I always wondered what it’s like to be in an Apple Store. I’m not talking about every single Apple reseller in the Philippines, I want to know and feel the real experience. Ever since I found out I was going to Japan, I knew it would be possible to visit one! After visiting 4 of them in Tokyo, I’m here to share to you my Apple Store experience!
Side note right off the bat: this post will have a lot of photos! Showing you all this is so much more important than writing too many words.
First Store: Apple Shibuya!
This happened during my first Saturday in Japan! I couldn’t wait until the next few weeks. After I moved from the hotel to the apartment, I immediately went to the nearest one I could think of. That store was Apple Shibuya!
At first glance, it already looked more spacious than most resellers in the Philippines. (Power Mac Center seems to get the feel right.) The difference lies in how much detail they put in the stores.
I loved how the accessories are separated from the products themselves. In that way, people are drawn to Apple products first before thinking of accessories.
I didn’t venture to the third floor for this one since I knew I would get a chance to come back soon. It only took another day for me to head to another one.
Apple Omotesando
Before I went in, I noticed that the Omotesando area felt really high-end to me. In that time, I knew that it makes a lot of sense for Apple to be here. This is a newer store actually. All I can say is that this store is really beautiful! It amazes me to no end that Apple uses so much glass and still makes this thing a wonderful place!
This Apple Store is really distinct in the sense that it’s wider than all the stores I’ve visited. So much so that I can see all the Apple products on display in one area!
It was in this store that I first took a good look at one of the new Beats headphones. These particular ones were the Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones – Mickey’s 90th Anniversary Edition!
I tried listening to Beats for the first time here. They sound good for headphones but I feel that I could find comparable quality headphones at a cheaper price. These Beats look good though. Enough about that, let’s explore more of Apple Omotesando!
Unlike Shibuya, the Omotesando store has all its accessories and Personal Setup here in the lower part. I also noticed just how crowded Apple Stores are here in Japan. I can’t say whether other stores are different but it always feels like there are lots of people inside.
Apple Shinjuku
I spent the least amount of time in Apple Shinjuku. It probably was the effect of already visiting two Apple stores prior to this. If there was one takeaway from this, it would be my first encounter with Today at Apple.
Today at Apple is an initiative where Apple stores hold events and lessons related to using Apple products and more! During my visit to Apple Shinjuku, they were doing some live art using the iPad. I think this is a great way to draw more people inside Apple stores and help them learn new skills!
I also found this SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD! Since the box is insanely small, I can only imagine how small the actual product is. It costs 17,800 yen though so I can’t just buy this. Hehe. It took me almost a week to head to the fourth store I’ve been to.
Apple Ginza!
As of this writing, I am currently finishing the article at the theatre here in Apple Ginza. Yep, they have a theatre. I’m getting ahead of myself! Why don’t I show you what’s inside!
This is just the 1st floor, where people check out the Apple products! It’s in the Ginza store where I stayed on the 1st floor the longest. Good thing there was a lot more to explore!
This is the 2nd floor. You can find all the accessories, Personal Setup, and Today at Apple sessions here! I got to see some sessions going on while I stayed there. The one thing I really noticed with this Apple Store is that it gets more crowded as the day went by! A lot of people, whether Japanese or not, actually go in this store every day. It’s really nuts to think that even in 2019, there are a lot of people buying Apple products in the store.
Met A Filipina in the Apple Store!
It was at Apple Ginza that I met a Filipina who worked at Apple Retail! She was super cool in the sense that she could speak fluent Japanese! It reached a point where her English already had an accent. I liked her accent anyway. She was really accommodating and I hope she does really well! (It was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t quite get her name since I wouldn’t put it up here anyway.)
Final Thoughts on the Apple Store Experience.
All in all, I really loved my experience in going to 4 Apple stores! I could really feel the energy that the retail people (or Geniuses) show! I hope I get to visit more of these around the world in the future. My not-so-secret wish is to finally have a REAL Apple store in the Philippines as well. My Apple fanboy heart is filled with joy!
