The company has 10 physical stores on US soil, including multiple NYC locations, stores in Mountain View, Playa Vista, and Santa Monica, as well as Austin (TX), Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), and Aventura (FL). The new physical store, however, will open this summer at a very exotic location.
The first Google physical store outside the US is in Tokyo, Japan
The place where the new Google Store will open this summer. | Image by Tripadvisor
This summer, Japanese Pixel fans will be able to walk into the Omotesando Google store and see Pixel devices in person.
The store will let customers test and buy the latest Pixel devices, pick up online orders, experience the latest AI advancements, and more.
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Why Japan?
Google surpassed Samsung in the first quarter of the year in Japan. | Image by Counterpoint
Japan is a very interesting choice for the first physical store outside the US, but there's a sound logic behind this choice.
According to Counterpoint, Google surpassed Samsung and took the second place as the most popular smartphone brand in Japan in February 2026.
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As you might've guessed, Apple dominates the Japanese market with 61% market share, followed by Google with 11% and Samsung with 9%.
The big jump is attributed to strong Pixel 9a sales and healthy interest toward the Pixel 10 lineup. What's interesting is that the other 20% or so of the market share remains split between local brands such as Sharp and Sony and telecom-branded devices.
The start of a global expansion
According to Google, the expansion is just starting. The company says that the Tokyo physical store "is the starting point of our global journey."
The company obviously plans a further expansion, but details are scarce at the moment. Japan is a pretty interesting market, especially for a stepping stone for a global offensive, so we'll have to wait and see how it goes.
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During my time in Osaka, I didn't spot a single Pixel phone during the two weeks I've roamed the streets, but Google might have better info than a poor gajin roaming the streets of Osaka.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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