TOKYO, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japanese mail-order firm and shopping catalog magazine publisher Cataloghouse Ltd. has withdrawn its store from Rakuten Group Inc.'s e-commerce platform, Kyodo News reported Wednesday.
The move came after Rakuten, whose core businesses include e-commerce, financial services and mobile communications, was reportedly planning to cooperate with Helsing, a German defense technology startup, to bring the latter's drones with attack capabilities into the Japanese market. The two sides also seek to have the drones adopted by Japan's Self-Defense Forces and eventually mass-produced in Japan.
The reported tie-up has drawn widespread criticism on Japanese social media. Some netizens said it runs counter to Japan's long-held pacifist principles and voiced concern that the involvement of Japanese companies in the weapons industry could further heighten regional tensions.
Cataloghouse, known for its openly anti-war stance, said the tie-up between Rakuten and Helsing is "incompatible with its corporate philosophy."
The company closed its official store on Rakuten's e-commerce marketplace on Tuesday. In a notice posted on its website, Cataloghouse said, "We must uphold the pledge to renounce war enshrined in Article 9 of the constitution." ■