McDonald’s Japan reveals exclusive new Tsukimi moon viewing collection for 2026

The moon rises at McDonald’s with eight limited-edition items on the menu, including a sukiyaki burger.

One of the great things about the transition from summer to autumn in Japan isn’t just the dissipating heat – it’s the chance to try limited-edition “ Tsukimi ” (“ Moon-Viewing ”) exclusives at some of the country’s top chains .

Released to celebrate Japan’s annual moon-viewing tradition, which falls on 25 September this year, the limited-edition products commonly feature egg as a key ingredient due to its likeness to the moon .

In fact, egg is so strongly associated with the moon in the culinary world that dishes containing egg often have “tsukimi” in their name, even outside of moon-viewing season.

One of the collections we most look forward to every autumn comes from McDonald’s , which is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Tsukimi Burger , after it first graced the menu here in 1991.

To mark the milestone occasion, the chain is giving us a whopping eight limited-edition products , including three new releases, with Japanese stars helping to promote the exclusive menu items in a trio of commercials. ▼ The collection begins with the signature Tsukimi Burger (460 yen [US$2.89]), which contains a Japanese egg, juicy beef patty, smoked bacon and a tomato creamy sauce. ▼ The Cheese Tsukimi (490 yen) adds a layer of melty cheese to the mix. ▼ The breakfast-only Tsukimi Muffin (420 yen) lets you enjoy a spot of early-morning moon-viewing until 10:30 a.m.

There are two new burgers coming to the menu this year, with one joining the others on the regular menu, and one appearing only after 5 p.m.

The Aburi Beef Sukiyaki-style Tsukimi (570 yen), which can be purchased after the breakfast menu finishes at 10:30 a.m., gives the signature Tsukimi burger a Japanese twist.

Sukiyaki is a beef hot pot dish known for its sweet-and-savoury soy sauce base, and it’s commonly eaten with raw egg, making it a great addition to the Tsukimi collection. ▼ The burger, finished with a soft, chewy-textured bun, is said to have a meaty, seared (“aburi”) flavour.

Here to help promote the burgers is Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki , returning for her third consecutive year with McDonald’s, in a 30-second clip that shows her excitedly ordering the burger in Japanese, saying “ Tsukimi Burger hitotsu ” ( “One Tsukimi Burger ”).

As for the after-5 burger – burgers on the evening menu are designed to be more substantial for dinnertime – it’s one that cheese lovers will go weak at the knees for. ▼ Cheese Cheese Bai Tsukimi (670 yen) Affectionately dubbed “ Chi-Chi Bai Tsukimi ”, with “ bai ” meaning “ double ”, this version of the signature Tsukimi Burger comes with two types of cheese, cheddar and white cheddar, and two juicy beef patties.