Rakuten founder Mickey Mikitani reflects on building one of Japan’s most influential tech companies — and why he continues to make bold bets on telecom, AI and global growth.
Rakuten began as an online marketplace at a time when few believed the internet could support a real business. Nearly three decades later, it has grown into one of Japan’s best-known tech companies, spanning e-commerce, fintech, telecom and digital services.
In this episode of “Managing Asia,” founder and CEO Mickey Mikitani looks back on the decisions that shaped Rakuten’s growth — including his early conviction in the internet, his push to make English the company’s common language and his willingness to take on Japan’s entrenched mobile players.
He also shares why Rakuten is now focusing on artificial intelligence, how he approaches long-term investment and what he hopes the company can represent for the future of Japanese entrepreneurship.
Watch Christine Tan‘s interview with Mickey Mikitani by clicking the video above.