These were the good old days. Photo: Christian G. Ponce/Twitter

The French-fry-loving people of Japan, where 33 pounds of potatoes are consumed per capita annually and there’s an awesomely oleaginous history of “fry parties,” are probably closely watching the West Coast longshoremen’s strike standing between them and their cargo ships of frozen potatoes. As the leading importer of American spuds, they’re ready to wrap it up, please.

The labor contract dispute that’s been going on since mid-summer in the U.S. has driven many places to tap into their strategic fry reserves, which are nearly depleted. The humble fry already saved McDonald’s Japan once this summer, when it replaced “recycled meat” as the default menu option, so it’s no surprise the chain yesterday was one of several rushing to reassure everyone that it has all the bases covered for its 3,000 stores. Let’s just hope there’s more than enough ketchup to go around.

[Japan Times]