Celebrity File Japan by Lint


英文		重要語句
■ "Den Fujita is a true giant in McDonald's history. He took the spirit of Ray Kroc's entrepreneurial vision to Japan and made it come alive for more than 30 years ... He brought the Golden Arches to Japan, and under his leadership, McDonald's in Japan grew from one restaurant to more than 3,800 restaurants." This statement was written by the Chairman and CEO of McDonald's on March 5, 2003 after Den Fujita announced his retirement. So who is this man who has won the respect of businessmen around the world? Who is this affable man with a warm smile whose company produces four billion dollars worth of annual sales?		entrepreneurial　起業家的な come alive　活気づく the Golden Arches　マクドナルド（の看板） affable　人当たりのいい billion　10億
■■ He was born in Osaka in 1926 and right away he lived life differently from most Japanese. His father worked for a foreign company and his mother was a Christian. His command of English was so good that he worked as a translator while still in high school. World War II had a devastating effect on him as he lost his father and his house. Described by a U.S. business magazine as a "bit of a maverick," he graduated from the University of Tokyo's law department in 1951 and instead of climbing the corporate or government ladder, he decided to work for a small import business he had started while a student. In 1967 he ate at his first McDonald's and was impressed by its popularity, efficiency and cleanliness.		command　（言語の）運用力 translator　通訳者 devastating　痛烈な describe ... as　～　…を～と評する maverick　一匹狼 ladder　（出世への）道 impress　…を感動させる efficiency　効率
■■■ In 1971 he took a gamble on a business that would change the way a nation eats. He founded McDonald's Japan at a time when many people believed that the Japanese people would never eat hamburgers or French fries. Many banks turned him down when he requested a loan. But he persevered and ten years later, McDonald's Japan was the largest-grossing restaurant chain in the country. In 1986 he received the Blue Ribbon Award from Emperor Hirohito in recognition of his business achievements.		take a gamble on ...　 …をイチかバチかやってみる found　…を創立する turn ... down　…を断る persevere　（困難に屈せず）やり通す largest-grossing　最高の収益を上げる
■■■■ Fujita worked hard to give McDonald's Japan a Japanese identity. He added to the menu the Teriyaki McBurger and Chicken Tatsuta as well as many other Japanese style items. The strategy apparently worked because in 1991, a group of Boy Scouts from Japan visited the United States and a local television station asked one of the boys about his impression of America. He replied, "I didn't know that they had McDonald's in the USA, too." This is one of Fujita's favorite stories. While many restaurants in Japan do not allow teenagers to gather for hours, McDonald's welcomes them and many young people see McDonald's as a place to visit or even study. Today, McDonald's Japan is the biggest restaurant chain in Japan with over 3,800 stores nationwide and has 60 percent of the burger market. McDonald's is a popular hangout for teenagers and businessmen alike. It is estimated that more people will work at McDonald's Japan at some point in their life than any other company in Japan.		apparently　どうやら…らしい impression　印象 for hours　何時間も nationwide　全国にわたって hangout　たまり場 alike　同様に estimate　…を見積もる
■■■■■ Always an innovative thinker, it was Fujita's idea to slash the prices of hamburgers and cheeseburgers at McDonald's when deflation was taking its toll on businesses across Japan. The gamble paid off and brought in new clientele. Den Fujita is still a maverick today and many people enjoy hearing him speak his mind. People like reading his words, too. He has authored eight books on business management and strategy. All have become bestsellers in Japan. Even though he was very busy with McDonald's Japan, he still found time to serve as vice-chairman of Toys 'R' Us-Japan Ltd. and also on the board of Softbank Corp.		innovative　新しいアイデアに満ちた slash　…を大幅に削減する take its toll　大打撃を与える pay off　大もうけになる clientele　顧客 author　…を著す strategy　戦略 serve as ...　 …として働く board　取締役会
■■■■■■ Although he is retiring, Mr. Fujita's ambitions are still alive. He hopes to have 10,000 McDonald's within a decade.		decade　10年間

－written by Brock Spore

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