Fujifabric’s “Wakamono no Subete” has been selected as the background music for a new McDonald’s Japan commercial!!
The song will be used for one season (three months), starting from July 11, 2025.
Within Japan, “Wakamono no Subete” will be played across various media platforms, including television and radio (both terrestrial and satellite broadcasts, cable, internet TV/radio), in-store videos, and many more.
McDonalds Japan Official Twitter
A young man, who has just gotten his driver’s license, takes his mother and older sister for a ride to the McDonald’s drive-thru. The setting seems to be Nagasaki, Kyushu. The local dialect adds an extra layer of warmth to the scene. As the older sister playfully teases her younger brother, the mother quietly reflects on how much her child has grown.
The commercial doesn’t include the iconic fireworks part of the chorus from “Wakamono no Subete”, which means it avoids the strong association of the song with fireworks. Instead, it captures only the atmosphere of summer in a provincial town, which fits beautifully with the story of the ad. Shimura once said he wanted to create songs that “blend into the everyday moments of life,” and perhaps, with this, another one of his dreams has come true.
Back in high school, Shimura worked part-time at a McDonald’s in Fujiyoshida. Some fans may have even visited the location as a kind of pilgrimage.
There was a memorable moment on the band’s internet radio show, Netoneto Iwasete, in the segment hosted by Kanazawa called “Small Happiness”—a corner where the smaller the happiness, the more points you get. A fan once sent in, “There were two pickles in my cheeseburger,” and someone replied, “That’s normal. You’re lucky if there are three.”
Now, the fact that one of Shimura’s songs—written and composed by him—is being used in a McDonald’s corporate commercial and will be aired continuously for three months is truly an honor.
In a previous article on June 23 (Fujifabric International Fan Site), I wrote about the curious fate of “Wakamono no Subete”, and now, it seems, yet another fateful chapter has been added. In the 16 years since Shimura’s passing, this song has gone on to achieve tremendous success. In a world where even with great effort, many artists never get to debut, for his song to rise to such prominence in his absence is truly a remarkable accomplishment.
Mr. Katayose, who is the producer of the first Fujifabric's album, "Fujifabric", once told Shimura that he got goosebumps the first time he heard the song. Looking back now, it’s clear that Katayose’s instincts were absolutely right—surely everyone would agree. (From Akihito Katayose’s blog “Fujifabric 7,” dated July 16, 2010.)
Katayose’s honest portrayal of Shimura at the time—worried and uncertain—is heartbreaking. But as Katayose said, those fears turned out to be completely unfounded… Thinking about it now brings a tinge of sadness. I hope that, from up above, Shimura is watching this McDonald’s commercial featuring “Wakamono no Subete” with a smile.
I sincerely wish that every McDonald’s location in Yamanashi Prefecture would put up a sign saying:
“This song is by Masahiko Shimura, a native of Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi.”
And today’s featured song, of course, is none other than
“Wakamono no Subete.”
The commercial beautifully captures its mood, with Kanazawa’s quietly persistent piano and Shimura’s vocals weaving together in perfect harmony. I believe this has also become the best possible birthday present for Shimura-kun.
Shimura-kun, congratulations from us in Fujiyoshida !
