Tokiko Iino: Appetizing tales begin with the plate
In the past four years, if you've stepped into Isetan Shinjuku and checked out one of its in-store displays, chances are you've seen Tokiko Iino's food styling designs.
Sellers ask antitrust body to probe Rakuten's free shipping policy
Merchants on Rakuten Inc.'s online shopping mall have requested that the Fair Trade Commission investigate the e-commerce giant's planned free shipping policy, according to sources familiar with the move. Some online stores allege that Rakuten abuses its dominant position to force them to shoulder shipping ...
When street style eclipses the runway
Tokyo fashion week's battle for identity has always been between that of the runway and the fashion on streets — has the event finally found a happy medium?
Rakuten taking limited orders for services on its delayed Japan mobile network
E-commerce giant Rakuten Inc.'s mobile unit started taking limited orders for services on its network Tuesday after a delay in installing network base stations forced it to postpone a full-scale launch until next April. Rakuten Mobile Inc. initially aimed to make a full-service entry into ...
Tokyo's fashion week gets a Japan rebrand
As the new sponsor of Tokyo's fashion week, e-commerce giant Rakuten may appear lowbrow — but in times of rising subculture trends, that could work in its favor.
New communications minister Sanae Takaichi backs 5G networks for Japan's rural areas
Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi has expressed her eagerness to promote active use of fifth-generation, or 5G, communications networks for rural areas. "I want to fully utilize the 5G technology ... in order for people to live safely and get high-quality welfare and ...
Ministry urges Rakuten Mobile to speed up preparation of base stations ahead of Japan rollout
The communications ministry has instructed Rakuten Mobile Inc. to speed up its rollout of base stations, with the mobile operator slated to launch its service in Japan on Oct. 1, it was learned on Thursday. The oral instruction was issued on July 17. As of ...
Japan's Rakuten swings to quarterly loss on Lyft and mobile service
Rakuten Inc. reported an unexpected quarterly loss Thursday, hit by the depressed value of its investment in ride-hailing firm Lyft Inc. and heavy spending on a new wireless service. The company said it booked a ¥1.8 billion operating loss in the April-June quarter compared with ...
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 ...
Rakuten's Barca-Chelsea show misses mark
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 ...
Japan bets on QR code payments to sustain spending
When the baseball season kicked off in Japan this spring, fans of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles were faced with an inconvenience they'd never encountered before: The food and drink stalls did not accept cash. The team's owner, internet commerce firm Rakuten Inc., was trying ...
