Sports & Entertainment

  • BlogRakuten is hosting its first-ever skateboarding event, “Uprising Tokyo Supported by Rakuten”, as it looks to take the sport to even further heights.
    March 23, 2023 4 min read

    Rakuten Sports hosts inaugural skateboarding event: Uprising Tokyo Supported by Rakuten

    Skateboarding has come a long way from its humble origins as a pastime for Southern California surfers. Today, it is a global phenomenon, with millions of fans around the world, plenty of cultural clout, and a thriving professional circuit that features some of the most talented and innovative athletes on the planet. In Japan, the sport reached new audiences in 2021 when it debuted at the Summer O

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  • BlogFor its 2023 Super Bowl campaign, Rakuten Rewards teamed up with Alicia Silverstone to bring her iconic Clueless role back to people’s screens.
    February 8, 2023 4 min read

    ‘Not So Clueless’: Rakuten’s Super Bowl ad sees Alicia Silverstone reprising iconic ‘90s role

    Rakuten has got everyone “buggin’.” For its 2023 Super Bowl campaign, Rakuten Rewards, a leading shopping platform that offers Cash Back, deals and rewards from leading brands, teamed up with Alicia Silverstone to bring her iconic “Clueless” role back to people’s screens. Following the company’s headline-making Super Bowl commercial debut last year, this year’s Big Game campaign, “Not

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  • BlogRakuten Books, Rakuten Kobo, Rakuten TV and Rakuten Music pooled their expertise and sales data to reveal Japan's favorite entertainment of 2022.
    December 27, 2022 5 min read

    Manga, music, movies and… more manga? Japan’s favorite entertainment in 2022

    From video games to anime, there is an overwhelming variety of locally-produced entertainment to keep oneself amused in Japan. Thankfully, Rakuten makes things simple with its vast catalog of digital and physical media, covering every genre one could possibly desire. To mark the end of the year, Rakuten Books, Rakuten Kobo, Rakuten TV and Rakuten Music pooled their expertise and sales data to reve

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  • BlogThe Warriors took on the opportunity to connect with local Japanese fans by undertaking a refurbishment project at a local basketball court in Setagaya.
    November 21, 2022 3 min read

    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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  • BlogThe 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Final 8 is fast approaching, and tennis fans are geared up and more invested than ever before.
    November 18, 2022 5 min read

    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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  • BlogAt Rakuten Optimism, HIRO joined Mickey Mikitani and Kashiwa Sato to share thoughts on the future of Japan's entertainment industry.
    November 8, 2022 5 min read

    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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  • BlogOn 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 4 min read

    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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  • BlogRakuten hosted the first ever “Rakuten esports cup”,bringing together the gaming community in celebration of virtual competition.
    October 14, 2022 2 min read

    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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  • BlogThe 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 5 min read

    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

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