The Xbox 360 has just surpassed a very significant milestone, having shifted over a million units in Japan - on Sony’s home turf too, lest we forget.

Some, in fact most thought such a day would never arrive, and early sales seemed to confirm the opinion, barely breaking 1500 units some months. However Japan’s Famitsu magazine reports that, as of March 29, the Xbox 360 has sold 1,001,191 boxes since launch at the back end of ‘05.

Of course Microsoft has invested a great deal of cash to get to this position, with Japanese RPG blockbusters such as Lost Odyssey, Last Remnant and Blue Dragon all helping to move inventory. The imminent arrival of Final Fantasy XIII on the platform must have made a few Sony loyalists sit up and take notice too. Even a few ’Western’ releases have sold well in recent months - Halo 3 topping the Japanese charts, albeit briefly.

Caps duly doffed, then. Maybe now Japanese gamers will give the 360 the respeck it deserves and start buying the thing in bigger numbers. However, it still has some way to go to catch up with the PS3. According to Famitsu Sony’s next-gen contender has sold 3,008,395 with nearly a year less time to do so. The longest journey begins with a single footstep, though, and Microsoft has just completed a massive leap…