Tokyo, February 19, 2026 – Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced that Rakuten Ichiba, Japan’s leading online marketplace, has partnered with Google in Japan to offer a new, more accessible shopping experience where users can seamlessly purchase products from Rakuten Ichiba through YouTube videos.
This initiative is made possible by Rakuten and Google’s partnership in the YouTube Shopping affiliate program*1, marking the first company to have joined the program in Japan. Through this collaboration, YouTube viewers will be able to easily explore Rakuten Ichiba products featured by YouTube creators, discovering new items in the process. Specifically, by tapping the View Products button during a video, product names and prices will be displayed on the same screen. Users can then navigate directly to the product page on Rakuten Ichiba to view details or continue watching the video. The program also benefits Rakuten Ichiba merchants, who can expect increased brand recognition and new customer acquisition as YouTube creators showcase their products through video content.
Rakuten has promoted products sold by Rakuten Ichiba merchants across various media through collaborations with influencers, leveraging its affiliate program, Rakuten Affiliate*2, and the shopping social media channel, ROOM*3. By strengthening its marketing activities in the v-commerce domain*4 – a new e-commerce model leveraging video, voice and virtual reality – this partnership aims to further support Rakuten Ichiba merchants’ affiliate activities and provide users with an engaging shopping experience.
Ryo Matsumura, President of Commerce & Marketing Company, Rakuten Group, commented, “We are delighted to partner with Google to integrate YouTube’s creator economy within the Rakuten Ecosystem, starting with Rakuten Ichiba. We expect to provide our merchants with further business growth opportunities and deliver an even more enjoyable and convenient shopping experience to our users.”
Naomi Yamakawa, Managing Director of YouTube Japan at Google, commented, ” We are thrilled to partner with Rakuten Ichiba as our first domestic partner for the launch of the YouTube Shopping affiliate program in Japan. YouTube’s shopping experience, built on the foundation of creator trust, offers merchants a powerful new channel to reach highly engaged fan communities. We are committed to evolving this new ecosystem—one that drives sales growth for merchants, empowers creators to seamlessly turn their passions and expertise into a business, and provides viewers with a more convenient and enjoyable shopping experience.”
Rakuten will continue to leverage technology and innovation to provide users with enjoyable shopping experiences and new product discoveries, while also delivering highly convenient and valuable services for both users and merchants.
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