Sales of the Xbox 360 have doubled in the space of a week in Japan, according to data from Media Create.

Last week Microsoft’s box had sold 7,983 units in the region, yet new data shows that sales for this week have climbed to 15,474. This boost was in part due to the new Square Enix RPG Last Remnant, which scored a 38/40 in Famitsu and went on to sell 101,543 units in its first week.

This week’s sales rate puts further consideration on how Microsoft is trying to invigorate its Japanese audience. Again, it is closing the gap between itself and Sony’s Playstation 3, which sold 17,436 units.

That PS3 sales figure is nearly identical to its sales performance last week, yet the brand’s handheld unit has soared in sales; climbing from 38,153 last week to reach 61,226 PSPs sold, helped by strong sales of new release Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam VS. Gundam. By comparison, the DSi largely sold the same volume as last week, climbing up by around 3,000 units to hit 88,843.

Following news that the Nintendo Wii had surpassed 7 million units in Japan, the console’s weekly performance has taken a boost; up from 26,787 units to 35,298. This is largely due to sales of Animal Crossing: City folk, which sold 300,000 units and enters the software charts at number one.

While strong sales keep the Wii as Japan’s best-selling TV console this week, suspicions remain that the console is approaching a saturation-point (its sales rate today is roughly a third of how it sold in an average first-year week). Though these facts may sting Nintendo a little, a Japanese user-base of 7 million (of which, unlike the 360 and PS3, no loss-leading was involved) is a great foundation for the company.

The cameraless DS, however, was the biggest surprise of the week. Its sales proportionally leaped the furthest, jumping from 3,559 to hit 18,580 units; that’s more than both the PS3 and Xbox 360. A new remake of Chrono Trigger for the DS (featured in This Week’s Big Releases) sold 270,868 units in its first week alone.

Full list according to Media Create:
DSi 88,843
PSP 61,226
Wii 35,298
DS Lite 18,580
PS3 17,436
Xbox 360 15,474
PS2 5,281

Last week in Japan.