Mickey’s Voice

Insights from our CEO

  • Shoppers have embraced the internet but they have not abandoned the process of visiting physical retail stores.
    December 1, 2017 2 min read

    Why brick-and-mortar stores are here to stay

    Physical retail has a bright future. This may sound counterintuitive – especially coming from a company like Rakuten, which was founded as an e-commerce marketplace. But as Rakuten has grown and expanded its services to include banking, credit cards, communications, media and other services around the world, we are able to see the way in which physical retail will thrive going forward. It will do

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  • Hourly KPIs: In today’s fast-moving world, companies and individuals must have the information to assess their progress.
    November 24, 2017 2 min read

    Why wait until tomorrow for today’s results?

    How was your day? If you need to wait until tomorrow to have all the information to answer that question, you are far, far too late. In today’s fast-moving world, companies and individuals must have the information to assess their progress. And while in the past it may have been appropriate to get a daily report, now that time frame is much tighter. At Rakuten, we set a series of key performance i

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  • November 13, 2017 < 1 min read

    Diverse talent to unlock Japan’s innovation potential: Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani

    Why is McDonald’s Japan’s service so good, and yet there are no truly global Japanese service companies? Why is Tokyo considered one of the world’s most attractive cities, and yet it lags behind as a tech and business hub? In a powerful keynote speech delivered at the Rakuten Technology Conference on October 28, 2017, Rakuten Founder and CEO, Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani, addressed these

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  • November 9, 2017 3 min read

    The heart of a brand: Starting with your team

    What is at the heart of your brand? From a business perspective, a brand is a way we communicate with customers – a way to convey to them what we offer and why that is valuable. But brands are also something we all live and work with every day, so they can feel much more personal and encapsulate so much more than just a logo or a name. In fact, the brand is a way we build a relationship of trust w

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  • Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed a revolutionary new cancer treatment called near-infrared photoimmunotherapy
    October 25, 2017 5 min read

    Tackling cancer with innovation: Mickey speaks with Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi

    Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani in conversation with Dr. Hisataka Kobayashi, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) senior investigator who is working on the development of a new cancer treatment called near-infrared photoimmunotherapy. Mickey introduces Dr. Kobayashi and their conversation here. Mr. Mikitani, what prompted you to get involved in supporting cancer research? MIKITANI: Four years ago, my

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  • October 25, 2017 < 1 min read

    Driving innovation in the medical world: Tackling Cancer

    For many people, Rakuten is first and foremost an internet services company. In reality, however, Rakuten is much more than that – we also invest in and support the growth and expansion of startups that provide innovative new services and technologies. I myself have invested in numerous technologies and services that I believe have the capability to change the world. One of those investments is As

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  • Rakuten CEO Hiroshi "Mickey" Mikitani announces partnership to become the first-ever jersey-badge partner of the Golden State Warriors.
    October 16, 2017 3 min read

    Why we are partnering with the Golden State Warriors

    In just a couple of days, I’ll be court-side as the 2017-18 NBA season tips off with a must-see clash between the reigning champions the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. It will be a very special moment for Rakuten – the first regular season match played by the Warriors since we became their jersey-badge partner, and one of the first games Rakuten.TV will show live in Japan as

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  • Fans walk with soccer legend Thierry Henry after forming the world's largest FC Barcelona Jersey on July 22, 2017 in New York City to celebrate the kick-off of the team's US Tour.
    September 8, 2017 2 min read

    New possibilities at Sun Valley and beyond

    I was in New York City in July and was delighted to see people from all walks of life wearing FC Barcelona shirts bearing the Rakuten brand. With the launch of our partnership with the legendary European football club, awareness of our brand is growing in all corners of the planet – and not just among consumers. Business leaders are noticing too. That same month, I attended the annual Allen &

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  • described three personality types critical to the success of an organization: hunters, or warriors, farmers and bureaucrats.
    August 29, 2017 2 min read

    Hunters, farmers and bureaucrats: Balancing personality types for team success

    I was fortunate enough to have dinner recently with Nobel Prize winning economist Myron Scholes and we talked about the kind of people an organization needs to succeed. We discussed the mistake leaders often make of focusing too narrowly on skills when it comes to hiring. While skills are important, it’s also critical to recruit with personality types in mind. Scholes described three personality t

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  • August 9, 2017 2 min read

    Brand unification: An optimistic perspective

    In July, we launched a groundbreaking project to unify our brands across the globe. As Rakuten has grown from a Japanese e-commerce company into a global innovation company, with unique Japanese roots, we have added many unique and inspiring businesses to our ecosystem. Now we are entering a new stage of connecting those dots to provide a user experience that is unified by the Rakuten brand. Rakut

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