iPad Pre-orders in Japan!

If you type 新しいiPad in twitters search box you're gonna see lots of Japanese people surprised about getting their smart cover before the iPad.

 

Yeah, lots of people seem to be getting e-mails about their "bathtub covers" being dispatched ;-)

About the iPads themselves, it appears there are two cases :
- iPads with engravings, which are being shipped directly from Shenzhen. People who got those and preordered on the 8th have already received notification that their devices are en route.
- iPads without engravings. According to some sources, those are currently stored by Apple in the Shutoken area, and notifications will only be sent once the devices are dispatched from there.

I preordered a White 32GB Wi-fi only device on the 8th (right after the store came back online in the early morning), no engravings.
My status changed yesterday from "processing" to "preparing shipment". ETA remained unchanged, March 16th, 2012.

 

I fly to Tokyo a couple days after my new iPad is delivered on the 16th- any of you in Japan know if Yodobashi will have rear covers compatible with the 3rd gen devices?

 

At this point, I'd say if you want to grab one before April, you're probably better off lining up on Friday morning.
Alternatively, you could also phone some big retailer like Yodobashi or Bic Camera and ask if they're still accepting preorders.
Yesterday, people on 2ch were reporting 32GB and 16GB being available pretty much everywhere, so it might be worth a shot.

I'd say chances are pretty high.
They already appear to have some readily available on their website.
http://www.yodobashi.com/ec/category/index.html?query=&cate=&word=新しいipad+カバー

 

Bic camera is already listing new iPad rear covers and cases on their homepage.

http://www.biccamera.com/bicbic/jsp/w/catalog/detail.jsp?JAN_CODE=4512223659966

 

Just preordered a black 32GB 4G (3G) at my local Softbank this afternoon. They said they didn't have many preorders at that store and I could be looking at Friday delivery.

 

Just got mail.
Mine's on its way. Should be here on Friday. Nice !