Rakuten

• Professional, dedicated coworkers and truly world-class talent.
• The company's upper management is truly dedicating to changing the way business works in Japan.
• Mikitani is a brilliant man who went to Harvard and truly understands how the business world works.
• "Englishnization" has made a lot of progress in two years.
• Free lunch.
• Lots of opportunities for hard-working young people and foreigners.
• Shinagawa is a beautiful part of Tokyo.

I would not recommend this company to someone unless you are willing to work hard. Don't go in expecting a Western workplace, despite the recruitment promises.

• Many middle managers are supporting a broken status quo.
• Work/life balance is typical of a Japanese company.
• Partnered staff often speak no or very little English.
• Bureaucratic processes and repetitive meetings need organizational rethinking and unification procedures.
• The level of English is still far from where it needs to be.
• The pay rate is well below market, but that's changing.

Be bold in your decisions. Think big and lead your departments. Try to bring the whole team together. Inspire your subordinates to follow you. Don't let middle management rule through authoritarian practices.