Sapporo

We thought people were dedicated when they lined up in droves to wait for the release of the iPhone 6 earlier this year, but that’s nothing compared to what these people had to endure while waiting for New Year’s lucky bags outside of the Apple Store in Sapporo, Japan!

Would you wait outside in the freezing cold for over a day and risk catching pneumonia in order to score some spiffy Apple products?

Seriously, just looking at these photos is enough to make me throw on five extra layers and crank up the heat. I certainly wouldn’t be willing to wait around all night in freezing temperatures just to get some cool electronics, but kudos to those of you who are. Oh, and can I offer you some steaming hot tea?

Let’s take a look at some of those brave/crazy souls through the eyes of Japanese Twitter users:

▼“It’s snowing hard in front of the Sapporo Apple Store [around 3:20 am].”

https://twitter.com/Nishimurake0609/status/550718896995463168

▼“It’s 5am now–is everyone still alive? Don’t die! Hang in there just a little bit longer!”

▼“January 2, 5:10 am, in front of the Sapporo Apple Store. About five officers came by to make sure that the people who weren’t moving are still alive!”

https://twitter.com/buckedplatypus/status/550745858203848705

One Twitter user, @misor_cross, lined up with four others for over 42 hours and painstakingly documented the whole ordeal. Here are some of her posts:

 ▼“12/31, 4:45 pm–outside of the Sapporo Apple Store.”

https://twitter.com/misor_cross/status/550195944986120193

▼“Happy New Year! I welcomed the New Year outside of the Sapporo Apple Store. The temperature on 1/1 at 5:05 am is -4.5ºC [23.9ºF], but there are already 11 people lining up.”  

https://twitter.com/misor_cross/status/550384945651146752

▼“1/1 at 12 pm at the Sapporo Apple Store. 2o hours left until the store opens for the first business of the year! The line has grown to 32 people. I’m a bit worried about the weather–I hope it doesn’t snow…”

https://twitter.com/misor_cross/status/550486907029708800

▼“1/1 at 4:25 pm at the Sapporo Apple Store. There are 77 people lined up now! The line looks like it will wrap around the corner at Mitsukoshi [a department store]. There are plenty of Apple lovers this year as well!” 

https://twitter.com/misor_cross/status/550552898728255489

▼“It’s like Mount Hakkoda [see explanation below]…!”

https://twitter.com/misor_cross/status/550719632194027520

▼“1/2 at 6 am at the Sapporo Apple Store. The long, long wait is almost over! Only two hours left! By the way, there are now 130 people in line.”

https://twitter.com/misor_cross/status/550759081510596610

▼“I finally made it into the Sapporo Apple Store! I was among one of the first people in line so I got an iPad mini 3. Congratulations, Kushiro College team, everyone who lined up, and Yuuna!”

https://twitter.com/misor_cross/status/550809305272692736

Here are some comments by other Japanese net users who saw the tweets:

“They’re gonna freeze to death!”

“What part of that is ‘lucky‘?”

“I hope they return alive…”

“Are the bags worth enough to almost die and have to go to the hospital?”

“It’s like a modern-day version of Mount Hakkoda [a 1997 Japanese film based on historical events from the winter of 1902 in which 199 out of 210 Japanese Imperial Army soldiers died during a blizzard as they were crossing Aomori Prefecture’s Mt. Hakkoda].”

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to make some hot chocolate and crawl under my blankets to hibernate for a bit.

Sources: IT Sokuhou, Hamusoku
Top image: Twitter (@misor_cross)