Kobo Enters Japanese eBook Market Ahead of Amazon with Rakuten’s Backing

Following the acquisition of Kobo by the Japanese online retail giant Rakuten, it was likely only a matter of time before Kobo entered the eBook market in Japan. And it seems the new parent company is not wasting any time, as the Kobo Touch will be available starting July 2 for 10,000 yen, or approximately 100 euros, in Japan.

This move isn’t entirely surprising, as Rakuten had already announced in January – two months after the Kobo acquisition – its intention to bring the Kobo Touch to Japan. At that time, they made it clear who the Japanese number one is and who the main competitor is: “In Japan, we are the undisputed number one on the internet. Rakuten is the heavyweight of e-commerce. Japan shows that the American model simply doesn’t work in many countries,” commented Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and CEO of Rakuten, according to the German Handelsblatt on the development. “Our main competitor is Amazon.”

Rakuten aims to offer around 50,000 Japanese eBooks by the end of the year, catching up with the local competition. The Kobo Touch will be available directly from Rakuten as well as from various electronics retailers.

With the upcoming launch of the Kobo Touch, they have certainly outpaced Amazon, as the US retail giant has repeatedly failed in the past to enter the Japanese eBook market. The reasons were differences between Amazon and Japanese publishers. Here, Rakuten likely utilized its home advantage and ultimately gained a step ahead of Amazon. However, the Kindle Touch is also said to be launching in Japan later this year. It remains to be seen if Amazon will succeed in this venture.