The drone company Rakuten and the Japanese retailer Seiyu have announced their partnership last June. The purpose was to set a delivery servicing by drone on Sarushima island, offshore Tokyo. The deliveries started on July 4. The specificity of the latter is, even though it is uninhabited, it still is very sought by tourists. Indeed, 200 000 tourists visit the island every year, especially in Summer.

The holidaymaker population is the one Rakuten and Seiyu are aiming at. The tourists will have the possibility to upload an app developed by Rakuten Drone on their mobile phone and benefit from a large range of more than 400 products, mainly food (meat, vegetables, beer, ice cream, and more). Emergency equipment will also be available.

From a logistic point of view, the products will be packed in delivery bags especially created for this occasion. They will be loaded on Rakuten’s RPASs from Seiyu shop located on the shore in front of the island, thus allowing fast deliveries on short distances. The deliveries will be operated at fixed hours on a landing strip for drones located on the island.

Summer appears to be the ideal moment for both Japanese companies to reach as many people as possible through this service and test its sustainability. Yokosuka town (obligatory passage to reach the island) has many hopes for this project which supports the ‘Yokosuka x Smart Mobility Challenge’ program that aims at developing a commercial network within and nearby the city by using a smart mobility system.

Rakuten and Seiyu won’t stop here and are currently managing a new platform ‘Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper’ which aims at enriching globally people’s lives and help them develop simple and pragmatic ways of living.