Of McDonald's

Called マック(Makku) in Kantou and マクド(Makudo) in the Kansai region, McDonald's is a mysterious entity in and of itself in Japan. It's menu changes frequently to include items such as: the teriyaki burger, the German sausage burger, the American Miami burger, the cheese fondue burger, and last but certainly not least the prawn burger.

In recent years, KFC has managed to convince the Japanese that it is normal to eat chicken for dinner, so there are huge lines outside of KFC's at this time. But this year, McDonald's seems to have tried to compete and developed the iCon. For around 1700 yen, the iCon included
-four "Juicy Chicken Selects"
-ten "Chicken McNuggets" + sauce
-two "Shaka Shaka Chicken" (chicken and powder is put into a bag and then shaken)
-"Mega" size french fries
-three cell phone key chains

In Kyoto, the large red signs go against zoning laws, so McDonald's has been forced to change its signs to brown. To be fair though, the majority of McDonald's that I've seen throughout Japan have been black since it seems to be a little more fashionable.

McDonald's consist of multiple floors, hundreds of tables, and are routinely packed. Despite this, McDonald's has become a favorite hangout for most exchange students. In most of Japan, if you stay too long in a place, the staff will ask you to buy something else. You may not simply take up room when you are a non-paying customer. At McDonald's though, this rule does not apply. You can stay in McDonald's as long as you like without buying a single thing (though it is common courtesy to do so). McDonald's is also open later than any other place I've been to (aside from karaoke, bars, and other night-life type activities.)  Therefore, although I'm not necessary a fan of McDonald's, I say cheers. In some sort of odd way, McDonald's has become a place that attracts the young in Japan. And not just that, it's quickly turning itself into a fount of knowledge. Since it doesn't kick out the tons of foreigners who flock into its mist, exchange students go there until the wee hours of the morning to rest before the trains start up again after a long night of drinking, or it is used as a place to study for the countless tests that seem to pile up.

Cheers McDonald's. You've done well.

Michelle