In Japan, long lines "like Disneyland" for iPhone 4

Japan is already wild for Apple's latest iPhone.

Pre-orders in the Asian nation began Tuesday evening, and the early rush for the iPhone 4 led to long lines around Tokyo and overwhelmed computer servers struggling to keep up with demand.

Customers were instructed to submit reservations online with Softbank Mobile Corp., the iPhone's exclusive carrier in Japan, or at any of its retail outlets. Japan's seven Apple Stores were also taking pre-orders ahead of the June 24 launch.

Japan - along with the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany - will be among the first countries where the iPhone 4 will go on sale. The latest model will feature a higher-resolution screen, longer battery life and thinner design.

At Softbank's flagship store in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district, the line drew several hundred people who waited hours to place their reservations.

Steve Nagata, a Japan-based tech consultant and Apple enthusiast, said Tuesday evening that he had been standing in line for more than two hours and expected to be there another hour. He spent part of his time broadcasting the lively scene on the website Ustream.

"This is just showing how out of control this is getting," said Nagata, who owns both the iPhone 3G and 3GS. "It's just going to be a huge launch."

In another line, Megumi Kawanishi, 24, waited to become an iPhone customer for the first time, switching from Japan's largest carrier for the iPhone's Internet capabilities. "This is a really long line, but I guess we need to stand in it to get an iPhone," she said. "It's like Disneyland."

"This is a really long line, but I guess we need to stand in it to get an iPhone," she said. "It's like Disneyland."