{
  "id": 11781426,
  "title": "McDonald’s Japan brings back Ronald",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/mcdonalds-japan-brings-back-ronald",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-03T21:27:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Qatar Tribune Business",
    "slug": "qatar-tribune-business",
    "url": "https://www.qatar-tribune.com/article/257303/business/mcdonalds-japan-brings-back-ronald"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "McDonald's Japan has stunned its avid fans by revealing a surprising change to the iconic mascot of their chain. While some may find it surprising to discard decades of recognizable branding for such a universally known spokesperson, the company in Japan believes the time has come for a change. In an official announcement via its X account, McDonald's Japan revealed that the beloved clown, dressed in the company's signature red and yellow, will now be known as Ronald McDonald instead of his long-standing Japanese name, Donald McDonald. The reason behind this switch from \"Ronald\" to \"Donald\" remains a mystery. One theory suggests that Den Fujita, the Japanese entrepreneur who established McDonald's Japan, believed \"Ronald\" might be challenging for Japanese speakers to pronounce. However, the Japanese language possesses both \"ro\" and \"do\" sounds, with \"ro\" being a common occurrence in names and vocabulary, making it not a particularly difficult sound for native Japanese individuals to articulate. Another possibility put forth online is that the alteration to Donald was implemented to steer clear of any potential confusion with Ranald MacDonald, who, in 1848, became the first native English speaker to teach the language in Japan.",
  "summary": "AgenciesMcDonald’s Japan shocked fans with a surprise announcement that they’re changing the name of the chain’s mascot. Some might say it’s crazy to throw away decades of name rec...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}