What if the same app you use to message your family and run your business could also help you find the one? For millions of users, this is already a reality. Since its Valentine’s Day 2025 launch across initial markets like the Philippines, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Viber Dating has rapidly expanded across Southeast Asia and …
The conversation around artificial intelligence is changing. A year ago, most discussions focused on what AI could generate. Now, increasingly, the focus is on how it can independently execute complex tasks. That shift formed the backdrop of the Rakuten Product Conference 2026, organized by Rakuten India on April 22, 2026. Built around the theme “The …
As part of Rakuten’s mission to “contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship,” the company recently hosted its second “Girls Meet STEM” office tour. As part of the tour, 20 female junior high and senior high school students explored Rakuten Crimson House, Rakuten’s headquarters in Tokyo, while gaining insights on what it’s …
Tens of thousands of base stations, scattered across diverse landscapes; operating a national mobile network has historically been a mammoth undertaking of physical infrastructure. The task of maintaining peak performance to meet the fluctuating demands of users typically requires an army of engineers across the country, operating around the clock. As the industry prepares for …
There is a subtle shift underway in how we speak about AI. For years, the language was about efficiency. Tools that help write, recommend, optimize. Systems that sit alongside human effort, speeding things up, making things smoother. Lately, that framing feels insufficient. The question today is no longer what AI can do for us. It …
After nearly 30 years of searching keywords, Japan’s biggest online marketplace now has a brand-new way to navigate its vast catalog: Rakuten AI. Announced in December 2025, Rakuten Ichiba launched the new agentic AI concierge in its mobile app, giving shoppers a powerful alternative to the static search bar. Shoppers can engage the concierge in …
In February 2026, Google and Rakuten announced a landmark partnership to bring the YouTube Shopping affiliate program to Japan. Local YouTube creators will now be able to tag specific products within their videos, which viewers can then purchase seamlessly through Rakuten Ichiba. YouTube has rolled out similar features in the U.S., South Korea, and other …
Superintelligent virtual assistants and autonomous robots still feel like something out of a science fiction novel. But are we really that far off? One session at the most recent Rakuten Technology Conference in Tokyo explored this very question. Rakuten’s Director of the AI Services Supervisory Department Taku Okoshi was joined by Hamidou Dia, VP of …
Open network architecture, diversifying revenue and adapting to an AI-driven era – those were just some of the hot telecom topics Rakuten spotlighted earlier this month at MWC Barcelona 2026, the world’s largest connectivity event. Exhibiting under the theme ‘Intelligent Growth,’ Rakuten conveyed how telcos can scale networks as software, embrace AI-powered solutions, and reimagine …
When Rakuten Card celebrated its 20th anniversary in July of 2025, it did so as a category leader in Japan, with over 30 million cards issued and a reputation for innovation. But back in 2005, this outcome was far from guaranteed. Rakuten Card was established after Rakuten acquired Kyushu-based finance company Kokunai Shinpan. The two organizations couldn’t have been more different; Kokunai…
To better understand user sentiment around AI, Japanese market research organization MMD Labo carried out a large-scale survey on attitudes toward AI in digital services. The results reveal a public that is both curious about the potential of AI and cautious about where and how it should be used.
With the world’s largest and most influential connectivity event just around the corner, the telecom industry finds itself at an inflection point. While hyperscalers and industry leaders continue to embrace cloud-native architectures, AI-powered automation, and robust ecosystem strategies to drive growth, others risk getting left behind. At Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026, from March …