rakuten-mcp Server

Rakuten API integration for product search, hotel and travel booking, and recipe lookup across Japan's largest e-commerce platform.

Documentation

rakuten-mcp

npm version npm downloads rakuten-mcp MCP server MCP Badge License: MIT

A Model Context Protocol server for the Rakuten Web Service API. 28 read-only tools across six Rakuten product families: Ichiba (marketplace), Books, Travel, Recipe, Kobo, and GORA (golf).

Every tool description ships in English and Japanese. Every endpoint was verified against the live Rakuten API on 2026-06-04 before release.

Install

npm install -g rakuten-mcp

Or npx rakuten-mcp on demand.

Configuration

  1. Register at Rakuten Web Service.
  2. Create an application. You get a UUID Application ID and a pk_-prefixed Access Key.
  3. Optional: register an Affiliate ID to monetize product links. Item URLs in tool responses will carry it.
VariableRequiredDescription
RAKUTEN_APP_IDyesApplication ID (UUID format on the new platform)
RAKUTEN_ACCESS_KEYyesAccess Key (starts with pk_)
RAKUTEN_AFFILIATE_IDnoAffiliate ID appended to every item URL
RAKUTEN_MAX_RETRIESnoRetries on 429 / 5xx. Default 3.

Claude Desktop

Edit claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rakuten": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "rakuten-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "RAKUTEN_APP_ID": "your-app-id",
        "RAKUTEN_ACCESS_KEY": "your-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

claude mcp add rakuten -e RAKUTEN_APP_ID=... -e RAKUTEN_ACCESS_KEY=... -- npx -y rakuten-mcp

Cursor / Cline / Continue

Same JSON shape as Claude Desktop, under each client's MCP config path.

Tools

Ichiba (5)

ToolWhat it does
ichiba_item_searchKeyword search on Rakuten Ichiba with price filters, sort, genre/shop restrictions.
ichiba_genre_searchBrowse the genre tree. Returns current, ancestors, siblings, and children.
ichiba_tag_searchLook up a specific tag by ID. Returns the tag group and name.
ichiba_item_rankingBestseller ranking, overall or by genre / period / age / gender.
ichiba_product_searchItem Price Navi: same product across multiple sellers with min/max/avg price.

Books (9)

ToolWhat it does
books_total_searchCross-category search across all of Rakuten Books.
books_book_searchPrinted books by title, author, ISBN, publisher.
books_cd_searchMusic CDs by title, artist, label, JAN.
books_dvd_searchDVDs / Blu-ray.
books_foreign_book_searchNon-Japanese books. Returns japaneseTitle when a translation exists.
books_magazine_searchMagazines by title, publisher, JAN.
books_game_searchVideo games by title, hardware platform, JAN.
books_software_searchComputer software by title, OS, JAN.
books_genre_searchBrowse the Books genre tree (000 = top).

Travel (7)

ToolWhat it does
travel_simple_hotel_searchHotels by area code or lat/lon.
travel_vacant_hotel_searchHotels with rooms available on specific check-in / check-out dates. Returns plans with per-night and total pricing.
travel_hotel_detail_searchFull details for one hotel by hotelNo.
travel_get_area_classThe area-code hierarchy: 日本 → 47 prefectures → cities → districts.
travel_keyword_hotel_searchFree-text hotel search by name / landmark / area.
travel_get_hotel_chain_listAll 307 hotel chains registered on Rakuten Travel.
travel_hotel_rankingTop hotels by ranking genre (all / onsen / ryokan / city / resort / business / pension / publichouse).

Recipe (2)

ToolWhat it does
recipe_category_listThe full Rakuten Recipe category tree (43 large → ~540 medium → ~1500 small). Pass level to fetch one tier.
recipe_category_rankingTop recipes in a category with title, ingredient list, prep time, cost estimate, image, and author.

Kobo (2)

ToolWhat it does
kobo_ebook_searchSearch Rakuten Kobo's eBook catalogue. Returns title, series, author, publisher, language code, price, and sale URL.
kobo_genre_searchBrowse the Kobo genre tree. Top-level is 101 (電子書籍).

GORA (3)

ToolWhat it does
gora_golf_course_searchGolf courses by area code, keyword, or coordinates.
gora_golf_course_detailFull course profile: designer, hole/par, course distance, green type, dress code, facilities, base prices.
gora_plan_searchReservation plans on a specific play date. Returns per-plan prices, cart/caddie/lunch inclusions, player-count constraints.

Example queries

楽天で1万円以下のワイヤレスイヤホンを探して。レビュー4以上。
村上春樹の楽天Kobo電子書籍を新着順で。
東京駅近くのホテル、7月1〜2日、2名で1泊1万5千円以下の空室。
今週末東京近郊のゴルフ場で安いプランは?
楽天レシピで人気の鶏胸肉料理を5件、材料と所要時間込みで。
JANコード 4988601009447 のCDの取扱店舗。

Architecture

Modular: one file per API family under src/tools/. Stdio and HTTP transports both supported. Typed error tree with 8 classes covering Config / Auth / RateLimit / Server / NotFound / BadRequest / MalformedResponse / Unknown. Retry-with-backoff on 429 and 5xx, parses Retry-After as both seconds and HTTP-date. See AGENTS.md for the architecture brief, conventions, and how to add a new tool.

Safety

All 28 tools are read-only HTTP GETs against the Rakuten Web Service API. No tool creates, modifies, or deletes anything. Rakuten's terms of service and rate limits apply. Returned items are promotional listings — verify prices and availability on Rakuten before acting on them.

Disclaimer

Unofficial. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rakuten Group, Inc. Rakuten, Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten Books, Rakuten Travel, Rakuten Recipe, Rakuten Kobo, and Rakuten GORA are trademarks of Rakuten Group, Inc. Use at your own risk.

License

MIT