Apple is holding back the release of its iPad 2 tablet in Japan in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country last week. The new device was due to launch in the country on March 25. Apple has not given a new release date. It also closed an Apple store in the earthquake-hit city of Sendai. Separately, the lack of a release date set for the iPad 2 in Hong Kong means the tablet is fetching a price of near HK$15,000 (US$1,924) which is more than twice that in the US, reports Bloomberg. Hong Kong stores are using couriers to bring in the tablets from the States.