Rakuten’s founder told employees to switch to English within two years — or face demotion.
Mickey Mikitani says the move was necessary because the internet had turned business into a global competition.
At the time, it was seen as a cultural shock inside corporate Japan.
"We cannot do it with Japanese, we cannot do it with Chinese, it has to be English.,” he told CNBC’s Christine Tan.
The transition took longer than planned. Rakuten adjusted the deadline, helped employees attend English classes and even allowed some staff to spend their mornings studying before starting work after lunch.
Today, Mikitani says the payback has been clear, helping Rakuten attract global talent and compete beyond Japan.
Visit the link below to watch the latest episode of “Managing Asia” and hear how Mikitani built one of Japan’s most influential tech companies by making bold bets on e-commerce, telecom, AI and global growth.
#CNBC #ManagingAsia #Rakuten
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