It seems Rakuten‘s drive towards internationalization is continuing. CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said in an interview with Japanese newspaper Mainichi that:
- he wants to see Rakuten grow its international business ten-fold in 15 years
- Rakuten will open their online mall Rakuten Ichiba in four different countries outside Japan by year-end
- Germany and/or the UK, Europe’s biggest markets, are the main targets
- Rakuten will enter Indonesia in March
- India is a country Rakuten is still considering for Rakuten Ichiba but that the logistics infrastructure is still too weak
- Rakuten is on track to make English the official corporate language in about 5 years
Via Asiajin