Six years after withdrawing from the Japanese market, American fast-food chain Burger King is back, bringing with it the concept of a premium big hamburger in hopes of winning over consumers bored with typical fare.
Burger King will kick off its re-entry Friday at a new outlet in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. The second is scheduled to open June 22 in Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, followed by six more in and around the capital by the end of next March.
Burger King Corp., based in Florida, first came to Japan in 1996 and operated about 25 outlets in the Tokyo area before it was forced to pull out in 2001 after losing a price war with McDonald's and other fast-food chains.