You have to know that Rakuten itself doesn't do much beside the frame. Rakuten is an Internet Mall - a place for merchants to show their products. These people are just sellers, not designers, and they are allowed to customize their products' and shops' pages however they like. Rakuten is to blame for not promoting consistent design among the merchants, but merchants themselves are to blame as well, for tons of noise in the pictures. When you compare, on Amazon pictures are big and clear, while on Rakuten they are there because seller just must put something. Often when you click the thumbnail, you get... the same thumbnail instead big product picture (which makes me mad.) And if sometimes 60-70% of picture space is covered with text. But what really makes me wonder is - how this strategy works? They are there, they are successfully selling their products! It's not only Rakuten, it is visible everywhere on the streets. Posters and commercials are full of noise. Not only text, mind it. It is common practice to have a person with tube in front of your store to praise the products they are selling. Noise is everywhere here. Everywhere except luxurious boutiques. :)