Pizza in Japan? #pizza #japan # japanese #japanesecustomers

Pizza in Japan?

By JapaneseCustomer.com 

Copyright 2015.All rights reserved

Japanese customers love pizza and the love affair is growing as the choices available continues to grow. Japanese customers can buy pizza in a range of locations, style s and price points.
Pizza in Japanese is normally written in katakana,
ピッツァ and is pronounced as pittsua.

Supermarket pizza can be purchased at Ito Yokado, for example a 15cm Pizza Margherita can be purchased for 267 yen including tax that contains Hokkaido wheat and Italian mozzarella cheese.

 

                              Picture: Ito Yokado - Pizza Margherita for 267 yen including tax

Pizza can also be purchased from Italian restaurant's as a menu item, for example: Capricciossa  written as カプリチョーザ for example pizza on the menu start at 1380 yen through to 1780 yen plus tax but can be discounted on special days such as the 10th, 20th or 30th each month when pizza's are discounted by 20% .

Video: A square pizza from Pizza Hut, Japan

Video: Shakeys Pizza in Japan 

Shakeys Pizza where you can have a lunch viking (all you can eat in Japanese) for a set price, for example, as an adult for 710 yen. I remember hearing or reading that the creator of Pac Man got the idea for the character and game while dining at a Shakeys Pizza in Omotesando in Tokyo? 

Video: Pizza Hut menu in Japan

Foreign franchise pizza chains in Japan include Pizza Hut, Domino's

Video: Domino's pizza store in Tokyo, Japan

Local franchise chains include Pizza La, Pizza Station

Video: Pizza La Menu & Specials 2015

Video: Pizza Station Menu in Japan

Italian food as a segment is growing as more types of pasta is being seen on the shelves and the market for pizza is also expanding with more types of pizza, more natural cheese types and a wider variety of ingredients.



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What is the Japanese word for lean? "Mottainai" = no waste

Lean is not a word, it is a mindset that comes from the Japanese word "mottainai", no waste

Copyright. 2014.

All Rights Reserved

Picture: Japanese bath cover

Lean. The new western buzzword that borrows from the Japanese word "mottainai", no waste. But lean is more than just a word in Japan it is a mindset that impacts every aspect of daily life not just manufacturing or business. It applies from when you sit down to breakfast and leave your rice bowl with three grains of rice in it and someone at the table will inspect (probably everyone at the table) and someone will say to you directly, finish all your rice "mottainai". It continues when you throw out the waste paper basket and other household members will inspect the contents and take out things they can use and will say to you "mottainai". 

When you finish taking a bath in Japan at the end of the day which you share with all the other members of the household.You have to get in and out quickly and replace the bath covers (boards that cover the bath and keep in the heat in) so the next person also enjoys a hot bath, "mottainai". 

Bath water in Japan is typically used for up to three consecutive days before the bath is cleaned. The water in the bath is used in the washing machine, "mottainai". Nearly all Japanese households have a pump and a hose unit . This unit takes the bath water and fills the washing machine with a push of a button. Bath water is recycled, "mottainai". 

So you may now be getting a picture of how deep the meaning of "mottainai" or lean thinking goes in daily Japanese life. 

Japanese do not just apply this concept to manufacturing and business , they apply it to everything! 

For western companies to really compete with Japan they must not only understand the concept but apply it and Japan has a thousand year head start.

Learn more about Japan travel 
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Japan Travel: Must try food in Japan #1 Yakisoba instant noodles

Picture:  Yakisoba instant noodles

Visiting Japan and want to try some unique foods? Instant yakisoba noodles should definitely be on your list of food items to try. This is one food you can easily afford, find and enjoy, just about anywhere in Japan. As Japan has so many conveniences, when ever you feel like a bite to eat, all you have to do is to find the nearest convenience store, brands like Family Mart, Sunkus, Daily Yamazaki, Lawson, many are open twenty four hours a day. 

Yakisoba is a well loved food in Japan, and can be eaten fresh as a food stall item at many festivals, station kiosks and food stores such as supermarkets. 

What makes instant yakisoba noodles such a treat is that you can find it yourself at a convenience store with no language skills by just looking for the pack in the noodle section. They are a large Styrofoam bowl with a colourful lid showing a picture of the product, thin noodles in a dark brown sauce with nori seaweed sprinkled on them. At convenience stores in Japan you get to experience real Japanese convenience. In Japan, convenience store has microwaves, a constant supply of hot water in kettles, chopticks, serviettes, toilets,etc.

What I mean is that you buy the noodles and pay at the cash register and then you make the noodles in the store. Yes, you make the noodles yourself! If you have trouble locating them in store, just ask the staff (yakisoba arimasuka?)

So what is so great about Yakisoba instant noodles? For me, its the taste, which is a mixture of a thick rich sauce, tangy ginger, the tenderness of the noodles and the overall smell, that is very unique.

Step 1. You peel back the foil lid and also peel back the drainage vent , a small panel on the lid. 
Step 2. Take out the sachets enclosed and then pour in hot water from the kettle in-store and fill the Styrofoam bowl up to the line indented on the inside which is generally about halfway.  
Step 3. Re-peal the folded lid back over the bowl and re-seal by tucking the lid under the bowls edge and wait for three minutes to pass (a great time to check out some Manga magazines for the latest news). 
Step 4. When the time has elapsed, you drain the hot water from the bowl by the small vent, being careful to hold the bowl tight and avoid any hot steam.  
Step 5. Then you start opening the variety of sachets and adding them individually into the bowl. The store assistant will give you a set of disposable chopsticks (waribashi) when you pay and it is now time to open these, split them apart and use them to stir the noodles and contents of the sachets. 
Step 6. Re-seal the lid, tidy up the bench by disposing of all rubbish in the bin and then take the bowl outside with your chopsticks and find a nice seat outside to enjoy your meal.

Yakisoba instant noodles are a cheap snack or meal that take about 5 minutes to prepare and are very affordable at about 150 yen (AUD $1.62). Plus you get to experience the fantastic convenience of making the noodles yourself in-store. Just like the locals do it. 

The launch of McDonald's, new McBakery range in Japan

The launch of McDonald's, new McBakery range in Japan

Wednesday 16th July 2008



McDonalds Japan launched the new McBakery line today (Wednesday the 16th July, 2008) in Tokyo, Japan. As hinted in our blog post yesterday . The launch comes at an important time in the market as the coffee wars have begun in Japan. McDonalds recently launched its new "Premium Roast" coffee brand which was an upgrade on their previous coffee line. It was a sign they were about to muscle in on Starbucks customers. A Starbucks Japan regular coffee currently costs 280 yen while a McDonald's premium roast costs just 100 yen and has free refills.

Video: Launch of McDonalds new McBakery in Tokyo, Japan

The new McBakery range adds to the 100 yen menu item expands McDonald's menu line and puts a brave foot forward into Starbucks territory as the economy is tightening. The timing couldn't be more perfect.


The new McBakery line consists of three items, melon pan, choco danish and sugar croissant. Each item costs only 100 yen and is a natural complement to the "Premium Roast" coffee brand. It seems that the items are on sale all day with no time restrictions, meaning they can be enjoyed 24 hours at some stores.


McDonalds Japan share price closed at 1567 yen per share down 18 yen. Starbucks Japan shares have been on a downward slide since early February (having shed 9600 yen per share in six months), today they closed at 46,700 yen down 200 yen.

The new line should attract new customers to the store. The big question is why launch a winter product at the start of summer? Why didn't they launch the premium roast coffee and the McBakery at the same time in the cooler months? Or maybe Japanese customers don't care about the season for food and just that it is a new menu item and a reason to visit the store? As metabolic syndrome continues to rage as a news item, will the calorie count have much of an impact? Sugar Croissant 198 kcal, Melon pan 289 kcal and Choco Danish 232kcal. Sugar Croissant may become the best seller as it has fewer calories than the others but I must say they all taste very good with a "Premium Roast" coffee.


A small 200 yen investment (McBakery item and a coffee) and you could pretend you were in Paris which is a nice break if you commute in Tokyo. The taste and quality are very good.

McDonalds and other fast food stores get plenty of traffic in summer in Japan as they offer a respite from the high humidity of summer as they have continuous air conditioning. Once in store customers stay as long as they can, so maybe the cooler environment maybe just right for a coffee and a pastry strategy. Starbucks Japan has a new summer line up focusing on blended juice mango and Zakuro peach frappuccino. The range is colourful, well known (Frappuccino is well known among Japanese customers) and is a refreshing drink for the summer heat.

So who will win the summer coffee wars. McDonalds with an extended 100 yen fresh bakery line to complement their new "Premium Roast" coffee strategy or Starbucks with a new range of flavours for their well-known Frappuccino line?

The winner will be ultimately be decided by customers at the cash register. We will keep you updated.


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The launch of McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee in Japan

The launch of McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee in Japan

Wednesday February 20th, 2008

The new McDonalds Premium Roast coffee strategy is rolling out. In Tokyo, yesterday consumers had the chance to try the new taste in one of four free sample days that have been planned for Tuesdays in February and March, 2008. According to the promotional flyer, Tuesday 2/19, 2/26, 3/4 and 3/11, between the hours of 14.00 pm - 24.00pm, customers can get a free cup of premium roast coffee by saying the key word when they approach the counter. "Premium roast coffee kudasai".

We tried at our local store and staff were eagerly prepared and ready for our request. The coffee is served in the new look cup and has a new black plastic lid as reported in our post "McDonalds new coffee strategy Japan". The taste is certainly better than the previous coffee and will change the perception of McDonald's coffee in Japan from being a weak to a stronger taste. Japanese consumers can be very sensitive to full or strong taste in western products. For example: western chocolate, jams and ice creams are often too sweet and heavy for many Japanese consumers. Is this the same for coffee as well? Japanese coffee tends to be weak and thin in texture and taste.

Video: McDonald's new Premium Coffee

The strategy is an important step in gaining new customers and keeping them in store. Japanese customers are big coffee consumers and coffee shops play an important role in daily Japanese life as a meeting place for friends, mums and children after school, business men having meetings with local suppliers, sales people preparing presentations on their laptops, high school students doing homework and retirees catching up. The difference between western and Japanese daily life is that it in Japan it is quite acceptable to sit and stay in store a long time which is great for business as the longer a customer stays the more chance they have of buying something else and attracting new customers who see a busy shop as being popular and successful.


The 100 yen price point is smart as it attracts a wide audience, keeps it simple with one coin, (a 100 yen coin) and does away with the extra charge other retailers tend to use, for example: some retailers price an item at 99 cents to which tax of 5 yen is added making the item a total of 104 yen. This is messy and clumsy for retailers and consumers who have to rummage their pockets looking for one yen coins or wait at the cash register as store clerks slowly and carefully count out change. Looks like a winner!


Sources: McDonalds tray mat, letterbox flyer and in store coffee pamphlet McDonalds Japan website, http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/ February 20th 2008.

 
                                              

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