Rakuten Group

09/09/2026

Last month, we gathered at PACIFICO Yokohama for 2026, our largest annual business conference and exhibition.

The central takeaway from this year’s event: AI is no longer a "bolt-on" tool. In 2026, it has become fundamental layer of our daily infrastructure.

Check out more key highlights here:

From August 5–7, Rakuten Group welcomed business leaders, entrepreneurs, and tech experts to its largest annual conference and exhibition, Rakuten AI Optimism.

07/09/2026

Rakuten Group hit a key profitability milestone in Q2 2026. How has the company's automation-first, ecosystem-centric approach fueled this growth? And what role will play in driving future revenue? shares his thoughts: https://lnky.jp/LoEKnMK

For the first time since Q2 2020 Rakuten has achieved positive net income, with more than 27 billion yen for the second quarter of 2026.

04/09/2026

We’ve officially launched Rakuyoko, a new discovery-led shopping platform inspired by the unique atmosphere of Japanese yokocho (alleyways). Browse 60,000+ items via our intuitive, vertical-scrolling discovery feed.

Learn more about the platform: https://global.rakuten.com/corp/news/press/2026/0825_01.html

03/09/2026

AI should be for everyone. At 2026, we brought this vision to life on the main stage and the exhibition floor, focusing on how this transformative technology can be more accessible, meaningful & human-centric. Watch the highlights now:

AI should be for everyone. At 2026, we brought...

21/07/2026

Rakuten recently hosted a second in-person workshop at OpenAI at its Tokyo headquarters!

This two-day intensive training aimed to offer employees – both engineers and non-engineers – hands-on guidance for working with OpenAI’s AI agent, Codex:

Rakuten recently hosted a in-person workshop with OpenAI to offer employees hands-on guidance for working with OpenAI’s AI agent, Codex.

20/07/2026

Despite record data usage, mobile operators are failing to see meaningful revenue growth. How can AI solve this paradox?

At DTW Ignite 2026, Rakuten Head of AI Product, Vasanth Raju shared that despite the rush to adopt AI, projects that only increase token usage without moving the needle on bottom-line results are unsustainably adding costs. “You cannot build a competitive moat by buying a third-party API, especially in an era where compute and LLMs are commoditized. The true advantage lies in the quality of data you feed the model.” noted Raju.

Discover the four strategic imperatives Rakuten shares to solve bottlenecks and transform mobile operators from utility providers into AI-powered comprehensive service providers:

At Interop Tokyo 2026, Rakuten Symphony showcased how AI can actively automate & optimize the physical infrastructure powering the modern enterprise.

17/07/2026

Japan’s youth are leading a quiet cultural revival. From long-term investing to a renewed interest in history and culture, the next generation is rethinking modern lifestyle choices.

Discover more insights from the Rakuten Insight survey:

A new Rakuten Insight survey revealed that Japan's young adults are leading a quiet cultural revival and saying goodbye to cheap consumerism.

24/06/2026

is proving that meeting people online isn’t about downloading more apps, but about better & safer integration with platforms we already use.

Learn about Viber Dating & how it allows for a seamless transition from match to message:

Rakuten Viber is proving that the future of digital connection isn’t about more apps but about better and safer integration.

24/06/2026

Rakuten is leveraging its own AI expertise to offer vital guidance to school and teachers shaping the next generation. This new initiative by Rakuten AI for Business has provided teachers with lectures on GenAI fundamentals, hands-on workshops and more:

Rakuten is leveraging its own AI expertise to offer vital guidance to people shaping the next generation: teachers.

24/06/2026

As part of Rakuten’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that empowers & inspires the next generation of talent, we recently hosted 20 junior and senior high school students for a second “Girls Meet STEM” office tour at the Tokyo headquarters.

As part of Rakuten’s mission to “contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship,” the company recently hosted its second “Girls Meet STEM” office tour.