Guilty Eats
Fansided

KFC Japan’s Colonel Sanders Loves Cosplay!

ByLauren Sisselman|
TOKYO, JAPAN - DECEMBER 23: A statue of Colonel Sanders in Santa outfit is pictured on December 23, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. KFC at Christmas has become something of a tradition in Japan with some attributing its yuletide popularity to a kindergarten delivery being made in a Santa Claus outfit which was such a success it was requested by a number of other schools and subsequently gave the company the idea of associating its product to Christmas. The chain launched its first Christmas campaign in December 1974, and has continued to do so every year at all its outlets nationwide. In 2018, KFC Japan posted all-time high sales of roughly 68 million USD for the five days from December 21 to 25. Roughly 10 percent of its annual turnover for the entire year. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - DECEMBER 23: A statue of Colonel Sanders in Santa outfit is pictured on December 23, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. KFC at Christmas has become something of a tradition in Japan with some attributing its yuletide popularity to a kindergarten delivery being made in a Santa Claus outfit which was such a success it was requested by a number of other schools and subsequently gave the company the idea of associating its product to Christmas. The chain launched its first Christmas campaign in December 1974, and has continued to do so every year at all its outlets nationwide. In 2018, KFC Japan posted all-time high sales of roughly 68 million USD for the five days from December 21 to 25. Roughly 10 percent of its annual turnover for the entire year. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images)

KFC Japan has come up with some great marketing gimmicks over the years, but the internet has been recently overjoyed with a cosplaying Colonel Sanders statue in Japan!

As we all know by now American fast-food chains in other countries can look and taste a little different. KFC Japan offers food we can’t get stateside, and as noted by Mashed, at one particular location KFC offers guests a chance to see a cosplaying Colonel Sanders statue!

At the KFC in Kuki Station in Saitama, their Colonel Sanders has been spotted cosplaying as Tanjiro Kamado from the popular Demon Slayer series. Demon Slayer takes place in early 1900’s Japan — hence the more formal costume — and revolves around young demon hunter Tanjiro as he seeks to take revenge on the demons that killed his family, and turned his beloved young sister into a demon.

These Colonel Sanders statues are no stranger to cosplay — as we can see he enjoys dressing up as Santa Claus for the holidays, and for Children’s Day in May of 2020, different Sanders statues could be seen wearing samurai armor!

Yes, everything can get into the cosplay spirit — including fast food mascots at KFC Japan locations!

KFC Japan really knows how to celebrate Colonel Sanders. The character can be seen in comics, fanart, on food, and cosplayers themselves have been known to cosplay as Sanders from time to time as well. KFC Japan is probably most known for being the go-to dinner of choice on Christmas. In 2019 it was found that Christmas Eve meals accounted for 5 percent of annual revenue.

Colonel Sanders himself is somewhat of a legend in Japan, and the KFC founder and icon is even a part of baseball lore;

"Baseball fans even accord the Colonel supernatural powers. According to Japanese sports mythology, the Hanshin Tigers’ long-running losing streak was caused by “The Curse of the Colonel”, after fans of the Osaka team celebrated what was to be the team’s final league victory in 1985 by uprooting a statue of Sanders and throwing it in the Dotonbori river. [2]"

Unfortunately here in America, we don’t have cosplaying Colonel Sanders statues. But we can still enjoy that world-famous fried chicken, and hey — why not get a bucket of KFC on Christmas Eve this year (we know there are still like 10 months to go, but we can plan ahead)? That would make the holiday less stressful!

Home/Fast Food