Rakuten is a Japanese e-commerce company that provides 40 online services. Two years ago, Rakuten announced that English would be the official language for employees. This policy requires employees to be proficient in English for meetings and promotions. The goals are to improve communication, expand overseas business, and for Rakuten to ultimately become the largest online service provider globally.

1. S
How Rakuten is planning to run
their entire business in English
s1180155 Toshiki Hiraide

2. Outline
S Rakuten’s Business model
S History of Rakuten
S English is official Language in Rakuten
S The benefits of using English
S Goal of Rakuten

3. Rakuten’s Business model
S Rakuten provides around 40 services encompassing EC,
travel, banking, and securities business.
S Rakuten services have shared information on successful
business models, web designs, and marketing best practices.
So, Rakuten Group can continually raise
service levels and improve customer
satisfaction.

4. History of Rakuten
S In 1997, Founded as MDM Inc. by Hiroshi Mikitani.
S In 1999, Rakuten Shopping Mall started operations.
S In 2011, the company changed name to Rakuten Inc.
S In 2011, the Rakuten group had a market capitalization of
US$13 billion and about 10,000 employees worldwide.

5. English is official Language in
Rakuten(1)
S Two years ago, Mikitani announced his decision to force
employees to converse in English.
S English skills will also be a factor in evaluations for
promotions.
The policy will require the group's employees to have
English communication abilities.

6. English is official Language in
Rakuten(2)
S According to all of the group Rakuten, 70 to 80 percent of
meetings are held in English.
S the company’s target is only one-quarter of its regular
employees achieved a TOEIC score of 700.
S Eventually, up to half its work force at company
headquarters in Tokyo will be foreign nationals.

7. The benefits of using English
S Rakuten can expand their business overseas
S Deploying policies about foreign people easily
S Using English is a nice way to improve the
communication ability of employees.

8. Goal of Rakuten
S Mikitani said, Rakuten’s goal is to become the
No. 1 Internet service company in the world.
S Rakuten which aims to become the world's
largest online service provider, has aggressively
gone after foreign businesses in recent years.

9. Sammary
S State of now
The Rakuten group had about 10,000 employees worldwide.
S The strategies
The Rakuten will require the group's employees to have English
communication abilities.
S The goal
Rakuten’s goal is to become the No. 1 Internet service
company in the world.

10. References
S Rakuten
global.rakuten.com/corp/careers/business/global/message.html
S Wikioedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakuten
S THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/business/AJ201206300064