Rakuten Ichiba (楽天市場）, or Internet Shopping Site, RAKUTEN will start EC business in China with BIDU.O (百度）.  This is a really big news for us Japanese.

Rakuten started it’s business on the internet only about 10 and something years ago. But it already became the Japan’s NO.1 internet shopping company, and it’s ranked within top 5 internet company in the world.

Rakuten seems to prepare about 50 million US dollars for this business investment.  When thinking of Chinese internet user numbers and it’s rising up market, this internet shopping site will absolutely succeed in the near future.

Rakuten is working between companies and indivisuals for shopping. In Japan this system has already become a stressless commercial custom among users. We don’t feel any risk when using the Rakuten Shopping.

If 2 way communication between China and Japan is realized, even small companies may be able to sell their products or services through Rakuten market from Japan to China.  Also the users will be able to get Chinese items right away through Rakuten.

If this could be possible, it means the 2 major market of the world, Japan and China, will start getting closer and someday it will become as one.  In the real economy, it may be difficult, but if internet market is unified, this could be a driving force for the new market reformation over Japan and China.

I don’t know this would be coming true. But it’s also true that internet business can go any direction without knowing it, or just by the power of market and users.