The Apple Store – Ginza
Apple is one of the leaders in technological innovation and have become as much as a fashion accessory as a piece of cutting edge techo gadgetry. Once a computer company today Apple are the benchmark for MP3 players with their iPod range and now phones with their incredible smart-phone the iPhone.
Instead of being located in Aikihabara with all the electronic stores Apple has chosen to focus on their strong brand image and locate their premier Japanese iconic store, their first Apple store outside the USA, in Ginza. Here they are standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Gucci, Dior Louis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier and the other glitzy brands which call Ginza home. The centre is very popular especially on the weekends when thousands of people flock to the centre to get their hand on Apple’s latest and most desirable products.
When Apple launch a new product the Tokyo Ginza store usually features the longest line with thousands queuing up for hours to be one of the first to own the latest and most desirable gadget. Even on normal shopping days there are usually a group of people waiting in line for the store to open to the public.
Opening in November of 2003, the striking glass and stainless steel six floor centre has a showcase of Apple’s latest lineup of phones, mp3 players, computers and software plus levels of accessories you can plug into your device. The centre covers about 20,000 square metres of floorspace. And there are even floors dedicated to training and plenty of courses, with many of them free where you can learn how to use the latest Apple software application or equipment.
The centre features huge white shiny tables filled with dozens of computers and hand held devices most of which you can try out their latest offering before purchasing. The centre makes a great place to check your emails or connect to their free wi-fi service to catch up with your mail and friends. The centre has a large internet café on the 4th floor which is free and open to about 9PM every night. The centre features two glass elevators at the back of the store which by Tokyo standards run very slow, this is deliberate, to give people a special experience and calm them before entering the floors showcase. The lift features a very innovative video pillar showing what the floor has to offer in an amazing display of computerized animation but no buttons, the lift just stops at every floor which is open to the public.
The center is also the company’s Japanese Head Quarters. It can be found on Ginza-dori on the corner of Matsaya-Dori Street in the main Ginza shopping strip on Ginza 3. Its only a one minute stroll from the Ginza subway station or three minutes from Ginza-1Chrome Subway. The JR line Yarakucho will take about 6-8 minutes walk.
Due to the popularity of the Ginza store a second Tokyo store has opened at Shibuya, although smaller. At the time of writing this article there were also store open in Nagoya, Fukuoka, Shinsaibashi- Osaka, Sapporo and Sendai.
For more information on the Ginza Apple store visit http://www.apple.com/jp/retail/ginza/
