Den Fujita

The announcement of his death April 21 at the age of 78 had been withheld because of his family's wishes, it said.

Fujita, a graduate of the University of Tokyo, set up McDonald's Co. (Japan) in 1971 jointly with McDonald's Corp. of the United States.

He set up Japan's first McDonald's restaurant in the glitzy Ginza district in Tokyo by renting space from Mitsukoshi Department Store.

At the height of Japan's deflation, a few years ago, he offered big discounts on hamburgers, setting off fierce competition in the fast-food industry.

The firm, which operates about 3,800 shops in the country, called Fujita "the father of hamburgers in Japan."

He resigned as chairman and chief executive officer last year after the company suffered its first loss in nearly 30 years in 2002.

The Japan Times Weekly: May 1, 2004
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