texas2The last thing you would expect McDonald's to do in these calorie-conscious times is to add some fat to their menu, but that's exactly what they're doing in Japan.
While the island nation may be known for its world-leading lifespans and slender physiques, its people have a love affair with American fast food. McDonald's is actually Japan's number one restaurant chain by number of stores.
McDonald's hasn't achieved this success by serving sushi or yakitori to its Japanese customers, but by providing increasingly audacious hamburgers.
Last week, McDonald's launched its Big America 2 campaign in Japan, which features four artery-clogging burgers all named after U.S. locations. The Idaho burger consists of a quarter pound of beef, cheese, bacon, onions, a spicy mustard sauce and, wait for it, a deep-fried hash brown. The burger with the mountainous moniker weighs in at 713 calories.
The other three burgers also feature additions of fat-laden products you would expect to find on the This is why you're fat photoblog. Pastrami and mozzarella cheese lift the Manhattan burger to 542 calories, while taco meat and tortilla chips take the Miami sandwich to 557 calories. Neither can challenge the Texas 2, however, with three buns and chili sauce bringing the burger to 645 calories.
The campaign is the sequel to McDonald's wildly successful Big America campaign. And as with its forebearer, the burgers will only be available for a limited time. According to the Wall Street Journal, Japanese consumers are known to have a weakness for limited-time offers.
In 2007, McDonald's introdued the four-patty Mega-Mac sandwich in Japan, and brough it back several times due to popularity. These limited-time offers are reminiscent of the periodic successes of the McRib in the U.S. and of KFC's Double Down.
While the Japanese may have developed a taste for American fast food, the nation remains considerably slimmer than North America. Less than 30 per cent of the Japanese population is considered overweight by the WHO, compared to 68 per cent in the U.S. and 59 per cent in Canada.
The WHO numbers may suggest why McDonald's is launching beef-based products in Japan while offering healthier options in the U.S. (New U.S. offerings include oatmeal with fruit and fruit smoothies). The stats suggest the Japanese can get away with some extra calories while U.S. and Canadian diners are in the midst of re-evaluating their food culture.
A spokesperson for McDonald's perhaps said it best in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, "Consumers in Japan see beef as what McDonald's can offer, and it tastes good. It's our core competency."
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