When the kids loved it, he saw a business opportunity. Some reports say that Takeshi Okawara, who managed the country’s first KFC and later became CEO of KFC Japan, falsely marketed fried chicken as a traditional American Christmas food to drum up sales.īut according to KFC Japan, Okawara went to a Christmas party dressed as Santa. KFC – then known as Kentucky Fried Chicken – was part of the pack, opening its first Japan outlet in Nagoya in 1970.Ī statue of Colonel Sanders in a Santa outfit on Decemin Tokyo, Japan. While living in the center of Tokyo in the early 1970s, Bestor recalls seeing many foreign franchises popping up, such as Baskin-Robbins, Mister Donut and The Original Pancake House.ĭuring this period of rapid globalization, Japan’s fast-food industry expanded 600% between 19, according to “Colonel Comes to Japan,” a 1981 documentary directed by John Nathan. “Since the US was a cultural powerhouse at the time, there was huge interest in Western fashion, foods, trips overseas – Japan was really opening up.” “Japan’s economic power was going through the roof … and people had the cash to indulge in consumer culture for the first time,” says Ted Bestor, a professor of Social Anthropology at Harvard University who has studied Japanese food and culture for the past 50 years. To better understand how and why fried chicken became synonymous with Christmas in Japan, we have to rewind a few decades.įollowing a period of austerity following World War II in the 1940s and ’50s, Japan’s economy started taking off. “Those who don’t reserve a bucket see themselves in long queues for hours.” We order early then go to the store at the designated time to pick up our bucket,” says Naomi. “As Christmas approaches, KFC commercials play on TV – they look very delicious. A post shared by ケンタッキーフライドチキン Japan’s busiest day is usually December 24, on which they usually sell about five to 10 times more than typical days.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |