Fujita, 75, opened the first Japanese McDonald's 30 years ago in Tokyo's Ginza district. Thanks to his clever marketing, the chain is now one of the few companies feasting on the deflation now gripping the world's second-largest economy. To stay competitive, Fujita turned conventional wisdom on its head by halving weekday hamburger prices last year. Instead of eating into earnings, the move attracted a whole new clientele. On weekdays, McDonald's had been a teen hangout. Now, the typical lunch customer is a salaryman in suit and tie. Fujita is hoping to cash in on his new success in July, when McDonald's (Japan) becomes the first of the company's units outside the U.S. to undertake an initial public offering: It will list shares on Japan's over-the-counter market.