Wendy's burger chain will withdraw from Japan, ending a 29-year presence in a market long dominated by McDonald's Corp.

Zensho Co. Ltd., which now runs America's No. 3 hamburger chain in Japan, said Dec. 12 that it will end a contract with Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.

Zensho began operating Wendy's in Japan in 2002 and has 71 Wendy's outlets across the nation. The company said the burger restaurants will be closed by the end of this month.

Wendy's in Japan generated ¥6.2 billion in sales in the fiscal year to last March.

Japan's burger business has long been dominated by McDonald's, which is believed to control about 65 percent of the market.