TOKYO – Five years ago, I stood before several thousand mostly native Japanese speakers and addressed them in English. From now on, I told them, Rakuten – Japan’s largest online marketplace, of which ...

The stakes are high: those who do not reach their target score by the deadline risk being demoted. As Englishnization progresses, loss of productivity, lack of time to study, and conflicted views ...

Efforts by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten Inc. to develop its employees' English-language skills in a bid to cultivate a more global mindset are showing results, Chief Executive Hiroshi Mikitani ...

Neeley, Tsedal. "Language and Globalization: 'Englishnization' at Rakuten: Results Are In! (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 413-090, March 2013. (Revised April 2013.) ...