Wait. . . Is that a McDonald's?
Once serving as the nation’s capital, Kyoto, Japan is a city renowned for its tradition and deep-rooted history. With its astonishing architecture and breathtaking scenery an afternoon spent walking through the streets of this old city is truly like being warped into the past. Catching a glimpse of an elegantly dressed geisha shuffling discreetly into the distance upon exiting a nearby teahouse makes the experience seem even more surreal.
After questioning whether or not time has somehow transformed itself into the past a sign reading “McDonald's” confirms otherwise. However, something still seems a little strange, but what? A closer look reveals that this particular McDonald's doesn’t actually resemble a McDonald's at all. In fact, it looks more like a Japanese temple than a fast food restaurant . . . but why?
Well, the truth is that while I did get a good laugh at seeing such a sweet looking McDonald's, it wasn’t all that surprising. In fact, one of the major reasons contributing to the overwhelming success of this fast food chain in Japan, and all over the world for that matter, has been the company’s ability to adapt with and integrate into their desired target markets.
Japan is a country where foods such as fish and rice have unique historical ties and where living in harmony with nature is an important core cultural value. Any Western company seeking to succeed within Japan must remain sensitive to and embrace such differences. Whether this means disguising restaurants to look like temples or changing menus to include items such as the Ebi Filet-O (shrimp burger) or green tea flavored milk shake, adapting to meet the needs of the people is a must and should not be undermined. It is no coincidence that McDonald's has had overwhelming success in Japan. By paying close attention to the Japanese environment and also to continuous cultural changes, McDonald's is one company that has not been set back by the same entry barriers which have kept numerous other Western companies from succeeding within Japan.
