What happens when a fast food chain goes bust?

It just disappears.

Sure, here in the English-speaking world, the idea is completely foreign, but not in Japan.

It happened to Wendy's while I was there.

Oh, sure, they re-opened as a luxury burger chain with two stores.

And then, after that, they merged to First Kitchen, but it was never quite the same.

More importantly, the same fate almost befell Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Then, they came up with an idea.

Let's convince the Japanese population that Americans eat fried chicken by the bucketload on Christmas Eve.

And it worked.

So, on December 24th, every Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan is inundated with customers lined up around the block, ready to pick up their buckets of fried chicken they ordered at least six weeks in advance.

Which is a bit strange, since Christmas Day isn't a holiday in Japan.

Yet, December 23rd is; it's like a dead Emperor's birthday or something like that.

And on this holiday, all the stores are still open, and every grocery store is stocked with giant Chicken drumsticks.

Fully cooked, and I mean giant, like Viking-sized.

This is all very strange, but not as strange as how shocked Japanese people are when they discover this is not how English speakers spend Christmas Eve.

They can pretend to go all medieval on December 23rd; you can buy mead in Japan, too, I'm serious, these drumsticks are ginormous.

Despite the magical appearance of Godzilla-sized chicken drumsticks once a year, the turkey, being native to North America, is not a common food in Japan.

Check out this photo I took.

Since I didn't put the NASA crosshairs in, you'll have to take my word for it that you're looking at one tiny turkey.

It was cooked, ready to eat⏤remember, they don't have ovens in Japan⏤and it only cost $160.

So don't expect your wallet to stay heavy if you want the full Butterball experience.

Where can I get it? That's right, you guessed it.

The KFC that alerted me to all this is at the south exit of Shinjuku station in Tokyo.

Shinjuku station is the busiest train station in the world.

When you exit, turn right, cross the big intersection at the bottom of the hill.

It's just to your right, across from the underground entrance to Shinjuku Keio line station.

As always, keep in mind this information: It's probably out of date by the time you watch this.

The word of the day. The word of the day is "honto".

It means "really" in Japanese, and just like in English, when you say it with an upturned accent, it has the same effect as "You're not serious!"

So if you want to remember this word, feel free to watch this video ten more times and repeat along with me. Or at least that's what I'd do.

So that's it until next time, when we look at the dessert that will make you fat, despite Japan's reputation for healthy food.

So until then, sayonara.