Every McDonald's in Japan is a Poke Stop or Pokemon Gym

In a move that might portent the future of Pokemon Go sponsorship here in the US, McDonald's Japan has partnered up with Niantic, the developer of Pokemon Go, to have almost all McDonald's restaurants in the country appear as a Poke Stop or Pokemon Gym in the game.

Capitalizing on the rampant popularity of the smartphone game across the globe, McDonald's logo (and slogans apparently) appears when you tap on the associated Poke Stop or Gym.

Poke Stops are typically associated with local landmarks or points on interest and are places where players can periodically re-supply their in-game items, such as the Poke Balls which are used to catch Pokemon, while Gyms are where Pokemon Go players can battle with their Pokemon and represent their team.

Having a Poke Stop at a local restaurant can have a positive effect on business (especially if there's free WiFi given the game's enormous drain on data) as weary Pokemon trainers stop to grab a bite or drink while they grab their items and catch more Pokemon. In-game "lures" can also be dropped on Poke Stops which increase the frequency of Pokemon encounters (and frequency of Pokemon Go players dropping by) for a time (30 minutes).

Images via McDonald's Japan.