アメリカのファストフード店

 

The Wendy’s matcha latte is cold and refreshing.

You can’t get a matcha latte in a Wendy’s restaurant in the United States. But you can in Kyoto, Japan.

Which raises the question: Of all the places to stop for a drink in Kyoto, why pick a US-based fast food chain?

Fair question. When traveling outside the US, the majority of my meals are local specialties … here in Japan: sushi, yakitori, ramen, onigiri, tempura, gyoza, and, of course, egg salad sandwiches from 7-11 (that’s another story).

But I also like to stick my head into the franchises from home to see how the menus have been localized. Such as, here in Japan:

The shrimp nuggets or edamame & corn at McDonald’s … the Spam & Cheese Burger or Peanut Butter Royale Burger at Burger King … the Wa-fu Chicken Cutlet Sandwich or Pepper Mayo Twister at Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Maybe it’s the marketer in me. Maybe it’s a way of saying, “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

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According to Google Translate, アメリカのファストフード店  is Japanese for "American fast food restaurant"