Apple (AAPL) already had seven retail outlets in Japan and two in the capital, but with Japanese iPhone sales going gangbusters, the company treated the opening Friday of its new store in Tokyo — on tree-lined Omotesando Avenue — as if it were its first.
On Thursday, it posted a pre-opening video of the big glass box on YouTube — the first time it’s ever done that, according to ifoapplestore‘s Gary Allen. And it flew Angela Ahrendts out to oversee the festivities. It was a coming out party of sorts for Burberry’s former CEO, who was hired by Apple in October but didn’t officially join the company until last month. She sent her first memo to Apple’s retail staff Thursday, and her first tweet from Omotesando.
In addition to Apple’s official video, there were plenty of unofficial YouTubes shot from a line of customers that seemed to go on forever.
The countdown:
Warming up the crowd:
Walking the line from the front:
Walking the line from the back:
The night before:
Apple’s official pre-opening video
http://youtu.be/0ldZr7FFFFc