Rakuten is a major Japanese e-commerce company that plans to conduct all business operations in English by 2012. This includes holding board meetings and creating internal documents in English only. The goal is to expand internationally to 27 countries and increase annual sales. While using English may help employees improve skills and opportunities, some risks include missing talents from those with weaker English abilities and potential communication issues within companies. Rakuten aims to become the top global internet company with this strategy.

1. How Rakuten is planning to run their entire business in English?

2. Outline ・ Introduction ・ History of Rakuten ・ Strategy ・ Advantage ・ Disadvantage ・ Part of global ・ Summary ・ Reference

3. Introduction ・ Rakuten is the major Internet shopping site. ・ There are the group's 6,000 employees. ・ Rakuten sets up a business enterprise as below. - EC, bank card, banking corporation, portal media, travel, certificate, sports, connection

4. History of Rakuten ・ In 1997, MDM Inc. was founded by Hiroshi Mikitani. ・ In 1999, it is renamed as Rakuten Inc. ・ It announced the company’s official language will become English by the end of fiscal 2012.

5. Strategy ・ Rakuten supports employees by providing an English conversation school. ・ Rakuten plans to expand reach from current six countries to 27 major countries or more. ・ Rakuten plans to raise the ratio to 70 percent and aims to increase annual sales of group companies.

6. Advantage ・ Rakuten encouraged the use of English. - Employees can make presentation and the meeting documents in English. ・ Rakuten has bought overseas Internet shopping site operators. ・ By employees can speak English, they can improve their abilities and broaden their perspectives.

7. Disadvantage ・ There is two possibility. (a)The positive aspects of employees who have subpar English ability may be overlooked. (b)Inter-company communication may suffer. ・ Some people wonder if a high goal that change the way Japan does business is possible.

8. Part of Global ・ Rakuten will conduct all board meeting in English. ・ All internal documents will be written in English. ・ Rakuten focus more energy on English. - Other companies are not comfortable.

9. Summary ・ Rakuten's goal is to become the No.1 Internet service company in the world. ・ Rakuten will be to become not Japanese company but “World company”.

10. References ・ Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakuten ・ Asahi.com http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201007010404.html ・ Japan Today http://www.japantoday.com/category/kuchikomi/view/rakutens-decision-on-english-not-welcomed-by-everyone