Amazon announced today that Alexa and the Amazon Echo will be released in Japan later this year. It’s not clear if the entire line of Echo devices will be made available to Japanese customers, but it seems as though at least the new 2nd generation Echo will be sold in Japan.

Just like when the original Echo first became available in the US and again when it first became available in Germany, Japanese buyers will need to request an invitation to buy the Echo when it becomes available in Japan. This seems to be a common precaution Amazon takes when Alexa gains support for a new language, in order to ensure the launch goes smoothly.

Amazon’s Fire TV has been available in Japan for a couple of years now, but the voice remote there is only capable of basic voice searches and does not access Alexa like it does in other countries. The announcement of Alexa in Japan should mean that Fire TV devices will also receive access to Alexa soon as well.