Nintendo Switch 2 sells at record pace as 3.5m units go in 4 days
TOKYO -- The Nintendo Switch 2 gaming console sold over 3.5 million units worldwide in the first four days of its release, the company said on Wednesday.
"This is the highest global sales level for any Nintendo hardware within the first four days," according to a news release. The company said in May that it expects to sell 15 million Switch 2s in the fiscal year ending March 2026.
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Tokyo Weekender
13 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Japan Ranks 118th Again in Latest Global Gender Gap Report
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List of Contents: Global Gender Gap Report 2025: Japan Remains at 118th Despite Some Progress UN Report Says Financial Barriers, Not Choice, Driving Global Fertility Crisis Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days Outrage After Foreign Landlord Nearly Triples Tokyo Apartment Rent Evangelion Voice Actress Megumi Hayashibara Deletes 'Invasive Species' Comment on Blog Japan Hammer Indonesia 6-0 in Final World Cup Qualifier Related Posts Global Gender Gap Report 2025: Japan Remains at 118th Despite Some Progress The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its 2025 Global Gender Gap Report on Thursday. Japan ranked 118th among 148 countries, the same position as last year. It remains the lowest of the G7 nations. However, it finished with an overall gender parity score of 66.6%, showing a slight improvement on 2024's total of 66.3%. The Swiss-based think tank notes that Japan has increased parity in almost every subindex compared with last year. Most progress came in Economic Participation and Opportunity, where it scored 61.3%, up 4.5% from 12 months ago. According to the WEF, this shift has been 'boosted by increased rates of women participating in the labour force (from 54.8% to 55.6%), higher representation of women in the senior officials, managers and legislators category (from 14.6% to 16.1%), as well as increased parity in estimated earned income (59.2%, up from 58.3%).' The Political Empowerment category, however, showed a regression, with the score dropping from 11.8% to 8.5%. Ministerial representation has fallen from 25% to 10%. Topping the 2025 Global Gender Gap Report was Iceland with a score of 92.6%. It has led the way for 16 consecutive years. UN Report Says Financial Barriers, Not Choice, Driving Global Fertility Crisis The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) presented its State of the World Population report on Tuesday. A total of 14,000 people from 14 countries were surveyed about their fertility intentions. 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Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days Nintendo announced on Wednesday that it had sold a record 3.5 million Switch 2 units worldwide in the first four days after the launch of the console. It was released on June 5. The astonishing figure surpasses the first month's sales of the original Switch (2.7 million units) and Sony's PlayStation 5 (3.4 million units). In May, Nintendo said that Switch 2 sales would reach 15 million during the current financial year which ends on March 31, 2026. Analysts, however, consider that to be a modest target set by the company. Serkan Toto, founder of gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, believes it will sell over 20 million units in the first year. He told CNBC , 'All signals prior to launch pointed to significant demand, and I believe we will see further records broken over the next weeks or months.' The coveted console is similar in design to its predecessor, though it has a bigger screen and larger controllers. In Japan, around 2.2 million people applied to the lottery system to buy it. Even before it went on sale, Nintendo started shipping Switch 2 branded 'Out of Stock' signs to retailers. Outrage After Foreign Landlord Nearly Triples Tokyo Apartment Rent The foreign owner of a seven-story apartment building in Tokyo's Itabashi ward this week reversed his decision to raise the rent from ¥72,500 to ¥190,000. The reason given for the approximately 2.5-times increase was rising costs. However, it has been suggested that the real reason was to force the residents out, so the vacated apartments could be used as short-term rentals for travelers. When ANN News contacted the owner, who is in China, he stated that he would withdraw the rent hike. He added that the elevator, which broke down in May, will be reopened soon. Residents received a note about the substantial price increase in January. This led to several of them moving out. Those who remain still feel uneasy about the situation. Unknown people with suitcases have been seen entering the building. According to a website that provides information on private accommodations for tourists, a room in the condominium was being rented for ¥25,000 per night. When ANN News checked with Itabashi ward officials, it was confirmed that the notification required to be a private accommodation operator had not been submitted. The apartments will no longer be available as short-term rentals for travelers. Evangelion Voice Actress Megumi Hayashibara Deletes 'Invasive Species' Comment on Blog Prominent Japanese voice actress Megumi Hayashibara sparked an online debate earlier this week following her blog post on Sunday. The 58-year-old Tokyo native, who's most well known for her role as Rei Ayanami in Neon Genesis Evangelion , shared her concerns about Japan's cultural identity and political apathy. The blog, titled 'Indifference, Ignorance, and Not Knowing,' quickly went viral. The comments that drew the most attention regarded international students receiving subsidies and foreign tourists behaving badly. Referring to the latter, she used a metaphor of a Japanese crayfish being overwhelmed by an 'invasive species.' 'If we don't have regulations that are properly enforced, it could become dangerous,' she wrote. 'It will be like how Japanese crayfish were instantly devoured by invasive species. For instance, the Japanese rule of lining up to buy things could end up disappearing.' On Wednesday, Hayashibara deleted the line about the crayfish. 'Part of the way I expressed myself was deemed too extreme, so I removed it,' she wrote. 'I used it to illustrate the kind of person mentioned above, but it has hurt people who are not involved. I will learn. Thank you for letting me know.' Takefusa Kubo | Image by Saolab Press Japan Hammer Indonesia 6-0 in Final World Cup Qualifier Japan finished their World Cup qualifying campaign in style on Tuesday with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Patrick Kluivert's Indonesia. With top place in the group already assured, Hajime Moriyasu's side demonstrated an impressive display of attacking football. They led 3-0 at the break thanks to a brace from Daichi Kamada and one from captain Takefusa Kubo. Ryoya Morishita, Shuto Machino and substitute Mao Hosoya added three more in the second half. Moriyasu praised his players, but urged them to keep pushing themselves. 'The challenge for the players is to break past their limits and grow,' he said . In boxing, Junto Nakatani became a unified bantamweight champion with a sixth-round technical knockout win over Ryosuke Nishida on Sunday. The two boxers, who went into the fight undefeated, engaged in a slugfest from the outset. Nakatani, though, started to take control in the fifth round, when Nishida's right eye began to swell. By the end of the sixth, he was unable to see incoming punches, so the ringside doctor decided to pull him out. Watching ringside was Naoya Inoue . Nakatani versus Inoue, expected to take place next year, will be the biggest fight in the history of Japan. Related Posts Japan Births Fall Below 700,000 for the First Time Japan Attempts To Ban Outlandish Kirakira Baby Names Number of Foreign Visitors to Japan Hits Yet Another Record High
Tokyo Weekender
2 days ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Switch 2 Smashes Nintendo's Record, Selling 3.5 Million Units in Four Days
Nintendo announced on Wednesday that it had sold a record 3.5 million Switch 2 units worldwide in the first four days after the launch of the console. The astonishing figure surpasses the first month's sales of the original Switch (2.7 million units) and Sony's PlayStation 5 (3.4 million units). The former went on to sell more than 152 million units, making it the third best-selling game console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS. Switch 2 Sales Predicted To Exceed Company's Expectations Last month, Nintendo said that Switch 2 sales would reach 15 million during the current financial year which ends on March 31, 2026. Analysts, however, consider that to be a modest target set by the company. Serkan Toto, CEO and founder of gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, believes it will sell over 20 million units in the first year. He told CNBC , 'All signals prior to launch pointed to significant demand, and I believe we will see further records broken over the next weeks or months.' The coveted console, which is similar in design to its predecessor, though has a bigger screen and larger, redesigned controllers, was released in most regions on June 5. Around the world, excited gamers lined up outside electronic stores, waiting for the midnight opening. In Japan alone, around 2.2 million people applied for a lottery system to buy the console. Even before it went on sale, Nintendo reportedly started shipping Switch 2 branded 'Out of Stock' signs to retailers. Mario Kart World Mario Kart World was also released on June 5 as the launch game for the Nintendo Switch 2. It has added an open world to the series, providing players with the opportunity to race across a giant connected map from one circuit to another. Other exciting titles include the 3D platforming action-adventure game, Donkey Kong Bananza , which will be released on July 17, and Kirby Air Riders, a new title from Super Smash Bros.' director Masahiro Sakurai, which will come out later this year. Related Posts Nintendo Announces the Successor to the Nintendo Switch Bricks and Buttons: The Lego Nintendo Game Boy How to Find Tokyo's Secret Nintendo Bar: 84 Hashi Cafe
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Kyodo News
Nintendo's Switch 2 console sells over 3.5 million units in 4 days
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