See it on YouTube, buy it instantly, without ever leaving the video. On February 19, 2026, Rakuten Group and Google announced Japan's first-ever "YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program" partnership. The era of "V-commerce," where the excitement of watching a video translates directly into a purchase, has officially arrived in Japan.

Rakuten × Google: Japan's First YouTube Shopping Partnership

On February 19, 2026, Rakuten Group and Google held a joint press conference in Tokyo to unveil a groundbreaking partnership: the first-ever implementation of the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program in Japan. Under this new program, viewers watching YouTube videos can seamlessly purchase products featured in those videos directly from Rakuten Ichiba (Rakuten Market), Japan's largest online shopping mall.

Rakuten Group Chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani described the partnership as "a revolutionary collaboration" that would "go down in history" for Japan's internet industry. He recalled that when he founded Rakuten Ichiba in 1997, people said "nobody would buy things online," and expressed excitement about a future where video drives an entirely new kind of shopping experience.

How It Works: Video Watching Meets Instant Shopping

For Viewers

Previously, if you spotted an interesting product on YouTube, you'd have to open a separate browser tab, search for the product, find the right store, and then buy it. With the new system, a "Show Products" button appears directly on the video playback screen. One tap reveals the product name, price, and a link to the Rakuten Ichiba product page, all without leaving the video. The goal is to capture the viewer's excitement at the exact moment of discovery and turn it into a purchase.

For Creators

YouTube creators enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program can now tag Rakuten Ichiba products in their long-form videos, Shorts, and live streams. When viewers purchase products through these tags, creators earn affiliate commissions, a new revenue stream alongside ad revenue, Super Chat tips, and channel memberships.

Even more intriguing is an AI-powered "auto-tagging" feature currently being tested. This technology reads product information from video descriptions and automatically displays product tags at optimal moments during playback, significantly reducing the manual effort required from creators.

For Rakuten Ichiba Merchants

For the roughly 57,000 stores operating on Rakuten Ichiba, this partnership opens an entirely new customer acquisition channel. Small regional shops that might lack the budget for traditional advertising can now reach consumers nationwide through the influence of YouTube creators who choose to feature their products.

Why Now: Japan's Shifting Consumer Behavior

The timing of this partnership reflects a fundamental shift in how Japanese consumers discover and buy products.

According to YouTube Japan's internal data, shopping-related video watch time in Japan grew by over 80% in just one year. A Google/Kantar survey found that 76% of Japanese viewers consider YouTube to be "the most trusted video platform."

Naomi Yamakawa, head of YouTube Japan, highlighted this shift at the press event: purchasing decisions once began with brand-awareness advertising, but today consumers are driven by "conviction" gained through the words of creators they trust. In other words, the trigger for buying has shifted from "I saw an ad" to "someone I trust recommended it."

Video Commerce Around the World, and Where Japan Stands

Video commerce, or "V-commerce," is already a massive global industry. Notably, the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program itself has already been running in countries like the United States, South Korea, and India, with their own e-commerce partners. Japan's launch, with Rakuten Ichiba as the first domestic partner, makes it the 12th country or region to get the program. In other words, this announcement is specifically about the program's arrival on YouTube in Japan, not a worldwide initiative.

China leads the way by a wide margin. Its live commerce market has grown to trillions of yuan, with influencers on platforms like Douyin (China's TikTok) and Taobao Live sometimes generating hundreds of millions of dollars in a single broadcast. In the U.S., TikTok Shop has expanded rapidly, while Instagram Shopping and Amazon Live push the boundaries of video-integrated e-commerce.

Japan's live commerce market, by comparison, was estimated at roughly $2 billion in 2022, tiny compared to China's scale but indicative of enormous growth potential. Japan's overall BtoC e-commerce market reached approximately $174 billion (about 26.1 trillion yen) in 2024, with Rakuten Ichiba alone accounting for roughly $42 billion (6.3 trillion yen) in gross transaction value. The YouTube partnership positions Rakuten to tap into an entirely new layer of consumer engagement within this expanding market.

Can It Achieve "Sanpo Yoshi": Hopes and Challenges

Japan has an ancient business philosophy called "sanpo yoshi" (三方よし), meaning "good for the seller, good for the buyer, good for society." This partnership aspires to benefit all three parties: creators (who earn new revenue), viewers (who enjoy seamless shopping), and merchants (who gain new customers).

However, challenges exist. If creators prioritize affiliate income over honest reviews, the trust that makes this ecosystem work could erode. There are also concerns about "sutema" (ステマ), Japan's term for stealth marketing. Since October 2023, Japan has enforced strict regulations under the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations requiring clear disclosure of sponsored content. Whether YouTube affiliate content consistently meets these standards will be closely watched.

Competition in Japan's e-commerce landscape also adds complexity. While Rakuten Ichiba is one of Japan's largest online malls, it faces intense rivalry from Amazon Japan and Yahoo Shopping. Securing YouTube as a powerful traffic source could give Rakuten a significant edge, but success will depend on how well the program fits into the everyday habits of Japanese consumers.

Video Is Rewriting Japan's Shopping Culture

Rakuten Ichiba's founding concept is "Shopping is Entertainment." By joining forces with YouTube, the undisputed king of online entertainment, that concept is being brought to life in a completely new dimension.

Japan has a long tradition of television shopping programs where charismatic hosts present products on camera and viewers call in to buy them. The YouTube × Rakuten partnership is essentially a digital evolution of that culture. The key difference? The "hosts" are now creators chosen and trusted by the audience themselves. And instead of picking up the phone, viewers tap a button on their screen.

Video-powered shopping is now taking off in Japan. But what about in your country? Have you ever bought something after watching it on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram? We'd love to hear about the "video × shopping" scene where you live!

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