Last year, it was seemingly impossible to get a Nintendo Switch in Japan. The console was always selling out. What about Nintendo Labo? Right now, you can easily pick one off the shelf.
Well, it’s made of cardboard, so Nintendo can make a whole bunch, right?
True, it’s not as complex to make as game hardware, but that doesn’t mean mass-produced, analog toys can’t sell out in Japan. Nearly a decade ago, when Beyblade was hugely popular in Japan, the plastic “stadiums,” which were really just cheap plastic dishes, were sold out everywhere in Japan. You could not get one. They probably cost nothing to make, but the demand was too high.
According to Famitsu’s figures, the Variety Kit is doing better than the Robot one, which isn’t surprising. It’s currently in the top five on the sales chart. Nintendo has sold 40 to 60 percent of its stock. Not bad!
The Robot Kit is number 17 on Famitsu’s sales chart and has sold through 20 to 40 percent of its stock. These aren’t good retail sales numbers. Shame because that Robot Kit looks rad.
As blog Hachima points out, many Japanese retailers have been announcing that they have Nintendo Labo stock, writing 在庫あります (zaiko arimasu) or “We have it in stock.”
【ニンテンドーラボ】
今巷で話題のニンテンドーラボ！
当店にまだまだ在庫がございます！
スイッチ本体も多数お取り扱いしておりますので是非近くにお立ち寄りの際はゼスト大和店までお越し下さい！ pic.twitter.com/AMiEBSStFC— ゼスト大和店（zest) (@zest_yamato) May 2, 2018
#ニンテンドーラボ
在庫あります！
一緒にデコるセットもいかがですか😄 pic.twitter.com/Z98kJ2Nrj9— 【公式】COMG!豊栄店 (@comg_toyosaka) May 1, 2018
あいにくのお天気だからこそ！中の人オススメのソフト【スイッチ編01】 いいから工作だ！！ニンテンドースイッチ『 #ニンテンドーラボ 』です。 ロボットキット、バラエティキット、マスキングテープ、デコるセット、すべて在庫ございます！ pic.twitter.com/P9MhgEKN9R
— お宝創庫シャオ西尾店@⭐アルバイト募集中❕❕⭐ (@otasou_shao) May 2, 2018
プログラミング的な思考を育てるのにピッタリ！と大評判の #ニンテンドーラボ 、2種類とも僅かながら在庫ございます。
将来的にはプログラミング教育が小学校で始まる現代、特にお子様にプレイしていただきたい作品です。
ノリやハサミ不要なのも、安全で嬉しいですね☻
（そふぃー） pic.twitter.com/MJ03kbK37P— おじゃま館 蒲生店 @ポケカ買取強化中‼️ (@ojamakan_g) May 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/992316252285681664
https://twitter.com/embed/status/989357544207351811
ニンテンドーラボ在庫有ります⸜( ॑꒳ ॑ )⸝連休中遊ぶならこれでしょ〜！ pic.twitter.com/7s8o0YZWKx
— 万代書店長野店ゲーム 宅配買取受付中！まんしょ (@mansho_n_game) April 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/991280160186888193
大人気のニンテンドーラボ両方在庫ございます！
ぜひご家族でニンテンドーラボでいろいろ遊ぶのはいかがですか(^o^)/#ニンテンドーラボ#nintendolabo pic.twitter.com/V7IIziEnnk— 元COMG!中条店 (@comg_shibata17) May 4, 2018
And, for example, it’s in stock at all these Yodobashi shops. (Next to the green circle, it reads “In stock” in Japanese.)
Keep in mind that these are sales numbers for bricks and mortar retailers, which are still incredibly important in the Japanese sales market.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am
