo office, fueled on instant ramen and the excitement that comes of knowing we were doing something truly revolutionary.
Today we still value that sense of youthful enthusiasm—the idea that anything’s possible if you have the guts and will to make it happen.
This spirit of adventure is one of the hallmarks of working at Rakuten. We were among the first e-commerce companies to use a B2B2C model, to combine shopping and travel, to incorporate a points program, and to combine retail and finance.
These breakthroughs are the direct result of empowering people to think not just outside the box, but outside the galaxy!
In our Project Six initiative, we celebrate our roots by gathering teams of six people to collaborate with Mickey on special projects. It’s a way to unlock new ideas and gain insight from the CEO himself.



Rakuten Drone
Rakuten Drone provided Japan’s first drone logistics service to the public in May 2016.
A drone capable of fully automated flight was utilized to deliver the ordered products.
We will continue to focus on providing the following 3 pillars, “Providing new convenience”, “Supporting those with logistic inconvenience” and “Constructing emergency infrastructure” to aim for an innovative and convenient society.
Rakuma
Rakuma enables people to buy and sell “flea market” items online. It was developed and launched in Japan in just three months—we move fast when we’re inspired!—but is incredibly popular and is garnering worldwide interest.
Viki Pass
With Viki, people all over the world can discover, watch and subtitle movies and primetime TV shows. In just three months in 2016, Rakuten’s diverse taskforce revamped the entire subscription model to create Viki Pass: an exclusive, ad-free access to the very latest HD content. Viki is now streaming to more people than ever before!
Businesses
We have opportunities all over the world. Check us out.
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- Global
- Americas
- Europe
- Asia-Pacific
Global
Americas
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Click here to see our jobs.