Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release20Mr. Sato, you are the man! Not only were you able to obtain a Wii U before the rest of us even had a chance to hold one, but you had the audacity to show up to the release of the Wii U with a Wii U! And to top it all off, you were decked out in your signature look, “Blue Slime.”

Respect where respect is due!

The Wii U, Nintendo’s next generation gaming console, was released in Japan last Saturday. In order to be one of the first in the country to purchase the console, many people waited in line overnight at the Yodobashi Camera store in Akihabara. The first person began lining up at 7:30 p.m., and by the time the last train stopped for the night, 14 or so people were patiently waiting for their coveted Wii U. Of course, our Mr. Sato was one of them.

Mr. Sato was dressed in a bright blue unitard and blue face paint, but he wasn’t alone. Many other people came dressed in costume and despite the nip in the air, there was a warm atmosphere spreading through the excited Nintendo fans.

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release2

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release4
Other cosplayers included Mario, Wario, Waluigi, Yoshi, and Pikachu. The Mario cosplayer is actually a professional manga artist who came to wait in line for a Wii U, just like everyone else.

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release5 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release6 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release7 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release8 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release9
Mr. Sato wanted to eat something warm while he waited out in the cold, so he called up Domino’s Pizza and had them deliver to “in front of the Akihabara Yodobashi Camera store.” We think the delivery man must have asked Mr. Sato his location a few times, just to be sure he heard correctly.

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release11 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release12 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release13 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release14 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release15 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release16 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release10

^Eating pizza while posing for the cameras.

The people waiting to buy a Wii U were mostly playing on Nintendo 3DS’s and only a few had PSP’s. One man stood alone, playing with a Wii U.

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release3 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release18 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release19 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release20

There was a German man waiting in line as well. Every time a new game console is released, he takes a trip to Japan to purchase it. To say he’s a gaming fanatic would be an understatement.

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release17

Just over four miles away at the Shinjuku branch of Bic Camera, 10 people were waiting in line for a Wii U at 1 a.m. and more were expected to make their way over once the trains started running in the morning.

Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release21 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release22 Playing Wii U at the Wii U Release23

No word on whether or not Mr. Sato actually purchased a second Wii U, but one thing’s for sure: he made every single person jealous as they stood shivering in the cold December night, clinging to their desire for their very own Wii U.
[ Read in Japanese ]