In Japan, Typhoon Disrupts iPhone Queue As Customers Take Refuge In Apple Store

In Japan, customers have been queuing on Tokyo's Ginza for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c since last week. Today, however, a powerful typhoon meant that these Apple die-hards were forced to take refuge in the nearby Apple Retail Store, as adverse weather conditions posed a serious danger. The above image shows the aforementioned customers being moved from the line into the Ginza Apple Retail Store. The store itself hadn't opened since the evacuation took place at 7:30 a.m. local time. Kotaku explains:

There, they were allowed to bring in their wet possessions, rest in the Apple Store theater until 10 a.m., and were even given bottled water. "I was so moved how Apple treats its customers," said YouTube user AppTaylor.

This time round, Apple's iPhone is available with all three of Japan's major carriers (with NTT DoCoMo, the country's largest carrier, being the latest addition to the pack). As such, Apple's share of the smartphone market in Japan is expected to further increase over the course of the coming months. Four days remain until the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are set to go on sale in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, China, and - of course - Japan. Let's just hope the weather improves for the handful of Japanese Apple fans pictured above! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEBVjK7x2Iw&feature=player_embedded

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