Customers line up outside Mom's Touch in Shibuya, Tokyo, April 16, when the restaurant officially opened as the first Japanese branch of the Korean fast-food franchise. Courtesy of Mom's Touch
Mom's Touch's signature Thigh Burger set / Courtesy of Mom's Touch
TOKYO — In Tokyo's lively Shibuya District, the tempting aroma of hot fried chicken patties from the newly opened Mom's Touch has been drawing crowds since its launch on April 16.
On the evening of May 27, well before the usual dinner rush, Shibuya's Mom's Touch was already bustling with customers — mostly Japanese locals along with some foreign tourists — all eager to get their hands on its signature Thigh Burger and Sweet and Spicy Chicken.
Mom's Touch, a Korean fast-food giant founded in 2004, has recently expanded its reach to Japan in April. Setting up its first flagship store in a bright yellow building at the start of Shibuya's main thoroughfare, it sees a steady stream of visitors even on weekdays.
According to the cashier on duty at the Shibuya branch, its signature menu items have proven to be a hit and are selling exceptionally well.
According to reports from the restaurant industry on June 3, the Shibuya Mom's Touch had served 100,000 customers and achieved 100 million yen ($635,715) in sales as of the end of May, just over 40 days since its opening.
This outstanding performance outstrips major Japanese fast-food franchises, with sales at the Mom's Touch Shibuya restaurant tripling those of McDonald's Japan and being 5.4 times higher than KFC Japan on an average per-store basis.
Hollys Namba Marui branch in Osaka / Courtesy of Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau
The penetration of Korean food brands into Japanese daily life extends beyond Mom's Touch.
Hollys, a Korean cafe franchise, opened its flagship store in the heart of Namba, Osaka, May 1, attracting significant foot traffic since its launch.
Within two weeks of opening, the Hollys Namba Marui branch welcomed over 10,000 customers, with continuous reviews on social media platforms and coverage by Japanese media indicating strong interest.
Lee Jong-hyun, CEO of Hollys, expressed optimism about the venture into Japan in a statement. "Thanks to the fourth wave of hallyu, Hollys achieved successful results in its first overseas venture in Japan," he said. "We are planning to establish Hollys as the representative brand of Korean premium cafes in Japan and secure competitiveness in the Japanese and global markets."
Such remarkable successes highlight the strong influence of Korean culture in Japan, fueled by the enduring appeal of hallyu, or the Korean wave.
Traditionally, the Japanese market has favored domestic brands, making it challenging for foreign brands to establish themselves, but the recent resurgence of hallyu has significantly altered the business landscape.
The growing popularity of Korean culture among Japan's Generation Z — who enthusiastically embrace various aspects of the Korean lifestyle from fashion to food, has significantly shifted consumer preferences and opened new opportunities for Korean businesses in Japan.
According to a survey conducted by the East Asia Institute (EAI) on the mutual perceptions among citizens of Korea and Japan in October 2023, the results revealed that 37.4 percent of Japanese respondents, up by 7 percentage points from 2022's figure of 30.4 percent, expressed either a good or generally good impression of Korea.
Highlighting the firm's awareness of the hallyu trend in Japan, Mom's Touch CEO Kim Dong-jeon expressed confidence in the brand's growth in Japan in a recent interview with The Korea Times.
"Hallyu is sweeping through Japan right now ... The Japanese Generation Z has propelled Korean fashion, cartoons, interior design and other products into going viral, particularly Korean food," Kim said.
"We've already dominated the Korean QSR (quick service restaurant) market ... and we want to revive that on a global stage, making our brand more prominent in the global QSR market."