McDonald's Japan has a 48-piece McNugget meal that's blowing people's minds

A person in the U.S. can order at most a 40-piece Chicken McNugget meal. (McDonald's Japan)

As the fast food chicken war is heating up in the U.S., McNugget lovers in Japan are now able to get a whole bucket's worth in support their favorite idol singer.

McDonald’s Japan is releasing a 48-piece bucket of Chicken McNuggets that features idols from the J-Pop (aka Japanese pop) group NGT48-- an all-girl music group consisting of 25 members that is sometimes referred to as “Nugget 48”.

Chicken McNugget meals in Japan typically max out at a 15-piece set, according to the blog Kotaku points out, so it's a big deal there.  In the U.S., a person can order at most a 40-piece Chicken McNugget meal, so it will be interesting to see how the 48-piece offering sells in Japan, which is seen as a test market for menu items before they come to the U.S.

The tubs are decorated with images of the singers and each bucket comes with a commemorative card. At approximately $16 and 2,000 calories per bucket, Japanese fans would have to eat at least 1,200 nuggets to collect all 25 cards.

Meanwhile, Burger King recently announced it’s bringing back the 10-piece nugget deal for just $1.49 – a move to compete with McDonald’s new value meal called the “McPick 2” that lets customers choose two items-- a McDouble, a McChicken, small fries, and mozzarella sticks—for $2. And KFC is now offering a $5 “Fill Up” meal that includes an entree, drink, select sides, and a dessert for just $5.

Japan's 48 McNuggets deal breaks down to about $.33 per nugget, which is still more expensive than Burger King's--which is a mere $.15 per piece.  Then again, it is Japan --and just about everything there is pricier.