Don’t ever forget this. In Japan, people really, really like Pokémon. So today, when the newest Pokémon Center opened in Kyoto, there were massive lines to get into the store.
Yesterday, when I visited the shop to check out its limited goods, I kind of thought, hey, people will come tomorrow. Did they ever.
As pointed out on Hachima, here’s how much of the day has turned out so far.
平日の早朝5時前でこの始末なんだから、日が出て以降は世界中からポケモン好きの猛者が来るだろうな。
ちなみに午前8時から整理券を配るとのこと。
ポケモンセンターキョウトが出来たことは喜ばしいが、事故などは起こらないことを願う。 pic.twitter.com/KtdEr5uFMn— たけぽん (@revolvermario) March 15, 2016
People starting getting in line before 5am this morning.
ポケセン京都整理券待機
平日だぞ今日w pic.twitter.com/7EwZbmKoNO
— みー＠かえで@チームブラジル (@tsuki_kae) March 15, 2016
This was taken at just before 7am.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709876630697615360
Two hours before the shop was to open at 10am, there was about two hundred people in line.
ポケモンセンターキョウト開店初日。
USJのアトラクションくらいには並んでる。 pic.twitter.com/wAG4xaPtwk
— 海人まりも (@marimo6_5_3) March 16, 2016
A line was formed inside to get into the shop. This is before 10am, and the Twitter user compares the wait at Universal Studios Japan.
ホール埋まりました #ポケモンセンターキョウト pic.twitter.com/cdJXsdpJEm
— のーべん (@kazesayo) March 16, 2016
The sign says the wait is “zero minutes.” The staff hadn’t yet started tracking how long the wait was.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709911437477449729
Keep in mind, this is for a single shop opening, and this is a weekday.
ポケモンセンターキョウト入場待機待ち時間ﾜﾛﾀwww
自分はまだ七階だぞwww pic.twitter.com/s0VIBTR1aC— 海人まりも (@marimo6_5_3) March 16, 2016
At 10:15am, the wait was around 210 minutes or 3.5 hours.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709912068573429763
This is at 10:20am. Two hundred and seventy minutes.
ここは5階のポケモンセンターキョウトへの入場待ちの7階待機列です pic.twitter.com/tHmKLmpVWU
— にげあし (@nigeasi) March 16, 2016
Geez.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709925863358222336
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709918502539296773
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709915718561574912
https://twitter.com/embed/status/709918690926419968
And it’s been so crowded that separate registers were set up outside of the Pokémon Center to process all the sales as quickly as possible.
【お知らせ】本日オープンの「ポケモンセンターキョウト」は、混雑のため、11時現在、入店まで6時間以上お待ちいただいております。状況によってはご入店いただけない場合がございます。本日の営業時間は20時までとなります。予めご了承いただけますようお願い申し上げます。 #ポケモンセンター
— ポケモン公式 (@Pokemon_cojp) March 16, 2016
At 11:44am, the official Pokémon Twitter account stated that the wait time was over six hours and added that the store would be open until 8pm. Meaning? Depending on how the line goes, some people who line up later in the day might not be able to get in to the shop.
【お知らせ】本日オープンの「ポケモンセンターキョウト」は混雑のため17時15分現在、入店まで15～30分程度お待ちいただいている状況です。本日の営業時間は、20時までとなります。予めご了承いただけますようお願い申し上げます。 #ポケモンセンター
— ポケモン公式 (@Pokemon_cojp) March 16, 2016
That was peak Pokémon Center Kyoto fever. By 5pm Japan time, the wait time had cooled off to between 15 to 30 minutes. Good to know and never forget how popular Pokémon is in Japan. Never.
後ろ姿もとっても可愛い!!!#ポケモンセンターキョウト #ポケモン #Pokemon pic.twitter.com/3yJmpGShtC
— ちゃぷ* (@chipchap9) March 16, 2016
Top image: gorou12 | marimo6_5_3 | tieela_with_you | water010 | U_Y_0624
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft
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