Google opens first directly run store outside U.S. in Tokyo

U.S. technology giant Google opened its first directly run store outside the United States in Tokyo’s fashionable Omotesando district Thursday.

The store sells smartphones and offers repair services.

Having two stories above ground and one below, it is larger than any of Google’s 10 retail outlets in the United States.

On the second floor, visitors can use artificial intelligence-powered tools to create avatars and design virtual spaces.

“Japan is a highly critical market,” Mauria Finley, vice president of Google Store, said.

“We look forward to learning from every interaction and feedback we receive from our customers here in Omotesando, which will help guide the future of Google stores worldwide,” she added.