August 8, 2005: iTunes Is a Hit in Japan

iTunes rolled out in the United States in XXXX. Japan was a different matter. Apple was able to reach a deal with the music providers in the land of the Rising Sun until the second half of 2005.

When iTunes was introduced in the United States the concept was still new and the store's success was aided by the "wow" factor. The worry was that with the delay of iTunes in coming to Japan, Japenese users would have already found alternatives to their online music buying needs.

The fears of a Japan flop for iTunes were alleviated when the online music store sold 1 million tracks to Japanese customers in a scant four days. Apple broke the million song mark in Japan on August 8, 2005.