Apple’s First Retail Store in Japan Opens in Tokyo This Sunday

TOKYO—November 27, 2003—Apple’s first retail store in Japan will open in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district this Sunday, November 30 at 10:00 a.m. JST. The five-floor Apple® Store Ginza is Apple’s first retail store outside the U.S.

“Over the last two years, Apple has redefined computer retailing for Mac and PC users in the U.S and now we are bringing the best personal computer buying experience to one of the greatest shopping destinations in the world—the Ginza in Tokyo,” said Ron Johnson, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.

Some features of the Apple Store Ginza include:

• five floors where customers can shop for and learn about the latest Apple products and solutions, including dedicated “solution centers” for music, movies and photography;
• a twenty-seven foot long Genius Bar, one of the most popular sections of the Apple retail stores, where visitors can ask a Mac® “Genius” questions or receive product service;
• an 84-seat state-of- the-art-theater, where customers can attend workshops, watch demonstrations of Apple’s latest products or attend “Made on a Mac” events;
• more than 400 customer events every month including a Studio Series of hands-on training classes:*
• an Internet cafe where anyone can check email or use Apple’s iChat AV and iSight™ digital video conference cameras to video conference with friends and family;
• Mac specialists who speak 10 different languages including Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Korean, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and English;
• a software selection with hundreds of titles for the Mac; and
• a Kids section devoted to educational software and games for the store’s youngest visitors

Apple’s over 70 retail stores in the U.S. have hosted more than 24 million visitors since the first Apple retail store opened in May 2001.

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,” Apple’s 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.

*A complete schedule of Ginza store classes and events is available at www.apple.com/retail/jp/ginza