One of the more wacky reasons why I like Japan is the neverending fast-food restaurant stunts that crop up from time to time, like when Burger King changes the color of their hamburger buns or when Lotteria makes burgers with 5 patties. But all-you-can-eat is rare here, and Uncle Kentucky (Colonel Harland Sanders) is celebrating both his 45th year in Japan and would-be 125th birthday in a major way on September 9th.
This isn’t new; yours truly waited in a long line at the Shibuya Dogenzaka location the last time this happened. What will change this coming Wednesday is that there is a reservations system in place. You must sign up for a spot only at specific stores (not all locations are participating!) at a designated time. This will end the queues that in my experience could last at least 2 hours.
Check the participating stores here (Sorry, only in Japanese!) and there aren’t a whole heck of a lot participating. Find one near you and run over and sign up if you want to spend ¥1500 and 45 minutes of your coming Wednesday gorging yourself with 11 herbs and spices of oily, clucking goodness.
[NOTE: Edits were made for clarity; it’s Colonel Harland David Sanders anniversary of his birth 誕生記念日 as well as the 45th year that KFC has franchised in Japan.]