Rakuten’s mission is to contribute to society by empowering people and communities to realize their hopes and dreams. We also deeply believe in the power of sport to bring people and communities to together, and we are committed to putting our sports fans first in our activations. Leveraging the power of sports, our professional baseball team Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and soccer club Vissel Kobe—two of the most influential sports groups in Japan—are bringing awareness to various environmental and societal issues.

As a part of this mission, we hosted two special “Rakuten Day” events in Japan in June 2022 and one in September 2022. These events, held at the Rakuten Eagles' home baseball stadium in Sendai and Vissel Kobe's home

In June, coinciding with Pride Month and Environment Month, we organized several activations under the unified concept "A Better Future Together," leveraging the assets of the Rakuten Eagles and Vissel Kobe. Our event provided fans with opportunities to recognize social issues surrounding diversity (family, gender, people with disabilities, LGBTQ + community and cross culture) and the environment.

In June, coinciding with Pride Month and Environment Month, we organized several activations under the unified concept "A Better Future Together," leveraging the assets of the Rakuten Eagles and Vissel Kobe. Our event provided fans with opportunities to recognize social issues surrounding diversity (family, gender, people with disabilities, LGBTQ + community and cross culture) and the environment.

-Eco Zone by Rakuten

We worked with Vissel Kobe on stations where fans could separate their trash and donate food, as well as a station where fans could recycle unused polyester sportswear.

-Our Better Future Together Message Board

We encouraged Rakuten Eagles fans to write their thoughts on what a better future means to them on a message board outside the stadium.

-Our Better Future Together Poster Board

We encouraged Vissel Kobe fans to put stickers on a poster board to illustrate their vision of a better future outside the stadium.

-LGBTQ+ Learning Center and Photo Spot

Fans had the opportunity to strike a pose at our LGBTQ+ photo spot and discover inspiring stories of diversity and inclusion through our learning content.

-Eco-bag Creation Station

Fans were able to transform retired sports uniforms into eco-friendly reusable bags.

-77K+ Participants

- 240+ Media outlets

-153B+ JPY in media value

Rakuten Day made a significant impact on media, local communities and fans, generating substantial reach through numerous articles. This event's success was largely attributed to the first pitch ceremony conducted by notable para-athlete Miho Fujii in Sendai, which garnered significant positive coverage in various media outlets.