Terrible experience (Business development department, rakuten ichiba)
Pros
Great office, new office is even better than google Japan. Although I joined only a few months ago (2015) I have already made many wonderful friends.
Cons
Most smart people leave within 2 years. Managers cannot understand talent from abroad. People here are extremely domestic, if you have i.e. A Wharton business school degree they will think a Japanese person from a mediocre college is better than you , because the only school they have heard of is Harvard (CEO went to Harvard Business school and constantly brags about it). Managers here don't want smart people who come up with new but potentially risky ideas, they only want loyal slaves who will just do what is asked. Everyone underestimates the impact of cultural difference here and things will be even worse for you if like me you have a Japanese last name but you were raised abroad. I was once even told to stop pretending I am not Japanese just because I did not use Keigo properly, which I wasn't familiar with to start off. Anyway MANY managers are absolutely RACIST but act like they support globalisation only infront of the CEO. Behind Mickey's back they are criticising everything non-Japanese. Absolutely ridiculous. I joined Rakuten with great hopes but am truly disappointed.
