very traditional Japanese corporate culture and militaristic top-down management style. - Anonymous employee Rakuten Employee Review

1.0
May 28, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Like other Japanese companies, it seems very difficult to get fired.

Cons

Very bad work-life balance- people are expected to work from 8am to 10, 11pm (considered very normal). The pay is very bad and the company is very stingy. The management makes you feel like you belong to a military troop or very "taiikukai-kei" Japanese sports team; you cannot question your boss who insults and throws fits at whoever cannot achieve the impossible KPIs. The company has so many inefficient aspects- every employee has to attend an asa-kai at 8am in which more than half of employees sleep. There are numerous mandatory meetings in which its just a waste of time. The take-away: Long Hours, inefficient work style, rude and disrespectful management who doesnt care about employees, depressing office building that reminds of prison cells.

Explore other reviews about Rakuten

5.0
Mar 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Rakuten Rewards has great life balance. Too bad the economy was getting rocked.

Cons

Don't really have any cons. I understand that the market's been hard so had to downsize the force, so that was kinda challenging. Hopefully AI will increase everyone's output.

3.0
Jan 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company offers great benefits and perks, and the overall work culture can be fun and social. When I first joined, it felt like a positive place to work and a good environment to learn. It’s a solid company to start your career, especially if you’re early on and want exposure to the role.

Cons

While the experience started off strong, there was very little room for growth long term. Opportunities were not distributed equally across the team, and favoritism was noticeable at times. The same individuals were consistently praised for simply doing their jobs, while others’ contributions were rarely acknowledged. The team culture could feel very cliquey, and if you weren’t part of the “favorites,” it was difficult to be recognized or considered for new opportunities. Although leadership often spoke about internal growth and mobility, in reality those opportunities felt extremely limited. Once you’re placed on a team, it’s very hard to move into something new or grow beyond that role. This is a good place to start your career and gain experience, but not a place I would recommend staying long term. If you’re looking for growth, development, and mobility within the company, you may find yourself feeling stuck.

3
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