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Fast food places like McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, KFC, etc, are frequently criticized. What do you think of them?

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i think i'd rather eat real food.

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If they are a part of your daily diet you have a problem. If you stop in once in awhile I don't see a problem.

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I know these places are always criticized, especially by JT readers, but they serve a purpose. I don't mind a Burger King now and again. I only eat McDonald's when I am in a hurry and there is nothing better nearby.

As far as the health issue is concerned, I agree that in moderation, there is no harm, although I find even one piece of KFC to be too greasy for me.

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As long as toilets in Mcdonald's.Wendy's,Burger King,KFC and others are cleaner than others, I will buy there.

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Vis-a-vis 'clean toilets', I, too, only partake of repasts in WCs of the highest hygienic quality.

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Of course no one is forced to go inside and actually eat the stuff they try to pass off as food, but I wish they could do something about the stink of fried muck that emanates from these places.

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Cleo has a point -- no one is being forced at gunpoint to eat at these junk food dispensaries. They do immense business because billions of people LOVE the stuff. They are filling a need. Cooking at home is so passé!

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Why doesn't McDonalds in Japan have free wi-fi like the rest of the world (or Starbucks, for that matter)?

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McDonald's has wi-fi in Hawaii but it certainly ain't free.

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finger lickin good!

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My nearest McDonalds is a 90 minute drive. I like to grab a cheeseburger or two (and what ever new wacky burger they have on special) whenever I make a journey to the big smoke. It gives a feeling of home eating the processed garbage food. (Mosburger doesn't cut it)

I just wish they had a Burger King in Hokkaido..

Oh, and up until 5-6 years ago, my town had an organic/free range KFC using local chickens and the colonels spices. It's still there, but it's no longer affiliated with KFC

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KFC is selling grilled (not fried) chicken as an option in the States, now. All the different chains are trying to offer up healthy alternatives to their standard fare.

I eat lunch at McDonalds every day, but have the Ceasar Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing and a cup of water. 320 calories with 11 grams of total fat. The only thing pushing the envelope is the Sodium content (1.75 grams) but I don't have any heart issues so I'm not too worried about that (yet).

That's one end of the spectrum. For the other end, view the film "Super-Size Me". As is the case with ANYTHING, overdoing it will be detrimental to your health.

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I should say that was the grilled chicken Caesar Salad.

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People are free to choose. I like Subway, but I'd rather have a teishoku over a crappy burger.

Why doesn't McDonalds in Japan have free wi-fi like the rest of the world

The one near my house certainly does. I can pick it up from my balcony.

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They are OK. Not every day.

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Sure, if you want to fill your body with garbage...cholestorol, fat, hormones, chemicals...yum, yum. Finger Lickin' good...NOT!

Anyone who eats in these places has been duped.

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i worked in a number of restaurant, kitchen and some quite expensive restaurant in tokyo when i fist came here long ago.

i can say that no matter how much you can pay, how good and clean the front store look, eat at home is the best. an i am no kidding.

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Like every business, they exist to maximise profits at all costs. How successful they are is a reflection on society, not the businesses themselves.

I eat at Mos Burger maybe 3 times a year and skip all the others. It's just crap that they sell and I have enough self-respect not to eat there.

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They're horrible, totally horrible. Cheap food made from cheap products with little nutritional value. My home was Oklahoma, third fattest in America. I saw what these fast food chains did to people and I do not want any part of it.

I'd take a meal cooked at home with love from the woman I adore very much with extra veggies over the greasy greedy fast food chains.

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I have a 24 hour MacDonalds next to my apartment, right in front of the subway exit. I think I've eaten MacDonalds more in the last 6 months than in the rest of my life.

One weird thing: there are no menus displayed anywhere in the shop other than on the counter.

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MacDonald's saved my parent's lives when they came to visit me in Japan 15 days and they did not manage to use chopsticks.

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What do I think of saturated grease masquerading as food? The annual dumping of petro chemicals on sterile ground to grow cattle chow for BK? The grotesque obesity epidemic of a super sized western fast food culture that threatens the biodiversity of earth? Monolithic corporate farming for greedy Wall Street banksters? The death of the family farm? Genetically modified KFChickens with breasts so big they cant fly... An iconic clown that looks like Chester the molester? What do I think? We are doomed.

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300, I suggest you don't eat this stuff then.

I enjoy eatin' meat. And if we're not supposed to eat them, then how come they're made outta meat in the first place?

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the regular (no sausage)egg mcmuffins are fantastic...the burgers i usually do without

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31 Ice Cream (also known as Baskin Robins) sells their shops to familes and other small business owners. They should ensure they do a Google search. Baskin Robbins and associated companies have a pretty scary history with many of their franchisees, including in Japan, Chinese, Koreans and Australians as well as Americans.

www.baskinrobbinsaustralia.blogspot.com

There are plenty of reputable companies out there for people looking to have the security of a franchise. A company with a history of taking advantage of minorities and foreigners is a dangerous business investment. Do your homework and look towards a reputable company.

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Boy what a question. Issues of nutritional value aside, companies like Macs define what quality assurance is. They are some of the pioneers in the franchise/quality control business. On the marketing front, however, some or all of the fast food chains could be criticized for sales strategies that puts profitability before nutrition, and also strategies that target people from lower socio-economic groups.

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Yes people are free to choose based on their culinary culture.

Its obvious that sheet food is only been eaten by those people, like most of North Americans, English, ... You only have to see the consequences: fat and ugly people!!!, but what can you expect.. ha ha That's why I wish the Americans never brought that sheet to this country, I don't want to see those Japanese princess become fat... Those food places should be ban. In other countries now they are protecting the kids of that sheet by not allowing advertisement directly targeting them. And even in England they are starting to understand the consequences... I am wondering if its too late...

Enjoy your meal!! I will enjoy my nice home made salad!

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I worked in fastfood chains before when i was still a student here, It's really strange where the food comes from and how those are packaged, eating fastfood sometimes is ok ... but obviously if yu eat this regularly, it will cause your life , in some situations , during my "broke days" when i was a student it helps me to get over hunger and survive some days to have a cheap meal . the documentary "Supersize Me" was not so equal making the film, of course if you eat SUPERSIZE FAST FOOD MEALS every day it will really kill you, but having it for 1 day is not bad i think.

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They serve a purpose for those that choose to eat there, that simple.

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geez people ..loosen up!! its a fatty hamburger!!!

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good in moderation.

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Whatever happened to the Hamburglar?

I miss that guy.

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I really miss Gremace, I dont see him so much here in McDonald's in Japan... I'm wondering what creature represents Gremace???? Eggplant??? does McDonald's have eggplant on their menu???

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When Japanese tourists in Hawaii are homesick, they head for a familiar McDonald's for some comfort food.

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I remember when KFC came to my hometown (here in Japan) in the 1970s. My boss came in beaming, with boxes filled with the fried stuff for all of us to eat. He looked like this was THE food to have. I thought it was awful. I have eaten it once or twice since because someone brought it in - and it was still awful. Junk food is junk food and I never ever frequent the places mentioned here or others. When I am in need of food away from home I buy a banana.

billions of people LOVE the stuff.

Billions of people are stupid next to those who aren't.

They are filling a need

No, not a need. An uncontrolled addiction.

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Fast food or junk food, call it what you will. As long as you are not consuming huge amounts of it every day of the week there is no problem. It is convenient, reasonably priced, the quality is assured, the service is good. Yes, KFC chickens are tortured, Mac burgers are full of sugar and salt, a Whopper is disgusting. So what!?!?

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I think the customer is always right, so who am I to criticize ?

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Sorry Disillusioned, but this site exists purely to ask everyone to state their opinions (petty or not). I happen to agree with presto345 that most of it tastes awful to me, but I simply vote with my feet and go elsewhere. I couldn't care less if others like it or not.

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McDonalds in Japan beats the hell out of McDonalds in Canada.

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The meat at Japan mcdonalds, burger king tastes bad/strange compared with in NZ. The kfc is also quite weird but I am have accidentially ordered the hot and spicy so im not sure. My favourite western fast food in Japan is Wendy's, the burgers and chilli there are pretty much the same as NZ and really tasty. I have found them in Ikebukuro, Shibuya and Harajuku.

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Nice to have variety of choices. Depends on mood of day or time element. I may stop for a cheeseburger or large fries. Others days, fast food is disgusting and I head for a vegetarian restaurant. On the business side, such fast food stores do employ people and a check is always useful.

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Often I see people waiting on a long line for their "fast food". That is a puzzling scenario.

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It's all crap. Once in a while I'll walk by one and it'll smell good, and I'll grab something, and it's always crap. The only thing I use McDonald's for these days is coffee -- not bad, and cheap. When I was in high school, though, I loved McDonald's fries and milkshakes. I wonder if they changed, or I did.

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I did like Macdonald's, BK and KFC when I was young, but as I get older or my taste buds started to mature, I have started to turn to some small restaurants or a burger truck on the street for burgers and fries. They just taste better. The meat actually tastes like meat. In most days, I prefer something other than burgers. I still remember I ate Ramen on the street.

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I had a "Mint-Oreo McFlurry" ice cream today. Not bad! But it cost 330 yen. I can get a mint ice cream at the supermarket for 98 yen...

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I rarely think of them, If I have a choice.

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Why would you go to McD's if you have a soba house around the corner for a fraction of the price? Fas food only makes sense if it's cheap (which in Japan it ain't. And is there anything faster than soba anyway?).

While everything has its time and place (even the occasional McD's hamburger) aware consumers will probably choose to support local real food shops than an environmentally-unfriendly megacorporation.

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stereofreak, what Japan are you talking about? in fact sod that..aware consumers? what world are you talking about?

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People can criticize them all they want, but it's only the PEOPLE who are giving them the profits. Why would you criticize something and then eat it after? And if you don't eat it, why does it matter?

In any case, it's not that bad in moderation. Once in a while there is nothing wrong with indulgence. Be that calories or salt or sugar or whatever...

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they s*ck but its good to have 24hr establishments in a country that always sleeps (and opens for business too late as well)

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Wait for a while pay a lot,however I'm still hungry after having my fast food in Kfc or McDonald's.

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They serve their purpose of getting a meal for a cheap price. What more should one expect? I just wish they wouldn't over-package the food, putting bags in bags. Seems like a waste.

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Unhealthy food... but I like it. I guess that is just like ramen.

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I love them, especially the Coke. I go twice a day sometimes.

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mmm I think some people are mixing concepts. The freedom to choose what you want to eat doesn't work when people are not properly culturized about it. That's why in such cases is where the government has to step in and protect them of it. Its starting to happen in some countries like UK where the index of obesity in the childrens are reaching unnacceptable levels. So only when people are concious of the issues and consequences of having such food, you can let them choose. But is not only food, is also the world consequences of such menu. To keep up with the demands of meat many undevelopped countries are having several issues like over explotation of the soil by farmers instead of growing vegetables or keeping the forest alive... and many more.

So when you step into one of those places, please make yourself a bit of selfconcience exercise and try to make the world a bit better. I am sure you can just go to the supermarket or any local store and buy some simple fruit (probably expensier) that will make it good to your body. In fact once a week it works very well to just drink liquid and eat some fruits.

In my case I never eaten any of those fast foods (well once potatoes...) but I rather use their instalations for the only thing it can be good: their toilets! Nothing else can be saved, ha ha ha

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my favorite time to order fasst food is right after the hookers leave my house... replenishes me after all the hard work!!!!!!

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hi

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hmm.. last few posts are brilliant. Maybe for my future business plan in japan I could open a fast-food escort service. Order your burgers, chicken, fries, and hooker at the counter, get it/her "to-go" or "dine-in" in which case you would go to your private table.

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"is there anything faster than soba anyway?"

Kaiten sushi. And, although it can be more expensive if you're really hungry and eat 10 plates, your body and taste buds will appreciate the vastly superior fare compared to burger/fried chicken joint fare. I recently found a kaiten sushi that has 95 yen plates. Heck, 10 pieces of negitoro is enough for me - and less than 400 yen ha ha ha hee hee hee

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Yeah, less than 500 yen, whatever ha ha ha hee hee hee

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What do you think of them?....I think the reason why there are so many fat people around is that they eat the garbage sold by these fast food charlatans. Maccas- I'm loving being fat.

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MacDonald KFC and all those other fast food places are good! I myself hardly eat there but knowing that I can get fast food when I get the craving for is nice!

There are just some days where I'm craving a big mac.. and damn it!! when I want one! I'm gonna have it! haha

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Not much.

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DenDon,

I am talking about THIS Japan. You can be as cynical as you want, but there are aware consumers out there, even in Japan. And McDs is certainly more expensive than a local soba house. A McDs combo is roughly 2000 yen, while a good plate of tsumiki udon/soba is 500. Perhaps it's your vision of Japan that's out of focus...somewhat jaded perhaps?

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McDs combo is roughly 2000 yen

what?! again, what Japan are you living in? 2000 yen?

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It's dead food. Why would you want to put it in you body? Try a nice bowl of soba noodles.

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They are all ok if you eat that kind of food once in a blue moon. Give in to it too often and your health is going to pay the price. People just have to remind themselves that they are not going to look anything like the models in the McD's ads if they eat there too much.

One good thing I can say about McD's in Japan is that their sizes are what I remember from when I was a kid. At some point in North America, the small size disappeared. What is now small is the size a medium used to be, today's medium is yesteryear's large, etc. etc. Bigger isn't always better...

Yes, the food at those places is complete and utter junk for your body, but is fun to eat once in a rare while.

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Burger King and Fakkinare nice. KFC and Wendys are ok. MacD is the lowest rubbish out there. If you like that stuff you`re tastebuds must be seriously warped!

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I dont think letting other people judge what you put in your body, is anybody's business. I cant believe people think other people are so unconscious of what they feed their body. Maybe its the kids with obesity problems? Then I would say it is a parental issue, not a food one. Next thing you know they will be stipulating between the swallow or not in a hrhm-job! Personally, I like food.

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It's dead food. Why would you want to put it in you body? Try a nice bowl of soba noodles.

eh? all those dead buckwheat particles? eeeeewww, dead stuff. shadaap fanny

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A show of hands, please - Who has eaten BK's Angry Burger?

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It is dead food because even mold and bacteria refuses some of it. Check out this video of mac fries and some burgers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htnvzLU1I1o

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real scientific. he wasn't even wearing a white coat, pfffft. I guess the old timers were right to pack food in salt before they had fridges.(places tongue behind lower lip) eeeuuuurghhhhh

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tetsukon at 11:30 AM JST - 27th August

I have a 24 hour MacDonalds next to my apartment, right in front of the subway exit. I think I've eaten MacDonalds more in the last 6 months than in the rest of my life.

One weird thing: there are no menus displayed anywhere in the shop other than on the counter. This could explain why no menus.

[URL=http://s123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/obnoxious2/?action=view&current=lzi090720.gif][IMG]http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/obnoxious2/th_lzi090720.gif[/IMG][/URL]

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They are America, beyond reproach. "Criticism" of these businesses is weak sauce insecurity by anti-Americans.

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Their food sux. Unless I'm starving. Then it's good, especially McD's french fries. The other 98% of the time I prefer my own cooking. Thank god for cookbooks.

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Right now McD's Big Mac is only 200 yen. I'll bet they're selling a motherlode of them right now. Not to me, though. Not as long as I can get four pieces of negitoro for 200 yen...

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Fast food and credit card interest are killing Americans... Dont let it happen to you.

hahaha 2000 yen for a Mc D's combo? i dont remember paying that much it was on the average. now pizza in japan thats a bit pricy i got a 10in personal plain cheese for about for a about 2200 yen.

And all fast food is sooooo bad for you! I always tell my Japanese friends stay away from that stuff it'll kill ya.

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Crappy american food. Stay away from it.

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If you NOT GETTING HEALTHY from KFC,Wendy's,Burger King or others.

Cook and eat, what is healthy for you. You are as healthy,as what you eat.

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