cherry tv console

Don't Believe the Lines. Don't Believe the Hype.

In Japan, lots of people waiting is typically equated with success. This is why hardware launches are such a big deal in Japan. In recent years, because of overwhelming crowds, more and more Japanese retailers are offering pre-orders, cutting down on the first day sales panic.

Paid line standers are called "sakura", a play on the word for cherry blossoms. Jaded as I am, seeing people waiting outside a ramen shop always makes me wonder, are these people paid shills?

Popular restaurants in Japan do draw lines. It's the same anywhere, really. Certainly, not every line is filled with phony customers, but there are people, such as Kinect line-stander "Butch" , who claim to be professional shills.

That soft power, the ability to make people wait, transfers to the cult of celebrity. In the past, famous folks (think The Beatles) arriving at airports was a big deal. Over the years, it's become less so. The crowds that greet celebrities at the airport these days are paparazzi.

The Japanese mass media takes great interest in how many people are waiting for something. Whenever a new console launches, Famitsu numbers tend to stand up, but the TV media is often suspect. Earlier this week, a recent Fuji TV broadcast showed the arrival of South Korean female pop outfit Girls' Generation in Narita airport, stating that approximately 800 people were in line.