Photo= Slapping high fives with shop assistants, customers taking videos on their iPhones enter the store (August 25, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto)

"Apple Kyoto," a directly-managed store of Apple Inc., a major US-based IT Company, opened in the commercial facility "Kyoto Zero Gate" in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, on August 25. It is the ninth directly-managed store in Japan, and also the second one in the Kansai region, following one in Shinsaibashi, Osaka Prefecture. Fans and others lined up from the previous evening to pick up the latest products.

Approximately 1,300 people lined up along the streets, including Shijo-dori Street, before its opening, and cheers erupted as the store opened at 10:00 a.m. Slapping high-fives with shop assistants as they entered, the gathered shoppers received limited-edition commemorative T-shirts and other items.

A female company employee from Otsu City, who waited in line with her mother and sister, smilingly said, "Since I have been waiting for over 12 hours, since last night, I miss my futon. However, I'm looking forward to the limited-edition goods that we can only get here."

The directly-managed store occupies the first, second and third floors of "Kyoto Zero Gate." The store has adopted a Japanese design with the essence of Kyoto, such as plastered walls and window glass representing sliding doors. The shop has multi-lingual shop assistants stationed throughout, and sell its leading smartphone, "iPhone" and other products. Photograph and music workshops are held every day via a reservation system, and, for the first time in Japan, business negotiation space is provided.