Start Selling in Japan
with
Rakuten
Expand your business to the 4th largest e-commerce market in the world. Get exclusive access to Rakuten Ichiba, one of Japan's largest online shopping mall trusted by over 100 million users.
Contact us
Why sell in Japan
As the 4th largest e-commerce market in the world, Japan offers unlimited growth opportunities for your brand.
The Japanese Market
Japan's large population, high internet penetration, strong economy, and widespread online shopping habit, especially among those in their 30s and 40s, make it an ideal market for your product.
Vast Market
With a population of 124 million in 2023, Japan offers unlimited opportunities for consumer brands.
Online Culture
There are 105.8 million internet users (84.9% penetration rate) actively engaged in shopping online.
Robust Economy
Japan is the 4th largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the 4th largest global e-commerce market.
Digital Shoppers
On average, 53% of Japanese households shop online, with those in their 30's and 40's shopping online most often.
The Japanese Consumer
Capture Japan's demand for top-notch international products by tapping into the extremely popular e-commerce marketplaces, which dominate the market and are the preferred daily shopping destinations for consumers.
Security and Loyalty
Japanese consumers favor e-commerce marketplaces over brand shop websites, valuing their enhanced security and rewarding loyalty programs.
Transparency
Their desire for transparency and detailed product information is met by the content-rich and granular product listings found on Japanese e-commerce marketplaces, resulting in a low 3-5% return rate.
Seasonal Gift-Giving
In Japan, customers enthusiastically engage in unique online shopping events, with the gift-giving season being exceptionally popular and driving high demand.
Generous Spending Habits
Japanese consumers are
high spenders, with
people in their 50's averaging almost $3,000 in monthly
consumption. Moreover, over 50% of Japanese teens have bought
products from abroad.
(Source: Ecnomikata)
Online Expectations
Japanese consumers expect products to be cheaper online than in brick-and-mortar stores, which makes loyalty programs significantly important and highly popular.
Embracing Vast Ecosystems
They use vast ecosystems of e-commerce marketplaces as the ultimate destination for daily shopping, job boards, travel booking, mobile payments and more.
Why Rakuten Ichiba
As one of the largest online shopping platform in the country, Rakuten Ichiba offers a trusted haven for merchants, spanning diverse e-commerce segments, and empowering them with comprehensive support. Harness the unique advantages of Rakuten Point, our exclusive loyalty program, to foster customer loyalty and drive sustained success in the dynamic Japanese market.
What is Rakuten
Rakuten is a comprehensive internet service company that operates Rakuten Ichiba, one of the largest e-commerce marketplace in Japan. The B2C e-commerce market in Japan is very mature, and as of 2023, ranks the fourth largest e-commerce market in the world. Rakuten Ichiba maintains a 28% market share within the Japanese e-commerce market. Not only can we help you apply for a shop, but we provide the support and know-how in order to achieve your goals.
Reason 1.
Rakuten Ichiba is one of the largest online shopping platform in Japan
As Japan's e-commerce powerhouse, Rakuten Ichiba draws over 100 million shoppers, making it the perfect place to launch your store and promote your brand.
Marketshare
00%
Source: Fuji Keizai Corporation, Actual Conditions and Future of Mail-Order and E-Commerce Businesses 2022
Shops
00+
Source: Rakuten Group, Inc Presentation Material for FY2022 4th Quarter and Full Year Financial Results
MEMBER ID
00 M+
Source: Rakuten Group, Inc Presentation Material for FY2022 4th Quarter and Full Year Financial Results
Domestic EC GMS
00 TJPY
Rakuten Group, Inc. [FY2023 Full-Year and Q4 Earnings Presentation Materials] *Domestic EC Gross Merchandise Value (excluding certain tax-exempt businesses, including consumption tax) = the total transaction value of Market, Travel (lodging transactions), Books, Books Network, Kobo (domestic), Golf, Fashion, Dream Business, Beauty, direct sales of daily necessities on Rakuten24, Car, Rakuma, Rebates, Rakuten Seiyu Net Supermarket, Rakuten Ticket, cross-border trading, etc*
For Details: 2023 Rakuten Ichiba Guidebook
Reason 2.
Rakuten is one of the highest trafficking marketplaces in Japan
Since 1997, Rakuten has been one of the largest e-commerce marketplaces in Japan with high engagement compared with other major domestic EC sites.
Web & Shopping App Cross Users
Reason 3.
Online Shopping Market Share
Rakuten Ichiba commands a significant market share of 28% in the online shopping sector. Moreover, when examining specific product categories, it has successfully captured substantial market share in numerous segments.
Household Goods
00.0%
Apparel
00.0%
Food
00%
Supplements
00.0%
Cosmetics
00.0%
Appliances
00.0%
Source: Fuji Economic Co., Ltd.; The Reality and Future of E-commerce Business in 2023.Product categories represent selected items from the entire range of products. All share data (overall and by category) is based on the year 2022.
Reason 4.
Rakuten empowers merchants with comprehensive support
Rakuten differentiates itself in Japan's e-commerce market with its dominant market shares and comprehensive support through bilingual E-Commerce Consultants. Offering merchants full control over their storefronts and products, along with cross-border reach and engaging loyalty programs like Rakuten Points, Rakuten presents a highly appealing platform for sustainable growth and customer retention.
Market Grasp
Rakuten dominates the e-commerce market in Japan, holding over 28% of online B2C market and over 30% in apparel, food, and household segments.
Concierge Support
Rakuten delivers full support throughout the merchant's journey. A bilingual E-Commerce Consultant (ECC) helps you maximize your potential on Rakuten.
The Lens on Brand
At Rakuten, merchants have complete creative freedom to run their stores as they wish. It's a shop-centric marketplace that empowers you with full control over your storefronts, product pages, and customer experiences.
Cross-Border Reach
As an overseas merchant, no need to setup a Japanese entity. With Rakuten, you can directly drop-ship from your overseas warehouse to Japan. Enjoy fast and seamless deliveries due to excellent infrastructure and short distances.
Thrive on Ecosystem
Within Rakuten's ecosystem, you gain access to exclusive tools for customer retention and sales growth. Highly successful shopping events, campaigns, and loyalty programs like Rakuten Points enable you to create a larger shop awareness on the marketplace.
Customer Rewards
Rakuten's unique platform captures and retains customers through a vast portfolio of online services and engaging loyalty programs, such as our Super Point Up (SPU) program. As of April 2025, customers can earn up to 18% points back across the Rakuten ecosystem.
Reason 5.
Rakuten Points: Unique Loyalty Program
Rakuten Points remain one of the most compelling and popular features of Rakuten marketplace. Rakuten's loyalty program offers customers the opportunity to earn and accumulate Rakuten Points, providing generous rewards for shopping across the platform and enhancing the overall shopping experience.
No.1 in Customer Satisfaction
Rakuten Points program has been voted No. 1 in numerous rankings in customer satisfaction, such as "Most Used Points Service In The Year", "Total Point Satisfaction", and "Most Appreciated Points Program".
Generous Rewards
Rakuten has cumulatively issued over 4 trillion Rakuten points (worth over $25 billion) since its loyalty program launched in 2002. The rate at which Rakuten points are issued has been growing exponentially in recent years.
Credit Card Service
As one of the most popular credit card companies in Japan, you can accumulate points based on your spending when using a Rakuten Credit Card. This is the marketplace that genuinely rewards shopping across its ecosystem.
High Customer Retention
The number of shoppers who use more than two Rakuten services (76.7% as of 2023) continue to grow, proving how effective Rakuten's membership program is for retaining customers across its ecosystem.
How to join Rakuten Ichiba
Streamline your journey to success on Rakuten Ichiba with our merchant
onboarding process:
from application to store setup, we've got you
covered!
Merchant Onboarding Process
Application
Our team of onboarding consultants specializes in overseas business and will guide you in preparing materials for submission for your company's screening. To ensure quality assurance for our marketplace users, every store on Rakuten Ichiba undergoes a Contract Agreement.
Contract Agreement
On your contract start date, your account for RMS (Rakuten Merchant Server) will be created to enable you to access the system, where you will register your billing information.
Store Setup
Your assigned Shop Open Advisor will guide you through the process of setting up your shop page, such as registering your items, uploading your company' s information, setting your return and shipping policy, and creating your storefront.
Store open!
Finally, your store goes live!
Contact Us!
If you're ready to enter one of the world’s largest e-commerce markets, now is the perfect time. Rakuten Ichiba, one of Japan's largest online shopping platforms, provides an excellent opportunity for overseas businesses to expand. Let us assist you in navigating Japan’s dynamic marketplace. Don’t hesitate—contact us here to explore this opportunity!
Sign Up!