{"rewrite":{"id":"r_154ce2975983657c1270bc47","clusterId":"c_27fb7ff46a2e12eb2290d474","slug":"mcdonald-s-japan-to-sell-pokemon-30th-anniversary-burger-with-shaka-yoshizawa-in-ad","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"McDonald's Japan and Pokemon Launch 30th Anniversary Burger on July 22","summary":"McDonald's Japan announced on July 16, 2026, that it will sell eight new limited-time menu items starting July 22 as part of the \"Pokemon Summer Mac\" collaboration, which celebrates both McDonald's 55th anniversary and Pokemon's 30th anniversary. The centerpiece is the \"Pokemon 30th Anniversary Burger,\" available in three varieties: Tartar Demi Thick Beef, Juicy Chicken Spicy Garlic, and Roasted Sesame Tartar Shrimp. Each burger comes in packaging featuring the starter Pokemon Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. A late-night exclusive Tartar Demi Double Thick Beef features Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise packaging, while the breakfast Tartar Demi Sausage Muffin uses Pikachu packaging. The side menu includes Shaka Shaka Potato Seaweed Salt Flavor. A new television commercial starring actor Ryo Yoshizawa and streamer SHAKA will begin airing on July 21. The collaboration also includes a partnership with Pokemon GO, making all McDonald's locations in Japan PokéStops from July 20 to September 1, the first such partnership in six years.","whyItMatters":"The collaboration marks the first time McDonald's Japan and Pokemon GO have partnered since 2016, when McDonald's served as the game's launch partner in Japan.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe new television commercial uses the song \u0026#34;You! Joy! Parade!\u0026#34; by the male idol group M!LK as background music. Former pro gamer and streamer SHAKA, who belongs to ZETA DIVISION, appears briefly in the ad. The commercial begins airing nationwide on July 21, excluding some regions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 30-second spot, Yoshizawa plays a protagonist who discovers news about the burger while on a bus and says \u0026#34;Pokemon at McDonald\u0026#39;s!?\u0026#34; The shoot included a scene where he runs through the city and looks up at the sky, imagining giant Pokemon balloons floating overhead. The director instructed him to picture the balloons, and Yoshizawa twisted his body and looked up with sparkling eyes, earning a quick OK take. For the Night Mac commercial, which features the Tartar Demi Double Thick Beef, Yoshizawa played an office worker heading home on a rainy night. He lifted a bicycle and spun it around, then looked up at fireworks and giant Pokemon balloons.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a post-shoot interview, Yoshizawa said he has been playing Pokemon games since childhood and always picks Water-type Pokemon as partners. He chose the Roasted Sesame Tartar Shrimp burger because its wrapper features Squirtle, a Water-type. \u0026#34;I\u0026#39;m happy to be involved with Pokemon, which I\u0026#39;ve grown up with,\u0026#34; he said. When asked what Pokemon type he resembles, he chose Grass-type: \u0026#34;I\u0026#39;m quietly growing without anyone noticing.\u0026#34;\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe collaboration also includes four X campaigns offering a total of 600 winners a 1,000 yen Mac Card each. New Happy Set information is scheduled for release on July 31. Special B5-sized posters featuring 28 different Pokemon will be displayed at McDonald\u0026#39;s stores nationwide.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Pokemon GO's return to McDonald's Japan after six years turns every location into a PokéStop, making the burger launch a dual nostalgia play for both brands.","twitterPost":"Pokemon GO's return to McDonald's Japan after six years makes every location a PokéStop, tying the burger launch to mobile gameplay.","threadsPost":"The Pokemon 30th Anniversary Burger isn't just a menu item. Pokemon GO returning to McDonald's Japan after six years, making every store a PokéStop, turns a fast food promo into a live game event.","newsletterBlurb":"McDonald's Japan will sell eight new Pokemon-themed menu items from July 22, including three varieties of the \"Pokemon 30th Anniversary Burger\" in packaging featuring Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. A new commercial stars actor Ryo Yoshizawa and streamer SHAKA, and all McDonald's locations will become PokéStops in Pokemon GO for the first time in six years.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999105/20260715036/\",\"title\":\"\\\"Pokémon 30th Anniversary Burger\\\" to be sold at McDonald's for a limited time from July 22. SHAKA and Ryo Yoshizawa appear in CM.\"},{\"source\":\"KAI-YOU\",\"url\":\"https://kai-you.net/article/95980\",\"title\":\"McDonald's × Pokémon \\\"Summer Mac\\\" CM Features Streamer SHAKA\"},{\"source\":\"Dengeki Hobby Web\",\"url\":\"https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/3082795/\",\"title\":\"McDonald's 55th Anniversary x Pokemon 30th Anniversary: 8 New Limited-Time Menu Items Go on Sale from July 22 (Wednesday)! New TV Commercial Featuring Ryo Yoshizawa Also Announced!\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":16037,"outputTokens":1601,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1784166934,"createdAt":"2026-07-16T01:48:55.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-16T01:52:28.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-16T12:33:51.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_27fb7ff46a2e12eb2290d474","canonicalTitle":"「ポケモン30周年バーガー」，マクドナルドで7月22日より期間限定で販売。CMにはSHAKAさん，吉沢 亮さんが出演","representativeArticleId":"a_0e67a30fbf18ee0bdedafd19","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"SHAKA\",\"Yoshizawa Ryo\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-15T19:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-16T03:07:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-16T12:33:51.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/991/G999105/20260715036/","title":"「ポケモン30周年バーガー」，マクドナルドで7月22日より期間限定で販売。CMにはSHAKAさん，吉沢 亮さんが出演"},{"source":"KAI-YOU","url":"https://kai-you.net/article/95980","title":"マクドナルド×ポケモン「夏マック」CM、ストリーマーSHAKAが登場"},{"source":"Dengeki Hobby Web","url":"https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/3082795/","title":"マクドナルド55周年×ポケモン30周年を記念した全8種の期間限定新メニューが7月22日（水）から販売開始！吉沢亮さん出演の新TVCMも放送決定！"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["SHAKA","Yoshizawa Ryo"],"type":"announcement","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["The \"Pokemon 30th Anniversary Burger\" and seven other limited-time menu items go on sale at McDonald's Japan from July 22, 2026.","The three main burger varieties are Tartar Demi Thick Beef, Juicy Chicken Spicy Garlic, and Roasted Sesame Tartar Shrimp.","All McDonald's locations in Japan will become PokéStops in Pokemon GO from July 20 to September 1, 2026, the first such partnership in six years.","A television commercial starring actor Ryo Yoshizawa and streamer SHAKA begins airing on July 21, 2026.","The collaboration celebrates both McDonald's Japan's 55th anniversary and Pokemon's 30th anniversary."]}