--- title: Fast Food: McDonald's Japan Unveils Tofu Chicken McNuggets description: They also include "onions, soybeans, carrots and minced fish" canonical: https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/ author: Samantha Grossman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-29T15:30:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:08.076Z og:title: You Can Now Get Tofu McNuggets at McDonald's Japan og:description: Ingredients include "onions, soybeans, carrots and minced fish" og:url: https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03691ab511000b36/69869d9735ba6f22dfc03362/452550326.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Views Of FamilyMart Convenience Store And McDonald's Restaurant As Retailers Halt Chicken Sales From China Supplier og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: You Can Now Get Tofu McNuggets at McDonald's Japan twitter:description: Ingredients include "onions, soybeans, carrots and minced fish" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03691ab511000b36/69869d9735ba6f22dfc03362/452550326.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # You Can Now Get Tofu McNuggets at McDonald's in Japan > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a70ff980-1286-4c11-ad92-f3574dc6a344&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a70ff980-1286-4c11-ad92-f3574dc6a344&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=a70ff980-1286-4c11-ad92-f3574dc6a344&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=a70ff980-1286-4c11-ad92-f3574dc6a344&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Japanese Tofu McNuggets Commercial [Watch (HLS stream): Japanese Tofu McNuggets Commercial](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FlYF9ZKR.m3u8) (0:15)  _Published 2014-07-29. Tofu McNuggets Commercial_ by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Jul 29, 2014 3:30 PM UTC  A man enters a McDonald's restaurant, operated by McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan Ltd., in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, July 23, 2014\. Japan suspended food imports from Shanghai Husi Food Co., a unit of Aurora, Illinois-based OSI Group, accused of selling products past their expiration dates as FamilyMart Co. joined McDonalds Corp. in pulling affected items from its Japanese outlets. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images A man enters a McDonald's restaurant, operated by McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan Ltd., in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, July 23, 2014\. Japan suspended food imports from Shanghai Husi Food Co., a unit of Aurora, Illinois-based OSI Group, accused of selling products past their expiration dates as FamilyMart Co. joined McDonalds Corp. in pulling affected items from its Japanese outlets. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images Yuriko Nakao / Bloomberg / Getty Images by [Samantha Grossman](https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Jul 29, 2014 3:30 PM UTC If the “chicken” in McDonald’s “chicken” nuggets freaks you out, head over to Japan to try the franchise’s newest snack: Tofu Shinjo Nuggets, which officially go on sale this Wednesday. They don’t include any chicken — instead, they’re made from ingredients including onions, soybeans, carrots and minced fish, a McDonald’s spokesperson[ told](http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/07/29/tastes-like-chicken-mcdonalds-japan-offers-tofu-mcnuggets/) the _Wall Street Journal._ They’ll also come with a ginger-flavored sauce. “Because it isn’t meat, it tastes a bit different. It’s a bit softer,” the spokesperson said. “Calorie-wise, it is a bit lower than chicken as well.” They basically look like little patties with some pale bits of vegetables mixed in. Check them out in this advertisement: Apparently, McDonald’s had plans to begin selling this product well before the[ recent allegations](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/22/us-china-food-idUSKBN0FR07K20140722) that the chain had been using expired meat. ## Transcript [ FOREIGN ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/"},"headline":"You Can Now Get Tofu McNuggets at McDonald's in Japan","datePublished":"2014-07-29T15:30:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:03:08.076Z","description":"Ingredients include \"onions, soybeans, carrots and minced fish\"","url":"https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Food & Drink","Japan","Mcdonald's","Fast Food"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03691ab511000b36/69869d9735ba6f22dfc03362/452550326.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Samantha Grossman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03691ab511000b36/69869d9735ba6f22dfc03362/452550326.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Views Of FamilyMart Convenience Store And McDonald's Restaurant As Retailers Halt Chicken Sales From China Supplier","caption":"Views Of FamilyMart Convenience Store And McDonald's Restaurant As Retailers Halt Chicken Sales From China Supplier","creditText":"Yuriko Nakao / Bloomberg / Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/","name":"You Can Now Get Tofu McNuggets at McDonald's in Japan"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Japanese Tofu McNuggets Commercial","description":"Tofu McNuggets Commercial","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/FlYF9ZKR/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-07-29T16:43:29.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FlYF9ZKR.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/","duration":"PT15S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3051723/mcdonalds-tofu-mcnuggets/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```