Apple, probably through its partnership with the iPhone carrier SoftBank, has done a great job of marketing their product in Japan. They've managed to get many programs to do infomercial-like specials on the iPhone and iPad.

That being said, having a couple thousand people lining up for a product in Tokyo isn't such a big deal in and of itself. With over 30,000,000 people in the Greater Tokyo Area, its easy to attract crowds like this. The people who lined up represented the die-hard Apple fans, not average consumers.