Japan Today
Image: Press release
food

Is Burger King Japan sending subliminal messages in its packaging for new Top One Pounder?

17 Comments
By SoraNews24

In recent years, Burger King Japan has been filling a gap in the fast food market for big burgers with The One Pounder series, which packs four beef patties inside a sesame seed-topped bun. In this year alone, the chain has released four varieties that customers have gone wild for, with the Great King Yeti in February, Ugly in April, Big Barbeque in July and Ninniku Garlic in October.

Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-9.07.33.png

Now, Burger King is giving us one final One Pounder for the year and it’s called 24/25 TOP.

Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-9.07.44.png

As the name suggests, this burger pays homage to the turn of the year, which is the biggest event on the Japanese festival calendar. It’s a time when people gather with families and take part in special customs that include eating osechi, a traditional meal filled with auspicious ingredients designed to bring luck in the coming year.

The 24/25 TOP takes this custom and runs with it, packing its own variety of auspicious ingredients into the burger to deliver luck to the eater.

Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-9.07.53.png

Up top, we have a toasted sesame seed bun, followed by fresh tomato and onion, special spicy sauce, a five-cheese sauce, pickles, and four flame-grilled beef patties. This combination of ingredients results in a burger that contains a lot of red and white colors, which are commonly seen in Japan around New Year as it’s considered to be an auspicious pairing.

Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-9.08.03.png

To commemorate the release, customers who purchase the 24/25 TOP will receive a special paper bag containing an original sticker and a coupon that gets you a 300-yen discount on a Whopper set of your choice. The bag, decked out in lucky red-and-white hues, has a design that’s rather questionable, and things get even more dubious when you realize it’s a stylized rendering of the Japanese kanji 大入, which translates as "Big Inside."

▼ The whole set brings new meaning to the “I did it” sticker in the package.

Screenshot-2024-12-12-at-9.08.12.png

What’s immediately visible on the bag is two tumescent characters with round, ball-and-bellend-like appendages at the end of their strokes. Though the chain says this rendering of “Big Inside” is in reference to “めでたい大入” (medetai oiri), which means “lots of luck inside”, we have to wonder when it comes to Burger King. After all, this is the chain that made news around the world for hiding messages in its promotional posters on more than one occasion, and the attention it brought them has no doubt given them a taste of the power of hidden marketing.

Whether intentional or not, the bag is sure to raise eyebrows. The new 24/25 TOP is priced at 2,090 yen. Stocks of the “Big Inside” bags are limited, though, so if you’re a top, or a bottom, or neither, or both, you’ll want to get in quick to snag them while supplies last, with distribution set to end on January 2.

Source, images: Press release

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Burger King releases a “TOP” Burger in Japan

-- Out-of-business Tokyo McDonald’s gets brutal but kind sendoff from rival Burger King branch

-- Burger King releases the King Yeti on Japan

© SoraNews24

©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.

17 Comments
Login to comment

Coronary heart disease perhaps is the hidden message if you eat that much meat.

I'll stick with the whopper cheese thanks.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

They should have ambulances waiting outside these awful, unhealthy burger places. We don't need them in Japan.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

I think I understand where the author is going with this, but those white bars on the side of the bag just make me think 肉 niku. Which is probably intentional.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

great food if you want die young.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

2,090 yen?

I enjoy chosing cuts of beef to form my own patties, the seasoning flavors crucial, create my own BBQ relish sauce. Choose the bun etc.

Its one pound of beef, every so often as a treat ok.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

On a recent UK visit I passed a Wimpy, a offer of a three pattie burger caught my eye.

Over 800 calories, the cook agreed to my request of the patties,onions, tomatoes bun only.

My Dad always insisted as a child he had a Wimpy fetish.

I could be tempted to try the one pound Burger king offering, but just onions tomatoes,

Not the sauces.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

At least the "Heart Attack Grill" is honest about what you get from eating there:

https://youtu.be/OWuVeDEyQR8

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Would I try this? No way Pedro!

Just looks silly and vile at the same time.

Itsonlyrockandroll

Those Wimpy Bars were alright, oh yeah. Used to work in my friends fathers one on Saturdays when. I was 14-15. Loved their Quatern'pounders and the one I worked a used to make their own chips, happy times.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

They should be required to list the calories. Probably too much for me.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Jesus Christ….if you want that much beef, have a steak or some roast beef.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

auspicious ingredients

Compares favorably with traditional osechi.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The most expensive fast food in the world. This thing costs nearly 2000 yen with drinks etc which a family could eat on if they cook at home. In addition the bread wouldn’t hold it. The whole thing is a satire on what is American and it’s not. It’s over the top. How about just providing a standard product first that’s affordable. They’re more than MOS Burger.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Not gonna go out of my way but I'll try it if I bump into a store

1 ( +1 / -0 )

While Burger King is lords above McD's in quality and taste (fries aside), this is way too much meat. Even the Whopper is extremely dense. There's no way I'd ever get any of these.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

smithinjapanDec. 18 10:55 pm JST

While Burger King is lords above McD's in quality and taste (fries aside)

The situation is completely the opposite here in the states, although Burger King does have its advantages.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It sure looks like someone is about to get something big inside.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites