From Anime to Wagyu Burgers: Masajiro Burger PH Continues the Philippines’ Japan Obsession

From Pokémon and manga to matcha, ramen, beauty, fashion, and now Fukuoka-born burgers, Japanese culture has become less of a trend in the Philippines and more of an everyday presence.

Left and right, someone is in Japan.

When you open Instagram and there’s a good chance you’ll see a Tokyo photo dump, a convenience store haul, a Kyoto outfit check, or someone proudly showing off everything they bought from Don Quijote. Even when we’re not actually booking a flight to Japan, pieces of the country seem to keep finding their way into our everyday lives here in the Philippines.

And really, this isn’t new.

Filipinos have grown up with Japanese culture in different forms. Pokémon was practically a childhood language. Anime and manga created entire communities long before “fandom” became part of our everyday vocabulary. Japanese video games, streetwear, skincare, stationery, and collectibles have had loyal followings for years.

I’ve even started collecting Pokémon cards recently, proof that somehow, Japan keeps finding new ways to pull me in.

What feels different now is just how everywhere it has become.

One friend is collecting Sonny Angels. Another is planning their second Japan trip of the year. Someone else is suddenly very serious about matcha. There are Japanese beauty hauls, gachapon stores, omakase dinners, ramen spots, izakayas, curry houses, and cafés inspired by the tiny corners of Tokyo and Osaka we keep saving online.

Japan has somehow become both an aspirational destination and something increasingly familiar. Food might be where we see that relationship most clearly.

Filipinos have long loved sushi, tempura, ramen, yakiniku, and other Japanese staples, but the selection keeps becoming more specific. We’re not just getting “Japanese restaurants” anymore. We’re getting concepts with distinct regional roots, specialties, and stories. Wagyu has always been a favorite of mine as a steak, so naturally, putting it into a burger immediately got my attention.

Enter Masajiro Burger PH, a Fukuoka-born concept that recently opened its second Philippine branch at The Podium, following its first location in Glorietta 2.

And yes, Japanese burgers are apparently part of the conversation now, too. Masajiro began as a neighborhood bakery in Onga-cho, Fukuoka before eventually evolving into a burger concept. That bakery background still plays a big role in what the brand does today: its burgers are made with hand-kneaded golden buns baked fresh, Japanese wagyu patties made without binders, and its signature Golden Honey Mayo.

That origin is what makes it interesting. The bread isn’t just there to hold everything together; it’s part of the identity. The menu includes the Egg & Bacon Burger, Double Cheese, and Chicken Cutlet Burger, along with rice meals, fries, Hokkaido-style soft serve, and milkshakes in flavors including matcha.

It also feels representative of where Manila’s food scene is heading.

International restaurant openings used to make us think almost immediately of huge global chains. Now, we’re seeing more niche concepts arrive too, brands with specific hometown stories and food traditions that Filipinos may not have encountered before.

Masajiro calls its approach “Oishii Meets Sarap,” bringing its Japanese roots together with Filipino hospitality.

And in a way, that sums up why Japanese culture has settled so comfortably into Filipino life.

We don’t necessarily treat it as something distant anymore.

We’ll have ramen after work, buy Japanese sunscreen on payday, browse gachapon machines at the mall, watch anime over the weekend, and spend Sunday night checking seat sales to Osaka. At some point, it stops feeling like a passing trend. It simply becomes part of the culture we’re surrounded by.

And with Masajiro Burger PH now expanding from Glorietta to The Podium, with more Philippine branches planned, that Japan-to-Manila connection clearly isn’t slowing down either.

So yes, keep the Japan photo dumps coming.

(Images from Masajiro Burger PH)