Splatoon 2 launched on a Friday, so most people were at work. Shops in Akihabara open at 10am, and many were ready for early buyers.

Some larger stores like Sofmap, Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera set up shopfront stalls, selling the game and related products.

There were some small lines

But there was plenty of stock to go around, so it was easy enough to get the game and related items, like Amiibo and neon green/pink joycons. If you were lucky, there were also a few of the licensed (in-game brand) Forge headsets available.

The bigger stores were very busy however – there was a 20+ minute wait at the counter at Yodobashi for example.

While the game was easy enough to obtain, it’s not so easy to get a Switch console in Japan. This is what you see in most places at the moment:

Demand is off the charts and all Switch consoles sell out instantly. Stores only get a certain allotment of consoles, and to determine which customers get a chance to buy one, they run lotteries.



Literal lotteries. Customers are asked to line up at a certain location from 8am and take a number. Later in the day, they draw numbers, and the winners now have an opportunity to buy the console.

This was the line to take a number at the Akihabara Bic Camera store.

After getting your number, you can go about you day shopping, and return for the results announcement.

The results are posted at the front of the store.

The Splatoon 2 booth was quite busy with buyers at this point, and combined with the rush to see the Switch lottery results, a crush took place.

Bad luck if you didn’t win, try again tomorrow.



Or you could buy from scalper stores for double the price!

More Splatoon store displays

After a long day of observing the craziness, I finally got home to get playing myself.

While Japan got ready to do it all again a week later for Dragon Quest XI!

Next up: Splatoon at the Kyoto Aquarium