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Online marketplace giant Rakuten Inc on Thursday announced that it will be relocating its corporate headquarters to Tokyo’s fashionable Futako Tamagawa area. The move, which is planned for completion in August 2015, is aimed at improving operational efficiency and supporting future growth, the company said.
Rakuten began its operations in February 1997 with only 6 employees from a small office in Minato Ward. Since then, it has grown into a global company operating in 28 countries and regions with over 11,000 employees around the world.
In August 2007, Rakuten relocated its headquarters to its current location in Rakuten Tower, Higashi Shinagawa.
Rakuten’s new head office will be located in the new Futako Tamagawa Rise Tower Office, which is currently under construction by the Futako Tamagawa East District 2 Urban Land Redevelopment Union. The Futako Tamagawa Rise Tower Office is part of the Futako Tamagawa RISE complex, which is managed by Tokyu Corporation and Tokyu Land Corporation. The tower has 30 floors above ground and two below ground.
Rakuten will occupy all 27 floors of office space in the tower. The top three floors of the building will accommodate a hotel, while the bottom levels will incorporate a movie theater and shopping complex.
© Japan Today
4 Comments
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Raymond Chuang
Don't think Rakuten cannot become a potential threat to Amazon.com maybe 5-6 years from now.
Amazon is facing big financial losses from selling the Kindle Fire tablets, Fire Phone cellphone and Fire TV streaming TV boxes, and is now engaged in fights with the book publisher Hachette and Walt Disney Company's home video division over pricing. That type actions could turn off a lot of Amazon customers, and they may start looking for alternatives like Rakuten (which bought out Buy.com in 2010).
As such, for Rakuten to seriously take on Amazon, they will need bigger corporate operations. This is why they've moving to the new 27-story office tower in order to have enough office space for expanded operations internationally, especially in the USA.
wtfjapan
@raymonmd, sorry Rakuten will never really challenge Amazon or Ebay outside Japan, theyre about 10 years to late. ask any American, Australian, Candian UK European who Rakuten is and most wouldnt have a clue. with Ebay 70billion, Amazon 90billion worth they make Rakuten look tiny and the purchasing power and influence they have outside Japan wont be challenged anytime soon
OssanAmerica
Except for all the Americans who used to go on Buy.com. Things change pretty fast in this field and the biggest mistake one can make is to make a "prejudgement" as to any outcome in even the near future.
wtfjapan
@ossan buying up foreign rivals wont guarantee you success in those markets, otherwise Amazon/Ebay would be doing the same, even the Amazon boss says all companies will fall eventually just depends on how long you can stay in front. I dont see Rakuten toppling either two, "even in the near future"