Business / Corporate Sep 30, 2020
Rakuten rolls out ultrafast 5G service with bold price plan
by Kazuaki Nagata
The move could give the mobile carrier a competitive edge and fuel momentum toward cheaper phone fees.
National Apr 3, 2020
Japan to give ¥300,000 to struggling households as COVID-19 cases rise
As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the global and national economies, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party agreed Friday that the government will provide ¥300,000 in cash to each household suffering from falling incomes amid the spread of ...
Business / Corporate Jan 7, 2020
Rakuten to launch full-scale mobile phone services in Japan in April
Rakuten Inc. aims to launch full mobile phone carrier services in April, according to Hiroshi Mikitani, the head of the major cybermall operator. The Rakuten group initially planned to begin mobile services last Oct. 1 but postponed the move due to a delay in establishing ...
Baseball Dec 18, 2019
The Japanese owner of Taiwan's first foreign-owned pro baseball club unveiled the new name and uniform of the team on Tuesday, hoping to apply his experience in Japan to attract more fans to the team's home stadium in Taiwan. Hiroshi Mikitani, founder of e-commerce giant ...
Business / Corporate Aug 3, 2019
Rakuten looks to extend jersey deal with NBA's Golden State Warriors as brand awareness jumps
Rakuten Inc., which paid the Golden State Warriors $60 million for a three-year jersey sponsorship in 2017, is looking to extend the partnership as the National Basketball Association finalists head into the final season of their deal. The logo patch, on a player's left shoulder ...
Soccer | From the Spot Jul 24, 2019
Rakuten's Barca-Chelsea show misses mark
by Dan Orlowitz
The possibility exists that Tuesday's Rakuten Cup match between Barcelona and Chelsea was being considered by some influential soccer figure or another as an audition for Japan's inclusion in the increasingly popular International Champions Cup, the international preseason tournament that is currently taking place ...
Soccer | From the Spot Apr 24, 2019
Vissel faces challenges after week of turmoil
by Dan Orlowitz
Seven weeks ago, David Villa's first J. League goal in front of an enthusiastic home crowd led even the most cynical of observers to wonder whether this could be the year that perennial underperformer Vissel Kobe would finally put together a campaign worthy of ...
Soccer Apr 18, 2019
FC Barcelona to meet Chelsea, Vissel Kobe in summer friendlies in Japan
by Dan Orlowitz
FC Barcelona will face English Premier League veteran Chelsea and the J. League's Vissel Kobe this July, adding to the list of star-studded club friendlies set to take place in Japan this summer. The Spanish first-division leader, which last October announced plans to visit Japan ...
Business / Corporate Mar 20, 2019
Rakuten's Hiroshi Mikitani has a new goal for his 17,000 workers: Learn to code
by Emily Chang
Less than a decade after stunning workers at his tech giant with an edict to learn English, billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani wants to do the same with computer programming. Rakuten Inc. may soon expect its more than 17,000 employees to know how a computer compiles a ...
Soccer / J. League Mar 7, 2019
Vissel add Sergi Samper to loaded lineup
by Dan Orlowitz
Vissel Kobe has added another name to its ever-growing list of Barcelona connections. The J. League first-division club announced on Thursday the signing of defensive midfielder Sergi Samper, who will become the third player to trade the famed Spanish side's blue and red for Kobe's ...
Soccer | From the Spot Mar 6, 2019
With super club dreams, Vissel Kobe tries to rewrite history
by Dan Orlowitz
Most sports writers have their own personal pantheon of inspirations. At the top of mine is Hunter S. Thompson. The legendary gonzo journalist was never a soccer person ("Hey Rube," his published collection of essays for ESPN.com, mentions the sport just once in passing), but ...
Basketball / NBA Mar 5, 2019
Rockets, Raptors set for two games in Japan
by Kaz Nagatsuka
Well, it's only preseason contests this time, but Japan will host NBA games for the first time in 16 years when the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors face each other, the league announced at a Tokyo news conference on Tuesday. The teams will compete on ...