My dear friend Martin who snapped this picture near his home in Japan, said it just right... "The days of Japanese being smaller are about to be over". Well if anyone takes the Lotteria fast food challenge and orders the basic Lotteria Cheeseburger and adds the maximum ten stackable patties on top of it, they are in for some epic juicy proportions... both literally and figuratively.
Along with Iron Chef, the Japanese are pioneers of extremely crazy reality shows and an obsession for food in all shapes and sizes. Japan is also the home of competitive champion eater Takeru Kobayashi, who scarfed down 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes in the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, which is held every fourth of July on Coney Island. Hearing that, you would think the guy must weigh quite a bit, but the reality is he maintains a six pack and prepares for his contests like a true athlete. But let's keep it real, Kobayashi doesn't eat 100 roasted pork buns in 12 minutes every day like he did at a eating contest in Hong Kong.
So next time you happen to be in Japan, beware of the ginormous Lotteria Tower Burger staring straight at you on the bus stop advertisement. Honestly, with all the incredible food in the land of the rising sun, this will probably be the last thing you are craving, but who knows...your inner Kobayashi may get the best of you. And for those who are curious, the cost of the burger is about 11 U.S. dollars.
photo credit Martin Giles for Food Fashionista
