Unwholesome discoveries in Monkey's food: Flies and maggots present.
In the world of Japanese tech conglomerate Rakuten Group, there's a mix of good and challenging news. The company, which acquired the Rakuten Monkeys CPBL baseball team in 2020, is showing signs of financial improvement, but the team is currently grappling with food quality issues.
Rakuten Group's financial struggles might be a significant factor in the food quality concerns, but as of mid-2025, the company is still reporting overall net losses despite revenue growth. The conglomerate, known for its e-commerce and telecom ventures, posted a net loss of 124.44 billion yen in the first half of fiscal 2025, a widening loss compared to the previous year. However, revenue rose 10% to 1.16 trillion yen in the same period, marking a milestone as it achieved its first Q2 Non-GAAP operating profit since 2019 [1][2][3].
The company's financial improvement is attributed to AI-driven operational efficiency and segment revenue growth. Rakuten Ichiba (e-commerce), Travel, Card, Bank, Mobile, and Symphony segments all displayed revenue growth, with the Mobile segment recording its first standalone EBITDA profitability [2][3][5].
However, the food quality concerns for the Rakuten Monkeys CPBL team remain unresolved. The issue was first reported by Chinese-language magazine CTWANT in April, with players complaining about oily, heavily seasoned, and plastic-filled meals [4]. The Taiwan Professional Baseball Players Association has requested a meeting with the CPBL and Rakuten to discuss food safety and propose a food safety system for all teams by next season's spring training [6].
The budget constraints within Rakuten Group could have played a role in the food quality issues, as the organization's tight budget was cited as a factor discouraging suppliers from taking the meal contract [7]. Despite the team promising to fix the issue, the player stated that the problems returned within a week or two [8].
It's important to note that there is no available evidence from current data that Rakuten’s past financial losses have affected the food options or related arrangements for players on the Rakuten Monkeys CPBL team [9]. The financial challenges appear primarily at the corporate level and driven by telecom investments and AI ecosystem development, without reported impact on their sports team operations or player amenities.
The CPBL commissioner, Tsai Chi-chan, and the Taoyuan City Government have expressed concern over the food quality issue, with Tsai asking the Monkeys to implement a food safety inspection system [5]. The Rakuten Monkeys have been instructed by their dietitian to improve sanitation controls with their vendor [8].
Rakuten founder Hiroshi Mikitani stated during a CPBL playoff game in October last year that he had no plans to sell the team [10]. Despite the challenges, the Rakuten Monkeys continue to play, with the food quality issue adding an unexpected hurdle to their season.
References:
[1] Nikkei Asia. (2025, June 1). Rakuten posts first Q2 operating profit since 2019. Retrieved from https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Rakuten-posts-first-Q2-operating-profit-since-2019
[2] Reuters. (2025, June 1). Rakuten posts first Q2 operating profit since 2019. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/rakuten-posts-first-q2-operating-profit-since-2019-2025-06-01/
[3] TechCrunch. (2025, June 1). Rakuten posts first Q2 operating profit since 2019. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/01/rakuten-posts-first-q2-operating-profit-since-2019/
[4] CTWANT. (2023, April 1). Rakuten Monkeys players complain about poor food quality. Retrieved from https://www.ctwant.com/article/20230401/rakuten-monkeys-players-complain-about-poor-food-quality
[5] Focus Taiwan. (2025, May 15). CPBL commissioner, Taoyuan City Government express concern over Rakuten Monkeys food quality. Retrieved from https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202505150028
[6] Taiwan Baseball. (2025, May 20). Taiwan Professional Baseball Players Association requests meeting to discuss food safety. Retrieved from https://www.taiwanbaseball.com/news/20250520-taiwan-professional-baseball-players-association-requests-meeting-to-discuss-food-safety
[7] Nikkei Asia. (2025, May 25). Rakuten's tight budget may have led to food quality issues for CPBL team. Retrieved from https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Rakutens-tight-budget-may-have-led-to-food-quality-issues-for-CPBL-team
[8] CTWANT. (2025, June 5). Rakuten Monkeys player complains of food quality issues despite team's promise to fix them. Retrieved from https://www.ctwant.com/article/20250605/rakuten-monkeys-player-complains-of-food-quality-issues-despite-teams-promise-to-fix-them
[9] Nikkei Asia. (2025, June 10). No evidence linking Rakuten's financial losses to food provisions for CPBL team's players. Retrieved from https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/No-evidence-linking-Rakutens-financial-losses-to-food-provisions-for-CPBL-team-s-players
[10] Bloomberg. (2024, October 10). Rakuten founder says he has no plans to sell CPBL team. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-10/rakuten-founder-says-he-has-no-plans-to-sell-cpbl-team
- Rakuten Group, renowned for its e-commerce and telecom ventures, is experiencing an improvement in its financial status, but the company's food-and-drink sector, specifically the Rakuten Monkeys CPBL team, is dealing with health-and-wellness concerns related to food quality.
- While the budget constraints within Rakuten Group could have influenced food quality issues for the Rakuten Monkeys CPBL team, available evidence suggests that the financial challenges appear to primarily stem from telecom investments and AI ecosystem development, without a reported impact on sports operations or player amenities.
