Japan-first Drone Delivery to Remote Island Spreads Empowerment

Between January 6 to January 22, 2021, Rakuten offered a limited-time unmanned drone delivery service to Shima City in Mie Prefecture, as the first paid delivery service to remote island residents in Japan.
The drone delivered goods from a supermarket in the city to Masaki island, making a round trip of approximately 11km. Since traveling between island and mainland has become more challenging under the pandemic situation, a new form of non-contact delivery was realized to meet new lifestyle needs.
Looking ahead, Rakuten will continue to expand the possibilities of unmanned drone delivery solutions, with the aim of supporting an enriched lifestyle for all.