Rakuten Opens Shizuoka Branch Office

TOKYO, July 4, 2013 – Rakuten, Inc. has opened its 15th domestic branch office in Shizuoka Prefecture in an effort to strengthen support for merchants and hotels using Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten Travel. The commencement ceremony for the new location was held on July 4, and work will begin on July 29.

Ever since its first branch office was established in Osaka in 2000, Rakuten has been opening up additional offices across the country in order to accelerate the signing of new merchant and hotel contracts and enhance the support system for those already listed on its internet shopping mall Rakuten Ichiba and comprehensive travel site Rakuten Travel. The Shizuoka Branch Office will be the company’s 15th location within Japan and its second in the Tokai area following its Nagoya Branch Office.

Rakuten will continue efforts to contribute to the local economy of Shizuoka Prefecture and regional promotion through its support for merchants and hotels using Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten Travel in the Tokai/Shizuoka area.

■Address: 12th Floor, Shizuoka MY Tower, 1-35 Morishita-cho, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture

■Staff: 12 employees (Rakuten Ichiba: 10 employees; Rakuten Travel: 2 employees)

■ Business Activities: Support for merchants located in Shizuoka Prefecture using Rakuten Ichiba
                                  Support for hotels located in Shizuoka Prefecture using Rakuten Travel

■Merchants/Hotels: 801 Merchants (number of merchants located in Shizuoka Prefecture as of the end of June 2013)
                               350 Hotels (number of hotels located in Shizuoka Prefecture as of the end of June 2013)

Reference information: History of Branch Office Establishment to Date

December 2000    Osaka Branch Office
June 2005             Fukuoka Branch Office
January 2006        Tohoku Business Department of the Rakuten Ichiba Business is established 
                             in the Sendai Branch Office (opened October 2004)
July 2006              Sapporo Branch Office
February 2007      Nagoya Branch Office
November 2007    Kobe Branch Office
April 2008             Hiroshima Branch Office
June 2008             Niigata Branch Office
September 2008   Okinawa Area Group of the Rakuten Ichiba Business established  
                             in the Rakuten Travel Okinawa Branch Office
November 2008     Kyoto Branch Office December 2008   Yokohama Branch Office
July 2009               Matsuyama Branch Office
October 2009         Kagoshima Branch Office
February 2010       Saitama Branch Office