• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Hundreds line up for iPad 2 in Tokyo

By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 28, 2011, 11:00 AM ET

The first video shows a queue three city blocks long for Japan’s post-tsunami launch



Source: stevenagata via YouTube

Earthquakes, a tsunami and a few nuclear meltdowns don’t seem to have cooled the ardor of Japanese Apple (AAPL) enthusiasts for the iPad 2, which launched Thursday after a five week postponement.

The first customers took their place on line at 8 p.m. Wednesday and withstood a night of heavy rain, according to the
Wall Street Journal
. A video posted on YouTube Thursday morning shows buyers lined up for three city blocks. Some were there for the white iPhone 4, which went on sale the same day. But most, according to the Journal, were there for the iPad 2.

The YouTube video is available here and below the fold. Note to videographer stevenagata: Next time, shoot from the front of the line to the back so we can see their faces.

UPDATE: The vodpod version of a second video, from NTDTV.com, is posted below steveagata’s.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adqc-K4DGOA]

[vodpod id=Video.7394483&w=425&h=350&fv=config%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fenglish.ntdtv.com%2Fp55config.xml%26amp%3Bfile%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fmedia5.ntdtv.com%2Fml%2Fenglish%2Fnews%2Fab%2F2011-04-28%2F20110428-AB-17_iPad2-Makes-Delayed-Japan-Debut.mp4%26amp%3Babouttext%3Denglish.ntdtv.com%26amp%3Baboutlink%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fenglish.ntdtv.com%26amp%3Bimage%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fenglish.ntdtv.com%2Ffiles%2FContent%2F20110428-AB-17_iPad2-Makes-Delayed-Japan-Debut.jpg%26amp%3Bautostart%3Dfalse]

Also onFortune.com:

  • Apple took 74% of the tablet market in Q1
  • About Apple’s P/E ratio
  • Apple clobbers estimates, iPad sales fall short

[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]

About the Author
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Personal Financemortgages
Current mortgage rates report for Dec. 8, 2025: Rates hold steady with Fed meeting on horizon
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 8, 2025
14 minutes ago
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for Dec. 8, 2025
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 8, 2025
14 minutes ago
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for Dec. 8, 2025
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 8, 2025
14 minutes ago
CryptoBinance
Binance has been proudly nomadic for years. A new announcement suggests it’s finally chosen a headquarters
By Ben WeissDecember 7, 2025
4 hours ago
Big TechStreaming
Trump warns Netflix-Warner deal may pose antitrust ‘problem’
By Hadriana Lowenkron, Se Young Lee and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
8 hours ago
Big TechOpenAI
OpenAI goes from stock market savior to burden as AI risks mount
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
8 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says Europe has a 'real problem’
By Katherine Chiglinsky and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Supreme Court to reconsider a 90-year-old unanimous ruling that limits presidential power on removing heads of independent agencies
By Mark Sherman and The Associated PressDecember 7, 2025
17 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.