Always difficult to read the intentions of the Japanese, pleased by sales in the US? doesn't really say much. I don't think I've ever seen as poor a review on DPreview as the one for the Nikon J1 & V1 cameras. The conclusion starts by talking about how dissapointed Nikonistas were when this camera was launched and ended with "given the strength of the competition it is very hard to recommend that you go out and buy either of these cameras."
I'm quite surprised to find that Nikon is aiming this camera at a market segment that I'm not sure really exists - people who want to upgrade from a compact but don't want an entry level DSLR, the thinking appears to be that they'll pay as much for a larger compact with inferior performance. I do wonder how long this system is going to last, I've yet to see one in the wild.