The company had originally planned to sell the product throughout Japan on March 1, but postponed the launch to the end of the month due to a potential supply shortage after it saw stronger-than-expected sales in 12 prefectures where it has been test marketing. The company estimates the market share of Marlboro HeatSticks reached 2.4 percent in Tokyo at the end of January. Japan Tobacco, which commands about 60 percent of Japan's cigarette market and is the world's third-largest tobacco maker, has also got in on the action by acquiring two overseas e-cigarette makers in the past two years. In Japan, it has launched the Ploom TECH, priced at 4,000 yen and sold with 460-yen packs of five capsules. Ploom TECH's selling point is that vapor generated from a liquid cartridge passes through the capsules' granulated tobacco, creating a taste the company says is close to the real thing.