At electronics stores and toy shops, there were clear notices on windows for customers lining up for the Kamen Rider toys going on sale on November 20. At the stores that carry Kinect, there weren't such notices — it's as if Japanese retail has given up. That's a shame, because Kinect seems to be a truly interesting product.

In some stores, such as where Microsoft held the Kinect launch in Akihabara, there were obvious Kinect displays, and consumers could easily find the product.

In other stores, such as a very large electronics store in North Osaka, there were only Kinect pamphlets in the bottom row of the Kinect aisle. Consumers had to ask at the counter if the store had Kinect in store — something that doesn't exactly make for easy shopping — and clerks then had look in the stock room. Several clerks I asked weren't even quite sure what Kinect was and had to check with their supervisors.