Yokohama is Japan's second-largest city by population, after Tokyo. Apple has 11 stores in Japan already.
Thanks, @hamu_3nd!
Article Link: Apple Store Seemingly Opening in Japan's Second-Largest City
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Apple Store Seemingly Opening in Japan's Second-Largest City
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Yokohama is Japan's second-largest city by population, after Tokyo. Apple has 11 stores in Japan already.
Thanks, @hamu_3nd!
Article Link: Apple Store Seemingly Opening in Japan's Second-Largest City
StudioMacs
macrumors 65816
As noted by Kazuto Kusakari, new job listings suggest that Apple is preparing to open its first store in Yokohama.
Yokohama is Japan's second-largest city by population, after Tokyo. Apple has 11 stores in Japan already.
Thanks, @hamu_3nd!
Article Link: Apple Store Seemingly Opening in Japan's Second-Largest City
Can someone post a TLDR?
tonari
macrumors newbie
TL;DR: Apple appears to be preparing its first Apple Store in Yokohama. The clue is new Apple retail job listings tied to Yokohama/Kanagawa, including store roles such as Specialist and technical support positions. Apple has not announced the exact location or opening date yet. If it opens, it would likely become Apple’s 12th store in Japan; Yokohama is Japan’s second-largest city and currently has no Apple Store.
racerhomie
macrumors 6502a
Why does Apple not offer any services to Bangladesh(neighbor of India) like App Store support?
IceCool
macrumors 6502a
PBG4 Dude
macrumors 603
Bangladesh sounds more like a command than a location. Kinda like Bangkok.
racerhomie
macrumors 6502a
The Apple section over at Yodobashi Camera is decent, but man having an Apple Store right there in Yokohama would sure be convenient for me since I work over there half the year. At least, I wouldn't need to ride over to Kawasaki for my fruit tech anymore. Always wondered why Yoko didn't have its own..
jchap
macrumors 6502a
This news is great for people living further down the Pacific coast from Tokyo, although it’s no help for Saitama and Chiba residents, who still have to run all the way to Tokyo for the Apple in-store experience. It’s also little help for Shizuoka prefectural residents. Apple Stores are also non-existent north and east up the coast, even in Sapporo (a city with nearly two million people)… and Apple continues to give the middle finger to all cities on the Sea of Japan coastal side.
To be frank, Apple Stores in Japan are generally chaotic, overcrowded and a poor place to shop for products in a leisurely, thoughtful way. Apple is already represented at the big electronic stores like Yodobashi and Bic Camera in Japan, so aside from the so-called Genius Bar and the product-centric “educational” events, the official stores offer little of value besides brand name and the blue-shirt experience.
Apple needs better in-person support and people with real product expertise in general in all corners of Japan. For many people who don’t live in the major cities, that support is few and far between.
To be frank, Apple Stores in Japan are generally chaotic, overcrowded and a poor place to shop for products in a leisurely, thoughtful way. Apple is already represented at the big electronic stores like Yodobashi and Bic Camera in Japan, so aside from the so-called Genius Bar and the product-centric “educational” events, the official stores offer little of value besides brand name and the blue-shirt experience.
Apple needs better in-person support and people with real product expertise in general in all corners of Japan. For many people who don’t live in the major cities, that support is few and far between.
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jchap
macrumors 6502a
Zorori
macrumors 6502
I always thought it was weird that Kawasaki had one, despite Yokohama being the bigger, more prestigious city.
On the Chiba residents, it's very easy to get to areas of Tokyo with stores in ~30 minutes. Unless you live way out in the middle of nowhere (Chiba is huge). Likewise, Saitama has very easy links to Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. Neither area is particularly affluent, outside of Tokyo commuters -- who could just go after work anyway
On the Chiba residents, it's very easy to get to areas of Tokyo with stores in ~30 minutes. Unless you live way out in the middle of nowhere (Chiba is huge). Likewise, Saitama has very easy links to Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. Neither area is particularly affluent, outside of Tokyo commuters -- who could just go after work anyway
jchap
macrumors 6502a
Hmm… even from Funabashi, it takes upwards of 40 minutes to get to the Apple Marunouchi store in Tokyo using the JR Sobu line. Ichikawa is closer, but eastern Chiba is a stretch. Saitama (like Omiya) is likewise somewhere near an hour to the Shibuya store.
Apple has nothing in the eastern wards of Tokyo—Edogawa-ku, Katsushika-ku, Koto-ku, etc. Everything is centered around midtown. That’s kinda why Kawasaki made sense, I guess. Generally, though, Apple seems to open stores for the prestige more than anything else.
You’re right about how commuters to Tokyo can stop by after work—the Tokyo Apple Stores seem to be open until 9:00 p.m.
Apathist
macrumors member
tonari
macrumors newbie
Small local update from Japan: a Japanese YouTuber did a field report after Apple’s Yokohama retail job listings appeared.
Video:
His main guess is that the most plausible location might be the Sky Building near Yokohama Station’s east exit, where Marui City Yokohama closed earlier this year and floors 2-6 are currently shut for renovation. It is close to the station, has enough space in theory, and parts of the building could potentially be adapted with a more visible glass-front Apple-style entrance.
He also checked other possible areas, including NEWoMan/CIAL, Lumine, Yokohama Bay Quarter, Porta, Landmark Plaza, Queen’s Square, and MARK IS Minatomirai. His impression was that Minatomirai would fit Apple’s image, but weekday foot traffic seems weaker and there were no obvious large vacant spaces. NEWoMan also looks Apple-compatible, but he did not see much room for Apple to move in.
One caveat: if it is the Sky Building, the current entrance/traffic flow may be a challenge. There does not seem to be a dedicated Apple-style entrance right now, so Apple would probably need to modify the building layout or crowd-control flow.
Based on past Japanese Apple Store openings, he also notes that Apple has often started hiring roughly 9-14 months before opening. If that pattern holds, a Yokohama opening sometime around spring to summer 2027 would not be surprising, though Apple has not announced the location or date.
Video:
His main guess is that the most plausible location might be the Sky Building near Yokohama Station’s east exit, where Marui City Yokohama closed earlier this year and floors 2-6 are currently shut for renovation. It is close to the station, has enough space in theory, and parts of the building could potentially be adapted with a more visible glass-front Apple-style entrance.
He also checked other possible areas, including NEWoMan/CIAL, Lumine, Yokohama Bay Quarter, Porta, Landmark Plaza, Queen’s Square, and MARK IS Minatomirai. His impression was that Minatomirai would fit Apple’s image, but weekday foot traffic seems weaker and there were no obvious large vacant spaces. NEWoMan also looks Apple-compatible, but he did not see much room for Apple to move in.
One caveat: if it is the Sky Building, the current entrance/traffic flow may be a challenge. There does not seem to be a dedicated Apple-style entrance right now, so Apple would probably need to modify the building layout or crowd-control flow.
Based on past Japanese Apple Store openings, he also notes that Apple has often started hiring roughly 9-14 months before opening. If that pattern holds, a Yokohama opening sometime around spring to summer 2027 would not be surprising, though Apple has not announced the location or date.
Seems astonishing that Apple would not already have a store in Japan's SECOND LARGEST CITY. Does anyone know if there's a practical reason that this is coming so (apparently) late in the game?
It’s still Japan. It’s not as cutting edge as people assume. There cant be that much demand for Apple, or they would have Apple stores in all the major cities here.