Opening line at Ginza

[animemaster]

That that was pretty cool. That has to be some sort of record of something, I know it was for me to watch something for so long.

Make sure to watch ALL of it.

http://homepage.mac.com/hsk/applejapan.html

-animemaster

 

[jxyama]

jeez...!!!

i wonder if people near the end knew what they were lining up for or that the line was *THAT* long...!



and it was raining! (apparently) think how much worse would it have been if it was a sunny day!

i did hear about a bit of ruckus because of people trying to cut in... kinda understandable!

 

[animemaster]

When I saw it for the first time, and when the camera guy crossed the street the first time, I didn't really think much about it. I mean, most Apple openings, the lines are usually long enough to go around a block minimum.

Then, he keep going, and going and going. Then it all slowed down when the guy was holding the "1000" person sign. The he picked up speed again.

After a few minutes, I really couldn't believe it. Then, he crossed the major street, and kept going.

Simply amazing, one must say.

-animemaster

 

[Raid]

Now I can see why Apple is so slow to bring a store to Canada... we just don't have the population to generate lines like that! Man I wonder how fast the line was moving, it seems to me that anybody near the end of the line wouldn't get in till the next day!

 

[krimson]

i thought the line would end a few times, but damn... it's great to see all different kinda of people, and all ages..

 

[iChan]

yeah, it's a very long line... but you get these long lines all the time in japan... usually for big game or console launches...

 

[krimson]

i remember seeing footage of the PS2 launch, there were huge lines all over the place.

 

[gwuMACaddict]

wow... and i thought the lotr line was long last night...

i love my mac and all... but didn't anyone have anything better do?

 

[iChan]

i couldn't think of anything I would prefer to do than go to an opening of an Apple Store... In Ginza!!! The funnest place.

 

[iAlan]

Well, i was in the line, and on the video....cool. I was in the first 1000 people about half way. Try to find me!!

I have posted a few pictures from the opening HERE

I lost track of how long I waited, but i got a t-shirt and can say i was one of the first 1000 at the store...wooo hooo

As for Japoanese people standing in lines, here are a few examples i have heard about from friends. For Titanic (the movie) people were waiting 2 hours before a show time (seats are not all reserved in movie theatres in Japan - general admission is 1,800 yen (about $US 16) if you want a reserved seat you can get one for 2,400 yen. Suffice to say i do not go to the movies here much at those prices. PS2 (limited edition silver and sakura models) 4-5 hours. The new Tokyo Disney Sea Resort (which opened just over a year ago) Indiana Jones Adventure 3.5 hours.

this is not surprising with the number of people here in Tokyo and he oulying suburds.

p.s. Sorry for the off topic anecdote above.

 

[animemaster]

For them, it's not a matter that they don't h ave anything else better to do, it's just that these sorts of things are their life! Nowhere else in the world do people go on lines for computer equipment, or consoles like they do.

Lines yes, however, here for example, people are frowned on for getting on a line for pratically anything. There though, it's a part of life, which is probably why at some point the line surpassed 2000 people.
I mean, I can go much more in detail about this, but I don't think that would fit so well in a computer, excuse me, Apple related, forum. Ask me, and I do tell.

-animemaster

 

[wdlove]

It just shows that Steve knew what he was doing when he placed his first store outside of the US. The Japanese are very hardy to wait in the rain and that long for an Apple Store. Is it true that there are still lines to get into the Ginza store?

 

[alset]

Wow. Let me say that again... WOW!

I thought I was hardcore for waiting in lines at Bay St, but I'd love to be a part of such dedication as was displayed in that video.

Dan

 

[junior]

Originally posted by wdlove
It just shows that Steve knew what he was doing when he placed his first store outside of the US. The Japanese are very hardy to wait in the rain and that long for an Apple Store. Is it true that there are still lines to get into the Ginza store?

No. There are always enough people in there, but I certainly haven't seen anyone lining up to get in there.

 

[floatingspirit]

dddduuuuuuuude!

My students gladly wait 2.5 hours in line to got to Disney or Universal Studios Japan too, but I'm sure Apple products are a perfect fit for the Japanese emphasis on appearance, and style, hence the long line(*_*)

By the way, the "Refurbished Products" on the Apple Store Japan website sold out in 4 hours the other day. All 14 systems! The Japanese Apple-Education Store site has been down for a couple days...wonder why...

 

[iAlan]

Re: dddduuuuuuuude!

Originally posted by floatingspirit
...I'm sure Apple products are a perfect fit for the Japanese emphasis on appearance, and style, hence the long line(*_*)...

Good point, not to mention that, in this case, Apple just knows what it is doing.

I was at the store again around 8.00 pm and there were a good number of other people there also. And a few people walking out with new laptops (is there such a thing as consumer envy?)

The only proble m for me is that Apple is not offering any 'points'. I can buy stuff from Bic Camera, Sakuraya Camera, etc and get points (ranging from 8%-20% of a products price) on a purchase to use against a future purchase. So, spend 250,000 yen on a laptop and get 25,000 yen off another purchase in the future (in my case, a new digital camera) If Apple did this, they would really kick some retail-ass.