McDonald's Japan goes a bit 'hipper' in Shibuya

On April 25, McDonald's Japan unveiled its new 'chic' store concept -- completely losing the red and yellow pop colors for something more discriminating. There will be 13 of these locations in Tokyo, with the first batch opening in the Shibuya.

What will these stores look like? Blogger Shibuya246 snapped the façades of the new Shibuya locations. The Park Street (Koen-doori) store in particular has gone for a very sleek design that drops the all-American kitsch of the original brand identity. This is somewhat odd for Shibuya, seeing that the dominating gyaru subculture is obsessed with bad taste in all of its forms. We guess McD's wanted to give them a lesson in aesthetics.

What about the inside of the new chic McDonald's? Party blogger Mai Sassy Girl hit the opening event and has pictures of the staff and space. The register girls wear black bandannas with white printed text around their necks, as well as matching colored berets and skirts. Guys have squared engineer's caps. The color range of the uniforms is oddly muted, ranging from 'earthy' brown to Professor Plum purple and hospital wall green.

The interior design is also a step up from normal. The furniture includes luxury imported sofas, and the bathroom doors have sub-Keith Haring scrawls to indicate Men and Women. The background radio even includes spoken interludes from celebrity DJ Chris Peppler. This will be very different from the McDonald's on the east side of town that serve as makeshift refugee camps.

The food, of course, will be the same good old hamburgers, fries and shakes you have come to know over the years, but some items will be slightly more expensive than a normal McD's. Hey, someone's gotta pay for all that European modernist furniture, you know.