A cell phone from Sharp may have been getting all the promotion outside the Softbank store in Tokyo's Harajuku on Wednesday but it's Apple's iPhone that has people queuing. With two days still to go until the Friday morning launch about 20 people are already in line for the phone -- the first time it's been available in Japan.

At the head of the queue is college student Hiroyuki Sano, who arrived at 6am on Tuesday morning after making a 5-hour journey from Nagoya in central Japan.

Hiroyuki SANO, Student
"When the iPhone was announced I watched Steve Jobs' keynote and thought it looked like a great product and I've wanted one ever since."

Japanese consumers didn't get a chance to buy the first-generation iPhone because it wasn't compatible with the country's cellular networks but that changes with the new 3G model. Softbank, Japan's number three carrier, will put it on sale from 7a.m. on Friday morning at this store and later in the day nationwide.

Among those waiting was Ryo Shimizu, CEO of UEI, a company that makes software for the iPod Touch and iPhone. He's queuing with colleagues and is anxious to get his hands on an iPhone so he can test out his company's applications.

Ryo SHIMIZU, CEO, UEI
"One is UEI Pong, it's a multi-player game of Pong via Wi-Fi and one of the products is what we call Ziff Pads, a scratch pad for iPhone. You can type something, drag that and import something."

The 3G iPhone's global launch begins in New Zealand and rolls around the world on Friday.

In Tokyo, this is Martyn Williams, IDG News Service.