Colonel Santa Claus | How KFC Conquered Japan | 1

Business Movers

Wondery

History, Business, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 December 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Young businessman Takeshi “Shin” Okawara takes the gamble of a lifetime when he leaves a secure job to become the manager of one of the first KFCs in Japan. The bold step looks to be failing, until Shin has an idea to bring together fried chicken and Christmas.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey Prime members, you can listen to BusinessMovers ad free on Amazon Music.
0:05.0	Download the app today. It's late 1970.
0:17.0	late. It's late 1970 at a Kentucky fried chicken restaurant in Nagoya, Japan, a large city
0:29.4	near Tokyo.
0:30.4	Takashi Okawaara, who goes by by Shin drums his fingers on the countertop.
0:35.0	The 26-year-old stands upright in a crisp white shirt and a black string tie.
0:40.0	It's a look modeled after the iconic image of Kentucky Fried Chicken's founder.
0:44.4	It's been 18 years since Colonel Harlan Sanders opened the first KFC restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah.
0:50.7	And now Shin is trying to bring American fried chicken to Japan, but things are not
0:56.0	going according to plan. The restaurant is spotless. Fresh chicken bubbles away in the
1:01.3	searing hot oil in the kitchen but it's been hours
1:04.0	since Shin has had a customer so Shin cleans the counter again and then looks up at
1:09.3	the entrance willing someone anyone to walk through the door.
1:13.4	Finally, a young man peers inside.
1:16.2	He has a look of curiosity rather than hunger,
1:19.2	and Shin Boughs.
1:20.6	Welcome, sir, to Kentucky Fried Chicken. How may I help you today?
1:24.0	The young man steps up to the counter and scans the large displays in confusion.
1:29.0	Excuse my ignorance, but what is this place?
1:32.0	Chin stands taller, a proud look on his face.
1:35.0	This, sir, is Kentucky Fried Chicken.
1:37.0	And what is that?
	...

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