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August 13, 2026
 

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RAKUTEN MOBILE

The government plans to invest ?150 billion in Rakuten Mobile in a push to develop a homegrown satellite communication system and reduce reliance on firms such as Starlink.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to invest ?150 billion in Rakuten¡¯s domestic satellite project
The investment is part of a push to develop a homegrown satellite network and to reduce Starlink¡¯s dominance in the field.
The new service starting April 1 that aims to keep communication infrastructure operational following emergencies such as disasters will be free to use and not require prior registration.
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2026
Major phone carriers to launch ¡®Japan Roaming¡¯ for use in disasters
The aim of the new service is to ensure the communication infrastructure essential for life and economic activities remains operational during emergencies such as disasters.
The computers and smartphones seized by the Metropolitan Police Department on Thursday in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 28, 2025
Three teens arrested over fraudulent subscriptions to Rakuten Mobile
Police believe the suspects obtained at least about 2,500 subscriptions and sold them for a total of about ?7.5 million in crypto assets.
Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said that the mobile company now has more than 7 million subscribers, and is seeking to hit 10 million subscribers next.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 27, 2024
Money-losing Rakuten Mobile rolls out new 700 MHz service
The new offering, which is being introduced incrementally, will improve connectivity, including in densely populated areas, it says.
Rakuten logged its fifteenth consecutive quarter in the red due to losses at its mobile service network unit.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2024
Rakuten logs 15th quarter of losses on mobile woes despite record financial unit profit
While its number of mobile subscribers rose to 6.48 million at the end of March, average revenue per user increased only fractionally.
The exact timing of the roll out of Rakuten Mobile's commercial satellite-to-mobile service is uncertain, but the plans for coverage encompass mountainous and remote areas across Japan.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 16, 2024
Rakuten plans satellite mobile service across Japan in 2026
The service, to be rolled out in partnership with AST SpaceMobile, will be directly accessible by regular smartphones and won¡¯t require a terminal.
Rakuten Group has incurred a net loss for the fifth straight year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 15, 2024
Rakuten logs second-largest annual net loss
The firm will skip a dividend payment for the first time in 23 years to prioritize its financial stability.
A Rakuten Mobile branch in Tokyo. Rakuten is set for another tough year in 2024, at a time when rivals are on the attack with competitive pricing and reward campaigns.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2023
Rakuten¡¯s mobile misadventure: from ambitious plan to millstone
Founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani¡¯s vision of a low-cost network using cloud-based software and cheap hardware did not pan out.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 29, 2021
Rakuten cuts mobile fees for light users to maintain edge over bigger rivals
The firm now says it will lower the cost depending on the amount of data used within the space of a month, saying the fee will even be free for particularly light users.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 1, 2020
Â鶹´«Ã½ mobile phone carriers brace for further intervention by Suga
Even before becoming prime minister, Suga had intervened in the cell phone market in an attempt to lower fees.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2020
Rakuten rolls out ultrafast 5G service with bold price plan
The move could give the mobile carrier a competitive edge and fuel momentum toward cheaper phone fees.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 16, 2019
Ministry urges Rakuten Mobile to speed up preparation of base stations ahead of Japan rollout
The communications ministry has instructed Rakuten Mobile Inc. to speed up its rollout of base stations, with the mobile operator slated to launch its service in Japan on Oct. 1, it was learned on Thursday.
Toyoko Kids: The lonely street children of Tokyo
Many young people who feel neglected at home flock to the Toyoko area to find a community where they can fit in.
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Â鶹´«Ã½ anti-prostitution law
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend ¡ª or want to pay off their debts ¡ª at host clubs.
Japan unveils new overtourism countermeasures
The majority of tourists in Japan tend to stay in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, resulting in overcrowding in popular tourist spots and a strain on transportation systems.
South Korea couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood
South Korean lesbian couple Kim Kyu-jin (left) and her wife, Kim Sae-yeon, pose with a "pregnant woman" badge during an interview in Seoul last month.
Opportunities await the bold in the Year of the Wood Dragon
2024 marks the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, with the year predicted to be a good time for fresh starts.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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