A pple chain of retail stores are turning Japanese (and yes, we really think so). Apple has announced today that the long awaited Tokyo Apple Store in the high-end Ginza shopping district will be opened at the end of the month. This marks the first Apple Store outside the US, and the company says that it will be the 73rd retail unit in Appleis fleet of brick and mortar stores. From Apple:
Appleis first retail store in Japan will open in Tokyois Ginza shopping district on Sunday, November 30 at 10:00 a.m. This will be Appleis 73rd retail store, and the first outside the US. The Apple Store Ginza will feature five floors where customers can shop for and learn about the latest Apple products and solutions as well as visit the popular Genius Bar to ask the Mac "Genius" questions and receive service. The Apple Store Ginza will host more than 400 customer events each month including a Studio Series of hands-on training classes.
"We opened our first retail store just over two years ago and have since hosted more than 23 million visitors," said Ron Johnson, Apple senior vice president of Retail. "We are thrilled to be bringing the best personal computer buying experience to Japan when we open our first Apple retail store in Tokyo on November 30."
The hands-on Apple store experience provides visitors access to the latest Mac computer systems including the PowerBook G4, iMac and eMac running innovative digital lifestyle applications like iPhoto, iDVD , iTunes and iMovie, as well as Mac OS X version 10.3 "Panther," Appleis next generation operating system. At the Apple store, knowledgeable sales people are available to help customers learn about the new ultra-portable iPods and iChat AV and iSight digital video cameras for video conferencing with friends and family.
You can find more information on the new Ginza Apple Store, including a full schedule of events and classes, at Appleis retail Web site.