McDonald’s Japan Launches Tsukimi 2024 Menu With Kaguya-hime Inspired Ad

McDonald’s Japan has unveiled its Tsukimi 2024 menu, featuring seven moon-themed dishes, including new burgers and desserts. The launch is accompanied by a Kaguya-hime-inspired ad, adding a cultural touch to the seasonal celebration.

McDonald’s Unveils Tsukimi Menu with New Moon-Inspired Burgers and Classics

When tsukimi season rolls around in September, fast food chains across Japan take the opportunity to celebrate the occasion with special limited-edition dishes that pay homage to the moon. Among these dishes, McDonald’s regularly offers a full lineup of treats and a heartwarming advertisement. This year is no exception.

McDonald’s Tsukimi 2024 collection includes seven items, starting with the Tsukimi muffin, priced at 400 yen (US$2.76). This breakfast sandwich contains a “moon” (a round egg yolk resembling the moon) inside an English muffin, accompanied by a sausage patty, smoked bacon, and a rich, creamy tomato sauce.

Next up are the Tsukimi Burger (440 yen) and the Cheese Tsukimi Burger (470 yen), which contain the same basic ingredients as the muffin but are served on a sesame seed bun with a beef patty. These three egg dishes have become staples of the tsukimi menu every year.

According to SoraNews24, McDonald’s has added four new products to its lineup this year. The Houjun Fuwatoru Tsukimi Burger, priced at 520 yen, stands out with its name meaning “Soft and fluffy moon-gazing burger.” The highlight of this burger is the soft and buttery scrambled egg nestled under the beef patty, seasoned with pepper and garlic for an extra touch of flavor.

For those craving more meat, an extra patty can be added to any burger for 100 yen after 5 p.m.

McDonald’s Adds Yuzu Tartar Sauce, Custard McShake, and Kinako Mochi Pie to Tsukimi Menu

The side menu features a new Yuzu Shichimi tartar sauce (40 yen) for McNuggets, which combines the tangy Japanese citrus with seven-spice seasoning for a touch of zest. The custard pudding-flavored Tsukimi McShake (190 yen for a small) has a golden hue representing the moon, with custard and caramel adding a touch of sweetness.

Finally, the Kinako Mochi and Anko Tsukimi Pie (190 yen) combine roasted soybean powder, sticky rice cake and red bean paste, a combination inspired by the Japanese belief that moon markings resemble mochi pounded by a rabbit.

McDonald’s Heartwarming Kaguya-hime Ad Celebrates Tsukimi Menu With a Touch of Japanese Folklore

Along with its new menu, McDonald’s has released a new ad that continues the tradition of tugging at the heartstrings, focusing on the father-daughter relationship. This year, the ad is inspired by the traditional Japanese folktale of Kaguya-hime, or “Princess Kaguya.” According to the story, a bamboo cutter found a baby girl in a shiny bamboo stalk, took her home to his wife and raised her as their daughter. Kaguya-hime grew into a beautiful woman who had many suitors, including the emperor, but she turned them all down, revealing that she came from the moon and would return there on the night of the next full moon.

In the commercial, Kaguya-hime returns from the Moon to enjoy Tsukimi burgers with her family. The commercial, titled “Kaguya-hime’s Return,” also includes shorter versions of the family enjoying Tsukimi pie and another promoting McDonald’s delivery, with Moon messengers joining the guests served by McDonald’s delivery.

The ad ends with Kaguya-hime declaring, “When we return to the moon, we won’t be able to observe it,” which the messengers agree with. It’s a poignant reminder of the need to pause and appreciate the beauty around us, and to enjoy the tsukimi menu items while they are available, from September 4 to mid-October.