Ronald McDonald is “Donald McDonald” in Japan because it makes pronunciation easier for the Japanese.

Ronald McDonald is “Donald McDonald” in Japan because it makes pronunciation easier for the Japanese.

In Japan, McDonald's is Makudonarudo (マクドナルド), so Donarudo Makudonarudo has a pleasant ring to it, just like Ronald McDonald sounds nice in English. Plus, “Donarudo” (ドナルド) is a famous character name in Japan thanks to Donald Duck, making the name familiar and easy to say.