Japan

I really enjoyed researching and writing about McDonald's journey in Japan for this newsletter. The founder, Fujita Den, was a truly charismatic leader who played a pivotal role in making burgers a success in Japan.

For him, it wasn’t just about selling burgers—it was about introducing a 'lifestyle'. Unlike the typical strategy of opening in suburban areas, he boldly chose Ginza for Japan’s first McDonald’s location. Just four days later, a second store opened in Yoyogi, an unprecedented pace of expansion at the time. 

https://paragraph.com/@beecurious/mcdonalds-japan-a-story-of-success,-struggles,-and-reinvention

With Japan’s booming economy and the rise of car culture, the introduction of drive-throughs became a novelty that quickly gained popularity.

Then, in 1989, McDonald’s Japan launched the Teriyaki McBurger, one of its first Japan-exclusive menu items. Its overwhelming success not only solidified McDonald’s presence in Japan but also influenced the brand’s global strategy—marking a shift away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to more regionally tailored menus.

Founder of /farcastea
Newsletter for Japan: https://paragraph.xyz/@beecurious
Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/1542Ivs82TOVLcfPVEoFoP?si=2dc
Hosting /japan

One of the major factors behind McDonald’s success in Japan was the establishment of Hamburger University. Before launching its first store in Ginza, McDonald’s Japan created this in-house training institution to instill not only store operations but also its core management philosophy—QSC&V (Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value).

Den Fujita famously said:

“We’re not just trying to profit by copying a successful American business model,” and 
“Our goal is to create an entirely new industry—one that doesn’t yet exist in Japan.”