Global Rakuten…

… has always been Hiroshi Mikitani’s dream; and to date, he has been continuously solidifying the organization’s moves toward the next level.

Rakuten, Inc. is an online retailing and internet company based in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in February 1997 as MDM, Inc. by Mikitani, Rakuten has been aggressively expanding mainly through acquisitions and joint ventures from Asia to Europe to America.

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Yet again, mind you that being truly global is more than just being a foreign capitalist – it’s about adjusting to global trends and needs, about doing what’s necessary to push your company’s global reach… and in style.

In the case of Rakuten, more than just having renowned merchants on their side, they fixed their logistics and credit card aspects to go with international shipping; still, the most significant move they have taken was made on March 2010 when Mikitani announced that “English” would be the company’s official language.

It’s been 2 years since then, and now, we could witness a faster and more efficient processing at Rakuten that Mikitani foresaw when he dared to compete with giants like Amazon.

What do we see here?

First, a confirmation that skills (i.e., language) could be learned and it’s all just a question of a leader’s motivational skills and an employee’s learning ability that really counts. Time and again, this truth has always been the case – take note employers and headhunters.

Second, communication is key to human dealings. How many times have we seen customers being lost to miscommunication? How many times have we seen customers gained through the “meeting of the minds”? Invest and develop it, and you’ll go a long way in any relationship.

At this point, Rakuten may still be steps behind Amazon but with commitment to better customer experience, expect an interesting competition ahead.

The world now welcomes Global Rakuten.

What’s your take?