Photo: Guillaume Paumier / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Okay, this guy fascinates me. He walked away from a cushy elite banking career at a moment when most people would've clutched it for dear life, then bet the whole thing on the internet back when half of Japan still side-eyed the web as a fad. That takes a kind of nerve I genuinely admire. And the part I can't get over is him forcing English as Rakuten's official company language, where everyone basically said "you've lost it," and he just... did it anyway. That's stubbornness as a superpower. He's got the Harvard MBA brain, sure, but what gets me is he bought a baseball team AND a soccer club and actually went to bat for Kobe and Tohoku, so under all the contrarian "question everything" talk there's this surprisingly warm, hometown-loyal heart. Loves preaching against conventional wisdom, meanwhile he's the most unconventional person in the room. I'm into it.
Story
Question the Conventional: How Hiroshi Mikitani Pioneered Japan's Internet
Overview
Hiroshi Mikitani (born March 11, 1965, in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture) is a Japanese entrepreneur and the founder, Chairman, and President of Rakuten Group. After graduating from Hitotsubashi University and earning an MBA from Harvard Business School, he left a career at the Industrial Bank of Japan to found the company in 1997, launching Rakuten Ichiba as one of Japan's first major e-commerce marketplaces. He expanded the Rakuten brand into professional sports — as owner of Vissel Kobe (soccer) and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (baseball) — and in 2019 led Rakuten Mobile's entry as Japan's fourth mobile carrier. He is also known for mandating English as Rakuten's internal corporate language.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hiroshi Mikitani
- Name (Japanese)
- 三木谷浩史
- Reading
- みきたに ひろし
- Born
- March 11, 1965 (age 61)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Snake (巳)
- Origin
- Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 181 cm
- Agency
- Rakuten Group, Inc. (Chairman and President)
- Agency history
- Industrial Bank of Japan (1988–1995)
Crimson Group (founded 1995) - Active years
- 1995–present
- Occupation
- Businessman / Entrepreneur
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Akashi Municipal Matsugaoka Elementary School (transferred)
- Junior high
- Akashi Municipal Asagiri Junior High School (transferred from Okayama Hakuryo Junior High School)
- High school
- Hyogo Prefectural Akashi High School (graduated 1983)
- University
- Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Commerce (graduated 1988) / Harvard Business School (MBA, completed 1993)
- Debut
- 1997 — Founded M·D·M, Inc. (now Rakuten Group) and launched Rakuten Ichiba
Awards & achievements
- 2004 — Japan Innovator Award
- 2012 — Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award (youngest recipient at the time)
- 2014 — Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (France)
- 2019 — Best Dresser Award
- 2021 — Blue Ribbon Medal with Rosette and Cup (Japan)
Timeline
- 1988Graduated from Hitotsubashi University; joined the Industrial Bank of Japan
- 1993Earned MBA from Harvard Business School
- 1995Left the Industrial Bank of Japan; founded Crimson Group
- 1997Founded M·D·M, Inc. (now Rakuten Group) and opened Rakuten Ichiba
- 2000Rakuten Ichiba listed on the Japan Securities Dealers Association over-the-counter market
- 2003Acquired Vissel Kobe; became team owner
- 2004Founded Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles; became team owner
- 2013Rakuten Eagles won the Japan Series championship
- 2014Became chairman of the New Economy Federation (Shin-Keizai Renmei)
- 2019Rakuten Mobile launched as Japan's fourth mobile carrier
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Haruko Mikitani (married 1991)
- Children
- Two (son and daughter)
- Parents
- Father: Ryoichi Mikitani (economist, Professor Emeritus at Kobe University)
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Tennis
- Karaoke
Specialties
- English (championed English as Rakuten's internal corporate language)
- Tennis (captained the university tennis club)
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book | 92 Rules of Success (成功の法則92ヶ条) | Author | 2004 |
| Book | Rakuten Style (楽天流) | Author | 2009 |
| Book | It's Only English! (たかが英語!) | Author | 2012 |
| Book | Break Through: Hiroshi Mikitani and Rakuten — 25 Years of History (突き抜けろ) | Author | 2022 |
| Business | Rakuten Ichiba (internet shopping mall) | Founder and Representative Director | 1997 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://rakuten.co.jp
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/hiroshi.mikitani/
- Xhttps://x.com/hmikitani
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E6%9C%A8%E8%B0%B7%E6%B5%A9%E5%8F%B2
Frequently asked questions
When was Hiroshi Mikitani born?
Born March 11, 1965 (age 61).
Where is Hiroshi Mikitani from?
Hiroshi Mikitani is from Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
What does Hiroshi Mikitani do?
Hiroshi Mikitani works as Businessman, Entrepreneur.
How tall is Hiroshi Mikitani?
Hiroshi Mikitani is 181 cm.
What agency is Hiroshi Mikitani with?
Hiroshi Mikitani is with Rakuten Group, Inc. (Chairman and President).
How long has Hiroshi Mikitani been active?
1995–present.
What is Hiroshi Mikitani known for?
Notable works include 92 Rules of Success (成功の法則92ヶ条), Rakuten Style (楽天流), It's Only English! (たかが英語!).
Businessman — see all → · Entrepreneur — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.