Mcdonalds in Japan Part 2 (Jee In Chung)

So how can Macdonalds in Japan be so successful? First of all, it has a very hygienic atmosphere so when you walk into Macdonalds, you will not put on a frown on your face and pinch your nose due to the foul smell. Instead, you will be welcomed by the smiles of the workers with the delicious smell of French fries (in Japan, they call it potato). The tables and chairs are arranged and wiped every time a customer leaves.

Secondly, Macdonalds has a promotion for a new kind of burger starting in November. This promotion consists of four types of burgers which rotate every week. They are called Texas burger, Idaho burger, Miami burger and Manhattan burger. Because of its rotation, people are more curious as to trying out the new tastes of the burgers before they are too late! This, I believe, is one of the reasons why you see such a long line up at every Macdonalds. I have tried all three burgers except the Texas burger which I hear is the best one according to my friends. This is why I’m waiting for the weeks to rotate to try it out. It may seem like it’s not really worthwhile to keep track of the weeks to try out the burgers. But I think this rotation of selection of burgers have definitely played an important role in allowing people to have more interest in what Macdonalds is doing with its business and how fast the menu is changing . There are more to the menu change other than these four burgers. The changes are with drinks, chicken nuggets and desserts. Also, there is a burger named Terriyaki burger which is a burger with Japanese teriyaki sauce. This burger can be found only in Japan because it’s Japanese edition.

Thirdly, unlike Canada and America the number of Mcdonald stores are growing every month because of its popularity; therefore, you are constantly exposed to Macdonald flyers, posters and advertisements everyday so you will be more likely to try it out. Also, every time you visit and order something in Mcdonalds, you will receive some sort of discount coupon so this also motivates to return to their stores.

Lastly, if you are short on budget, trust the 100 yen menu at Macdonalds. You can easily see junior school students munching away their chicken nuggets or apple pie which is on the 100 yen menu.  On the 100 yen menu, there are burgers, chicken nuggests, drinks and desserts and they are quite filling.

So ever since coming to Japan, my perception of Macdonalds has changed a lot and actually started to admire how the business game has been working quite successfully in Japan. It is a comfortable place to hang out with your friends and enjoy a burger and fries from time to time. I wouldn’t recommend going to Mcdonalds every day for every single meal but it’s not so bad to have some once a week, right?

Mcdonalds in Japan Part 1 (Jee In Chung)

How often do you go to Mcdonalds these days in your own country? What kind of image do you have in your mind when someone says Mcdonalds. I remember when I was living in Canada during my elementary school years, I used to go to Mcdonalds drive thru almost every day after school to grab either a Happy Meal or chicken nuggets. Collecting the monthly toys in my Happy Meal set was the highlight of my young years. But as I entered to middle school and on to high school, I went to Mcdonalds less and less. Although I cannot give a clear reason why, Macdonalds started to give off unsanitary image for the public either in forms of books or movies. For example, “Supersize me” (2004) which was directed by Morgan Spurlock displayed how unhealthy Mcdonalds was and how it could seriously harm an individual’s life. I’ve never seen the movie myself but I do remember how much it was advertised in Canada and what an issue it was for everyone with the boom of fast food. By the time I moved to New York for my college, I didn’t even think about going to McDonalds.

When I arrived in Japan for a one-year change at Waseda, I found myself going to Mcdonalds at least once a week. I was surprised when I first realized this and I started to see why. The kind of image Mcdonalds has in Japan is very different from the ones in Canada or the United States. It is the most popular place for the junior school and high school students because of its relatively cheap price. The tables and seats are extremely clean and the workers are cleanly dressed. The workers treat each customer very politely with smiles on their faces. The attitude of the workers is warm, kind and welcoming. This is not a sight you can see elsewhere.

(Sample) Someone who know a good chinese restaurant

I am looking for some good chinese restaurants near Takadanobaba station.
Please let me know if you have informations.

Alice