McDonald’s Japan has announced it will revert the name of its iconic clown mascot to “Ronald McDonald,” ending more than five decades of the character being known locally as “Donald McDonald.” The company made the change public on its official social media account, signaling a return to the globally recognized name.

Since the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Japan in 1971, the mascot had been referred to as Donald McDonald, a variation unique to the Japanese market. The reason for this initial adaptation remains unclear. One common explanation is that the company’s founder in Japan, Den Fujita, believed the name “Ronald” might be difficult for Japanese speakers to pronounce.

However, linguists and commentators have pointed out that the Japanese language contains both the “ro” and “do” sounds, and “ro” is not uncommon in Japanese names or words. This has led some to question whether pronunciation was truly the primary factor behind the earlier change.

Another theory raised in online discussions suggests the shift to “Donald McDonald” may have been intended to avoid confusion with Ranald MacDonald, a historical figure who was the first native English speaker to teach the English language in Japan in 1848.

Despite the ambiguity surrounding the original naming decision, the recent announcement marks a clear effort by McDonald’s Japan to align the mascot’s identity with the global brand image, underscoring a shift toward uniformity in its marketing strategy across international markets. The company has not provided additional details on the timing or reasoning behind the return to the original name beyond the social media statement.