In 1992, I lived in Osaka Japan for three months. It was one of the best times of my life. New foods, sites, and people. However, I got homesick like most travelers. Thankfully, Japan has its fair share of US imports. I found a Winchell’s Donuts (my girlfriend at the time thought dunking donuts was disgusting), KFC, and of course the king of comfort foods, McDonald’s. Because of McDonanld’s, I survived my pining for home.
It was the cultural differences that blew me away. Portions for everything were smaller. The Japanese idea for a large drink is an American medium. Milkshakes were made fresh and swirled instead of poured from a bladder of a cream concoction stored in the refrigerator. It was familiar and foreign at the same time. Even today, I long for the freshness of flavor.
The following commercials are solid examples of perception of imports in Japan. In some cases, the message of the commercial is the same as it would be in the US. “Take your kids to McDonald’s. Buy a Happy Meal. Eat junk food and get a free toy. Everyone is happy.” Other messages of less clear. They go so far as re-imagine Ronald McDonald as sexy hipsters. Finally, one “commercial” imagines Ronald McDonald as an adult with a hyper-activity disorder.
BTW – The last video might be a great way to scare kids away from junk food. Show them the video and then take them to McDonald’s afterwards. After you drag their horror stricken bodies from the restaurant, the mere mention of McDonald’s should throw them into a fetal position.
Onto the videos:
