Buying up of bread, milk, rice, batteries and flashlights is no longer news. Geiger counters are currently in demand with many stores in Akihabara selling them.

Japanese residents concerned about ionizing radiation after several explosions at Fukushima’s nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan following last Friday’s earthquake, have been buying up the radiation detectors manufactured by America’s GS Geiger Group.

According to Masami Ishibashi, a shop owner in Akihabara, all his stock of Geiger counters sold out two days after news of possible radiation broke out. The detectors range in price from 50,000 to 100,000 yen, and Ishibashi said he usually sells no more than two or three a month.

He has taken another eight orders despite undecided delivery dates. Ishibashi also said there have been over 100 inquiries, a situation he never experienced before.

“I’ll be measuring the radiation level at home every day,” said a housewife. A salesman, also buying the product, said he will use the detector to prove that his company’s products are not affected by the radiation. “Unless we do so, we cannot sell anything.”

Due to an extremely high demand, customers trying to purchase Geider counter are told that they will have to wait at least 12 weeks to receive their orders. Radiation detectors are currently difficult to find both in stores and online.