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
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Of why restaurants must hate foreigners
So we've decided something among our not-so-frequent trips to restaurants in the area and around the rest of Japan. Restaurants must hate foreigners. I'm not saying this in a mean sort of way but in a completely understandable sort of way.
It begins with just walking in.
Shopkeeper: "Irasshaimase! (Welcome to our store!)"
And then they see you and pause. "Oh crap," they must be thinking. "Will they speak Japanese? What will we do if they don't speak Japanese?"
So they ask you a little slowly, "Nanmeisama desu ka? (How many people?)"
"Futari desu. (Two.)"
The relief on their faces! They've navigated the first hurdle and they now lead you to your table...
But when they get there, they stop. Oh no. What will happen now? They're stuck at a quandary. To offer the English menu or to just give a Japanese menu. They decide it's better to offer the English menu. You turn it down, saying that Japanese is just fine, and if anything, their face becomes a mixture of relief and confusion. Who is this strange foreigner who prefers a Japanese menu when they no doubt speak English? (It is believed by most Japanese that if you are foreign you must speak English by the way...)
As soon as the menu is set in front of you, your waiter whips out his trusty pad and waits for your order. In some sort of odd skill that I haven't seem to find out how they do it yet, inevitably, every Japanese person can order within the span of about three seconds. But you know, those pesky foreigners, we like to spend a good five minutes to look at the menu, and discuss with our companions what we should order. Meanwhile, your waiter looks like he's about to pee himself as he shifts from foot to foot in anticipation.
Finally, you order your meal, and while you're waiting, another foreigner walks in and gives you what we have affectionately come to call the "gaijin nod." The gaijin nod is a mysterious thing. It's your acknowledgement of the other person who is not Japanese in a sort of "hey, we'll band here together brother" but you also realize that you are in no way related and do not have permission to talk to that person. Inevitably though, they'll strike up some conversation with you about where you've been, and if you have any suggestions on the rest of the city. This act of striking up a conversation with a stranger who is not at your table further confuses the staff.
Your meal arrives and the real fun begins. If this restaurant never or rarely sees foreigners, they cannot help but stare in an odd sort of fascination. "Will they know how to eat it?" and "Will they be able to use chopsticks?" seem to be the most prevalent questions here. The answer to both question is normally yes of course, and if not, you'll try your best in order to avoid embarrassment.
In another amazing feat of skill, the Japanese can manage to eat their food quickly. Though this is probably due to relatively a lack of talking and just focusing on food. But you know, we like to linger on our food outside of Japan. So we take half an hour to eat what most Japanese would be done with in 10 or 15 minutes. We also like to drink more than one cup of tea while we're eating. Asking for that extra cup is sometimes painful and exceptionally difficult to receive, but we do it with such frequency that the serving staff doesn't seem to know what to do. Add on the extra half hour that we spend talking to each other when our meal is finished, and it's no wonder restaurants begin to feel ambivalent to foreigners...
Michelle
It begins with just walking in.
Shopkeeper: "Irasshaimase! (Welcome to our store!)"
And then they see you and pause. "Oh crap," they must be thinking. "Will they speak Japanese? What will we do if they don't speak Japanese?"
So they ask you a little slowly, "Nanmeisama desu ka? (How many people?)"
"Futari desu. (Two.)"
The relief on their faces! They've navigated the first hurdle and they now lead you to your table...
But when they get there, they stop. Oh no. What will happen now? They're stuck at a quandary. To offer the English menu or to just give a Japanese menu. They decide it's better to offer the English menu. You turn it down, saying that Japanese is just fine, and if anything, their face becomes a mixture of relief and confusion. Who is this strange foreigner who prefers a Japanese menu when they no doubt speak English? (It is believed by most Japanese that if you are foreign you must speak English by the way...)
As soon as the menu is set in front of you, your waiter whips out his trusty pad and waits for your order. In some sort of odd skill that I haven't seem to find out how they do it yet, inevitably, every Japanese person can order within the span of about three seconds. But you know, those pesky foreigners, we like to spend a good five minutes to look at the menu, and discuss with our companions what we should order. Meanwhile, your waiter looks like he's about to pee himself as he shifts from foot to foot in anticipation.
Finally, you order your meal, and while you're waiting, another foreigner walks in and gives you what we have affectionately come to call the "gaijin nod." The gaijin nod is a mysterious thing. It's your acknowledgement of the other person who is not Japanese in a sort of "hey, we'll band here together brother" but you also realize that you are in no way related and do not have permission to talk to that person. Inevitably though, they'll strike up some conversation with you about where you've been, and if you have any suggestions on the rest of the city. This act of striking up a conversation with a stranger who is not at your table further confuses the staff.
Your meal arrives and the real fun begins. If this restaurant never or rarely sees foreigners, they cannot help but stare in an odd sort of fascination. "Will they know how to eat it?" and "Will they be able to use chopsticks?" seem to be the most prevalent questions here. The answer to both question is normally yes of course, and if not, you'll try your best in order to avoid embarrassment.
In another amazing feat of skill, the Japanese can manage to eat their food quickly. Though this is probably due to relatively a lack of talking and just focusing on food. But you know, we like to linger on our food outside of Japan. So we take half an hour to eat what most Japanese would be done with in 10 or 15 minutes. We also like to drink more than one cup of tea while we're eating. Asking for that extra cup is sometimes painful and exceptionally difficult to receive, but we do it with such frequency that the serving staff doesn't seem to know what to do. Add on the extra half hour that we spend talking to each other when our meal is finished, and it's no wonder restaurants begin to feel ambivalent to foreigners...
Michelle
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