Fast food finds Hirafu

It will be the first Nathan’s Famous www.nathansfamous.com in Hokkaido and one of only a handful in Japan.

Nathan’s Famous was established in 1916 and its annual International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest is regarded as the world’s most famous hotdog eating competition.

Interestingly, Japanese ‘competitive eaters’ have dominated the contest since it was opened to international entrants in 1997, winning all but two since.

In 1997 Hirofumi Nakajima set a new world record downing 24.5 hotdogs in the 12 minute eat-off.

Kazutoyo ‘The Rabbit’ Arai set a new mark of 25.5 in 2000, before Takeru ‘The Tsunami’ Kobayashi burst onto the scene in 2001 – doubling the previous record by demolishing 50 hotdogs.

The 29 year old from Nagano retained the title for the following five years until Californian Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut – billed as ‘competitive eating's new superstar’ - snagged it from him in this year’s contest, in the process claiming a new world record after downing 66 dogs.

Kobayashi had ‘seriously injured his jaw during training’ and was only able to manage 63, subsequently dropping to world number three in the International Federation of Competitive Eating official rankings.

Nathan’s Famous is only the second major fast food franchise to set up in Niseko.

There used to be a Kentucky Fried Chicken in the gondola terminal but it emptied its vats after season 05/06.

December 2006, Taiwan - ate 5.5kg of mutton to win a mutton eating contest

October 2006, US - ate 97 hamburgers in eight minutes to win the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Contest and set a new world record (broken in October this year by nemesis Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut)

September 2006, US – ate 41 Lobster Rolls in the Golden Palace.net Lobster Roll Eating Challenge and set a new world record

August 2006, US – ate 58 bratwurst sausages in 10 minutes and set a new world record

August 2005, Hong Kong – 83 vegetarian dumplings in eight minutes, then 100 roasted pork buns in 12 minutes the following day setting a new world record.

In 2003 Kobayashi lost to a 500kg Kodiak bear in a bunless hotdog eating competition – he ate 31 bunless hot dogs in 2 minutes and 36 seconds to the bear's 50.

According to Wikipedia other world-eating records include 17.7 pounds of cow brains in 15 minutes and 9kg of rice balls in 30 minutes.

click images to enlarge

the tancho centre, on the main road several hundred metres from seicomart

nathan's sign displayed (sort of?) in the first story window

will the lean 70-kg 'athlete' make his way to niseko for a ski/board and 50 hotdogs?