“American Quarter Pounder” or “World Whopper”

I wrote about McDonalds Japan‘s “Big America” Quarter-Pounder burger campaign.
(Click here to read it).

They offered the “Big Texas Burger“, then the “New York Burger“, and then the “Hawaiian Burger“. Now they’re offering the final one…the “California Burger“.

Well, to compete, Burger King Japan is selling four different 「世界の美味しさとてつまなくデカイ！ワッパー」 (“World’s Delicious Giant Whoppers“).

 

Rather than a different flavor burger for four different U.S. states, like McDonalds Japan is selling, Burger King Japan‘s new “Whoppers” are four different flavors from four countries.

From 2010 February 1 – 18, they sold the “American flavor 「バーベキューワッパー」 (“BBQ Whopper“),
and then from 2010 February 19 – March 4, they sold the “Malaysian flavor” 「ブラックペッパーワッパー」 (“Black Pepper Whopper“).
Currently they are selling the 「スパイシーイタリアンワッパー」 (“Spicy Italian Whopper“).
And the final one will be the “Japanese flavor” 「てりやきワッパー」 (“Teriyaki Whopper“), which will be offered beginning 2010 March 19.

Burger King Japan has had unique Whopper burgers before…
Click here for my post about their “Bourbon Whopper“, and
Click here for my post about their “Whopper 7“.

“Summer Sonic Boom” and Marty Friedman in FANTA band

The American rock band KISS released a new album last autumn titled “Sonic Boom“.

And every summer for the past ten years or so, there is a rock festival in Japan called “Summer Sonic” (actually this is one of the numerous rock festivals in Japan every year).

Well, my good friend Masa told me today that KISS is planning to play at this year’s “Summer Sonic” festival near Tokyo this August to promote their “Sonic Boom” album.

Maybe they’ll call their shows at the festival the “Summer Sonic Boom Tour“. 😉

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If you like heavy metal music you probably recognize the name Marty Friedman.

He used to be the guitarist for the American heavy metal band “Megadeth“.

Marty played on Megadeth's excellent "Countdown To Extinction" album.

Marty Friedman has a Japanese wife and can speak Japanese. When he was a member of Megadeth, he would do all of the band’s media interviews in Japanese when they toured here in Japan (usually Dave Mustaine, the lead singer, does the interviews).

After he quit Megadeth, he and his wife moved to Tokyo (now, like me, he’s an American KISS fan living in Tokyo with his Japanese wife 😉 ).

Now that he lives in Japan, he makes a living by occasionally co-hosting music shows on TV, writing for music magazines, playing in a variety of Japanese bands, and he has released albums of remakes of Japanese songs.

Most recently, he has recorded TV commercial for the Fanta soft drink with three Japanese musicians and Akenono, the former 横綱 (Sumo Grand Champion).

In these commercials, Marty Friedman and the others (who are all famous in Japan…actually, Marty Friedman is the least famous of the five in Japan) are in a “FANTA” rock band.

Since they are all musicians in real life except Akebono (the former sumo champion)…in the commercials, Akebono plays the drums but always messes up.

The reason that these five celebrities were chosen for the “FANTA band” is that the first initial of each member’s name spells F.A.N.T.A.
They are: Marty Friedman (guitar), Ayanocozey (sometimes called “DJ OZMA”) (bass), Nana Tanimura (vocals), Takamizawa (aka: Takamiy (of the Japanese band “The Alfee“)) (guitar), and Akebono (drums (and “bodyguard” 🙂 )).

These commercials are to promote the new Fanta drink in Japan…”Moo Moo White“.
(Click here to read the post I wrote about this drink.)

Here a video of the TV commercial that Fanta released (it doesn’t show who the band members are…in an attempt to build up anticipation):

And here’s the latest one (Akebono, the sumo wrester / drummer drops his drum sticks):

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Also, in Japan, yesterday was the holiday “White Day“.

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