If you haven’t been following the fast-food situation in Japan lately, it might surprise you to hear that Burger King is becoming the place to eat. Yes, Burger King.
So I was reading a story online that talks about how Goldman Sachs is buying Burger King Japan. Read it here. This might seem insane to anyone not in the know, so let’s dive into it a bit.
So… what’s the story?
The Underdog Advantage
McDonald’s dominates Japan so thoroughly that most foreign chains barely register. And then came BK’s slow rise, targeting areas where customers actually wanted them rather than dumping locations everywhere.
Japan loves an underdog story. BK leaned into that identity instead of pretending to be Big Global #2. “We know what you like and we’re not McDonald’s” became an unspoken message. It worked.
You can feel it in the marketing too. McDonald’s plays it safe. BK let itself be a bit weird again — Japan tends to reward weird when it’s done with intention. Well — kind of. That’s complicated. But at least when done correctly, weird can pay off, and it has with Burger King.
The Return of the Whopper
For years, the Whopper in Japan felt like a ghost of its American cousin: smaller, tamer, less satisfying. Recently BK seems to have decided, “Fine. If we can’t beat McDonald’s on fries or desserts, we’ll beat them on size and flavor.”
Larger patties, more aggressive seasonings, more seasonal variants that actually taste distinct. Japan’s burger crowd has noticed. Word spreads fast in a country where loyal fan groups fuel half the dining trends.
It’s not just expats praising it anymore. Japanese customers are posting comparison photos online, and the contrast makes BK look like the earnest challenger offering “real” burgers.
And they went from there, basically. With prices climbing everywhere, the Whopper suddenly felt like a deal. The larger size of everything at BK feels like a deal.
Massive Increase
As that story I link to above shows, BK locations have increased from 77 branches in 2019 to 308 as of last month. Their target is 600 by the end of 2028. THat’s some big growth!
The funny thing is, now that BK is becoming popular here, when my students visit the States, one of their destinations is… BK. As if the original American location is special somehow.
Where This Goes Next
Now that Goldman Sachs is buying Burger King Japan, this trend might only accelerate. Assuming Goldman leaves management alone to continue what they are doing and just pour money in, this could really go crazy.
So there you go. If you are planning a trip to Japan anytime soon, you can visit BK Japan and get a sumo burger. Or this monstrosity
I wonder if @azircon happen upon any BKs while he was visiting Japan.
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David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Bluesky. |