CEOInterviews.AI
Start App
Hiroshi Mikitani
Hiroshi Mikitani
Founder & CEO, Rakuten
Watch

Rakuten Mobile's Counterattack? A Direct Interview with Chairman Mikitani—Will the "AI Store Mana...

📅 Aug 06, 2026 テレ東BIZ ダイジェスト 8 MIN 30142 VIEWS 39 SEGMENTS · 2 SPEAKERS
Watch the full video here ▶ https://txbiz.tv-tokyo.co.jp/wbs/neto... Rakuten Group, whose finances have been criticized for deteriorating due to investments in its mobile phone business, is launching a counteroffensive using its mobile phone business as a major weapon. In particular, it aims to expand revenue by integrating the entire Rakuten ecosystem with AI, such as enabling each store on Rakuten Market to use "AI Store Manager." TV Tokyo WBS anchor Shinsaku Toyoshima directly interviews Chairman Mikitani. Will Chairman Mikitani refute the external criticism that he has worsened the company...

What Hiroshi Mikitani said

Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.

Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and CEO of Rakuten, defended the company's heavy investment in Rakuten Mobile, saying the criticism was misplaced and that synergy effects have exceeded expectations, with customer value increasing three to four times when they join Rakuten Mobile. He announced for the first time that Rakuten is developing an 'AI Store Manager' for each store on Rakuten Market, enabling real-time customer conversations, with a target launch within this year. Mikitani described a future where AI handles shopping, payments, and financial services through a super app, and where AI agents recommend products based on detailed information and store trustworthiness. He acknowledged that search will remain for specific purchases but will become hybrid with AI. He also noted that Rakuten Mobile has about 11 million subscribers, correcting the interviewer's estimate of 12 million.

Key takeaways

  1. Rakuten is developing an 'AI Store Manager' for each store on Rakuten Market, with a target launch within this year.
  2. Customer value increases three to four times when customers join Rakuten Mobile.
  3. Rakuten Mobile has about 11 million subscribers, not 12 million as the interviewer suggested.

Numbers and commitments

FigureWhat it refers toTypeAt
11 million Rakuten Mobile subscriber count metric 8:00

Chapters

  1. 0:00Defending Rakuten Mobile investment
  2. 0:44AI Store Manager announcement
  3. 1:26Super app vision
  4. 1:44Hybrid search and AI
  5. 3:05Store-based differentiation
  6. 3:42AI monetization models
  7. 3:58Product information and trust
  8. 4:47AI agents for shopping
  9. 5:39Human service and AI avatars
  10. 7:48Rakuten Mobile subscriber count

Questions asked in this interview

7
  1. 0:28Could the massive investment in Rakuten Mobile become a burden when expanding into the AI field going forward?
  2. 1:20So Rakuten Market and Rakuten Travel will all be unified, and AI will handle everything?
  3. 1:38So when shopping on Rakuten, instead of searching, you'll be asking the AI?
  4. 2:12So going forward, Rakuten Market will become a site where the layout and everything is oriented toward asking the AI?
  5. 3:02So for stores that are listed, being chosen by AI will become more important than being found through search?
  6. 3:21When will the AI Store Manager be introduced?
  7. 3:27If everything becomes AI-driven, would those revenue opportunities decrease?
Hiroshi Mikitani 0:00 ↗
Ah, it's gone. I really want to say to those who have been quite critical of the mobile investment, 'Have you seen this?' I feel like saying that now.
We've been criticized endlessly and spent a lot of money, but it's done now. I was right after all, wasn't I? No, no, that's not it. The synergy effects have exceeded expectations. When customers join Rakuten Mobile, their customer value increases about three to four times.
Interviewer 0:28 ↗
Oh. Could the massive investment in Rakuten Mobile become a burden when expanding into the AI field going forward?
Hiroshi Mikitani 0:36 ↗
No. Issues like not reaching the tipping point or difficulty in evaluating products — AI will solve those.
Another thing is — this hasn't been announced before, so it's a first public reveal — but actually, for each store listed on Rakuten Market, we're creating an 'AI Store Manager.' The idea is that customers can have real-time conversations with this store manager while shopping. That's the world we're aiming for.
Interviewer 1:09 ↗
Well, thank you very much for today. Nice to meet you. Please take care of us.
Hiroshi Mikitani 1:13 ↗
Long time no see. Really, it has been. Yes, indeed. Thank you for having me today. The pleasure is mine.
Interviewer 1:20 ↗
So Rakuten Market and Rakuten Travel will all be unified, and AI will handle everything?
Hiroshi Mikitani 1:26 ↗
Yes. Beyond that, things like payments and gold — various services including financial services — everything will have a super app emerge.
Interviewer 1:38 ↗
So when shopping on Rakuten, instead of searching, you'll be asking the AI?
Hiroshi Mikitani 1:44 ↗
Well, people with a specific purpose — like wanting a particular item — might still go to the search box. But even that search box will be combined with AI. For example, you might say 'I want this,' and it could suggest 'How about this product together?' or 'There's also this other product.' It's becoming more like a hybrid, similar to how Google search is evolving.
Interviewer 2:12 ↗
I see. So going forward, Rakuten Market will become a site where the layout and everything is oriented toward asking the AI?
Hiroshi Mikitani 2:24 ↗
Well, stores have their own fans, and hotels have their own fans, so those entry points will remain. But beyond that, there are also significant missed product opportunities and business opportunities. For cases where someone wants something but hasn't decided yet — issues like not reaching the tipping point or difficulty evaluating products — AI will solve those. I don't think everything will become an AI agent, but it will certainly provide considerable assistance.
Interviewer 3:02 ↗
So for stores that are listed, being chosen by AI will become more important than being found through search?
Hiroshi Mikitani 3:05 ↗
Yes, that's partly true. But one characteristic of Rakuten, unlike Amazon, is that it's store-based, so stores have their fans. That's why, as we announced today, we're creating the AI Store Manager.
Interviewer 3:21 ↗
When will the AI Store Manager be introduced?
Hiroshi Mikitani 3:23 ↗
We're developing it now, so we're hoping to have it ready within this year.
Interviewer 3:27 ↗
So you're aiming for within this year. On the other hand, Rakuten currently has a system where stores can pay to appear at the top of the site if they want visibility. If everything becomes AI-driven, would those revenue opportunities decrease?
Hiroshi Mikitani 3:42 ↗
Well, for products that are introduced by AI agents, there could be a small fee, or we're thinking about different business models.
Interviewer 3:52 ↗
I see. So stores will also need to adapt to AI and create AI-ready store environments.

19 more exchanges in this transcript

Sign in free to read the rest of this interview. No card required.

Sign in to read the full transcript

Cite this transcript

APA, MLA, BibTeX
APA

Mikitani, H. (2026, August 6). Rakuten Mobile's Counterattack? A Direct Interview with Chairman Mikitani—Will the "AI Store Mana... [Interview transcript]. テレ東BIZ ダイジェスト. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1247495/

MLA

Hiroshi Mikitani. "Rakuten Mobile's Counterattack? A Direct Interview with Chairman Mikitani—Will the "AI Store Mana...." テレ東BIZ ダイジェスト, 6 Aug. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1247495/.

BibTeX 
@misc{mikitani2026_1247495,
  author       = {Hiroshi Mikitani},
  title        = {Rakuten Mobile's Counterattack? A Direct Interview with Chairman Mikitani—Will the "AI Store Mana...},
  howpublished = {Interview transcript, テレ東BIZ ダイジェスト. CEOInterviews.AI},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = {aug},
  url          = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1247495/},
  note         = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}