Junk Food by the Numbers
Most Japanese choose McDonalds even though they prefer MOS Burger, according to What Japan Thinks, reporting on a recent MyVoice internet community survey of 13,728 members. Contrary to popular opinion, the Japanese do not appear to be especially big junk food consumers, since 60.1% of them visit a burger bar or other fast food restaurant only 1-3 times each month, while 27.3% go either a few times in a year or never. Only 1.5% pig out several times each week.
And lunch time seems by far the most typical time to go. 48.1% have gone from 12-1 and 33.8% from 1-2. Very few go for supper, in the evenings, or after hours. The preferred joints are McDonalds (85.4% go there frequently), MOS Burger (38.8%), Mister Donuts (37.8%), Kentucky Fried Chicken (28.9%), and Lotteria (12.4%).
The other chains are cited by less than 5% of diners. And few prefer them. The favorite chain is MOS Burger (29.5) followed by McDonalds (25.7%). Other chains hardly show up at all as favorites. What Japan Thinks speculates on why Japanese prefer MOS Burger yet go to McDonalds more frequently:
One reason is definitely the relative number of outlets; 1,500 MOS Burgers but 3,800 McDs, and the second being price; McDs has plenty of 100 yen menu options, whereas MOS Burgers sell for about 700 yen each. Since MOS Burger’s selling point is quality, they refuse to get into price wars. Lotteria have recently annouced a 100 yen menu to compete with McDonalds.
In fact, 67.4% of respondents said cheap prices were the most important factor when choosing a fast food restaurant and 32.3% also mentioned discount coupons. The other top criterion was delicious food (52.2%). Price and taste were followed not unexpectedly by the “fast” and “convenient” aspects such as easy to enter (32.2%), short waits (25.6%) and nearby (20.5%).
What we might regard as “quality” aspects were at the bottom of the list: healthy menu (4.9%), quiet/relaxing (4.3%), and origin of ingredients (3.5%).
On the Krispy Kream Doughnuts question, almost half (46.6%) have already been or want to. But a slim majority have either never heard of it or wouldn’t set foot in the place. After all, seppuku is more traditional and less fattening — also does not have that sugary aftertaste.
There was a book about McD’s in East Asia that basically argued many East Asians see fast food as snack food rather than a ‘real’ meal (mostly due to the lack of rice, IIRC). Could be one reason Japanese tend to not go to McDs in the evening or on weekends. Although the Japan part is the weakest, IMO, it is an interesting book. I think the title was _Golden Arches East_.
MosBurger claims quality, but I’m not always so sure about that. Mostly it seems to me that you pay a lot more for a lot less and it can take them forever to get it to you. I know American portions are ridiculously large, but MosBurger’s portions are small even by Japanese standards.
October 8th, 2007 at 6:58 am[...] Nicholls wrote a fantastic post today on “Junk Food by the Numbers”Here’s ONLY a quick extractContrary to popular opinion, the Japanese do not appear to be especially big junk food consumers, since 60.1% of them visit a burger bar or other fast food restaurant only 1-3 times each month, while 27.3% go either a few times in a … [...]
October 8th, 2007 at 6:13 pm[...] Junk Food by the Numbers Most Japanese choose McDonalds even though they prefer MOS Burger, according to What Japan Thinks , reporting on a recent MyVoice internet community survey of 13,728 members. [...]
October 9th, 2007 at 5:06 am