Rakuten continues to beat the we're-coming-to-the-U.S.-market drum this week as its executives continue to tell Japan's The Daily Yomiuri that they will use Linkshare as a means to "... expand our business into the international market... we want to open a full-fledged Internet mall (abroad)", says Atsushi Kunishige, VP at the company.

According to Daily Yomiuri the well-known Internet mall operator (in Japan) is studying a plan to go public in the U.S. although he said the firm has not yet decided on where to list itself.

Nonetheless, Rakuten is bracing to open Rakuten Ichiba, an Internet mall, and go on the board here in the States. It's rival, Yahoo Japan Corp., can only do business in the Japanese market -- one that is far smaller than the U.S. market.

A report released by the Economy, Trade & Industry Ministry in 2005 stated the size of the market (consumer e-commerce) in Japan was 5.64 trillion yen in 2004. Contrast that with the market in the United States which was 2.89 times larger or 16.29 trillion yen (in the same year).

What does this mean for Linkshare's customers? Linkshare's affiliates? It would seem that customers will soon have competition and affiliates will have a new array of products to sell.