Yuya
Bachelor of Foreign Languages
Joined in 2021
Sales
Sales Division 2
Rakuten Payment
What are your current job responsibilities?
I handle sales for Rakuten Pay, Rakuten’s cashless payment service, to corporate and local government clients. I negotiate with companies in corporate sales who have yet to adopt Rakuten Pay at their stores, with the aim of enabling Rakuten Pay for users nationwide. With local government sales, I work on promoting the use of cashless payments in response to the growing emphasis placed on contactless payments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This may include offering point rewards at stores in different municipalities, proposing tourism-focused initiatives, promoting the use of Rakuten Pay to make payments under the “hometown tax” program, or proposing banner advertisements within the Rakuten Pay app. I work tirelessly every day to support regional revitalization efforts and assist local governments in overcoming their challenges by drawing on Rakuten Group’s diverse assets and cashless payment capabilities.
What aspects of your job make you feel like you’re being useful to customers and wider society?
I want to promote the adoption of Rakuten Pay nationwide, not only for everyday shopping but also as an essential part of societal infrastructure, ultimately improving people’s quality of life. During my time studying abroad in China, I witnessed the widespread use of cashless payments, even before the pandemic. People could solely rely on their smartphones, leaving their wallets at home. The convenience left a lasting impression on me and inspired my career in this industry, leading me to join Rakuten Group. However, rather than offering generic cashless solutions I’ve encountered elsewhere, I believe it’s crucial to address each company's or local government's specific challenges. When I hear people say, “I’m glad we decided to start using Rakuten Pay, " it truly validates our positive societal impact and contribution.
Why do you work at Rakuten?
Rakuten Group fosters an environment of open communication where various ideas can be freely expressed. When expressing my ideas, my team members provide support and collaborate with me to advance those ideas. There is a dedicated team that translates these ideas into tangible products and offerings. In my first year at Rakuten Payment, I had the opportunity to handle a major company as a client and engage in negotiations to encourage their adoption of Rakuten Pay. The process involved many steps, but I remained focused on a customer-first approach and seeing things from the users’ standpoint during meetings with the company. As a result, I significantly contributed to expanding the number of stores accepting Rakuten Pay payments, and I was honored with a “Rakuten Award for New Grads.” These awards are issued monthly to recognize staff who make outstanding contributions to the company. By embracing Rakuten’s “Get Things Done” brand concept and challenging myself, my first year in the workforce became a valuable experience.
What do you keep in mind in the course of your daily work?
In my daily work, I prioritize understanding and accommodating customer needs. Promoting cashless transactions is a crucial matter in Japan, and this has created favorable conditions for us in sales. However, I recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach is not practical due to the diverse range of challenges we face. For instance, while working with a local government, I encountered many elderly residents in the area for whom smartphone payments were not a suitable option. To understand the situation better, I visited the municipality several times to talk with many people and seek insights that might lead to a solution. This experience taught me the importance of confronting the circumstances on the ground and continuously learning to address the specific challenges each local government faces. I strive to keep my senses sharp to pick up on cues, not only during my day-to-day work but also during negotiations and business trips.
SCHEDULE
- 08:00
- I typically spend half of the month on business trips. Upon arriving at an airport or Shinkansen station in the morning, I check my schedule for the day in the lounge or working space before departure.
- 12:00
- Upon reaching my destination, I often rent a car and have lunch somewhere close to the client’s location.
- 13:00
- I visit the client and engage in negotiations. Even today, certain discussions are challenging to conduct online, so I make an effort to establish closer communication by visiting clients in person.
- 15:00
- During business trips, I need to be able to respond when urgent issues arise, so I keep checking my emails on my smartphone while on the move.
- 18:00
- I check in to a hotel and create minutes for the day’s negotiations or prepare for the following day.
- 19:00
- Since there are times when clients recommend places that only locals know about, I like to go to such places to enjoy delicious food and local specialties after work.
*This article is based on information provided at the time of the interview.
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- Infrastructure Engineer
- Data Scientist / Researcher
- Security Engineer
- Information Security / Privacy Governance Specialist
- Technology Management
- Product Management
- Development Support（Q&A, etc.)