A taco specialty shop in Naka Ward, Yokohama, is selling out around 1,600 tacos (about 800 servings) a day, less than three months after opening. TONATIUH TACOS opened on May 17, 2026, and is operated by SECOND STAGE Co., Ltd. (President: Ryu Takayama), which also runs a Mexican restaurant in the same ward.
While many of Yokohama's taco shops lean toward LA or Tex-Mex styles, TONATIUH TACOS stands out for its commitment to recreating the flavors of Mexico City's street stalls exactly as they are. Alongside its tacos, the shop also serves chilaquiles, a classic Mexican breakfast dish, along with Mexican craft beer and Mexican Coca-Cola, drawing attention as a spot to experience authentic Mexican food and drink in one place.
Yokohama's Quiet Taco Boom
In recent years, a number of taco specialty shops have opened in Yokohama, though most follow styles that originated in LA or Tex-Mex cooking. Against that backdrop, TONATIUH TACOS, which opened in May 2026, has quietly become a topic of conversation among local taco fans as one of the few shops recreating the taste of Mexico City's street stalls.
Two Years of Trial and Error Behind an Authentic Street Taco
Owner Ryu Takayama first served tacos at a members-only dining bar, where they proved popular enough that he decided to open a dedicated specialty shop. He studied directly with a taqueria in Mexico City listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand, exchanging detailed notes on local flavors and cooking methods, and refined the recipe over roughly two years of testing at his own bar before settling on the current taste.
The tortillas are made using an original method with 100% corn masa from Mexico. The meat is slow-cooked in low-temperature lard with an original spice blend, then finished with a dedicated knife called a "machete," cut on a tree-stump cutting board. Customers can watch the meat being cut and the tacos assembled right in front of them, bringing the atmosphere of a Mexico City street stall to Yokohama.
The goal was not a "Japanese-style" taco adapted to local taste, but tacos that feel like an everyday part of Mexican life — one that even visitors from Mexico would find familiar, down to the flavor, cooking method, and atmosphere.
Ingredients Sourced Directly From Mexico
To stay true to the original flavors, the shop imports meat, seasonings, and other ingredients directly from Mexico wherever possible, alongside some domestic ingredients. Sourcing directly from Mexico also means compensation flows back to the producers there, a consideration the shop keeps in mind alongside its focus on authentic flavor.
The Signature Dish: Crispy Tripa Tacos With a Squeeze of Lime
Among the shop's six taco varieties, the most popular is its signature Tripa Taco (beef small intestine), priced at 1,000 yen including tax. The tripe is seared crisp on the outside while staying tender inside, delivering a rich, savory flavor. Paired with the house-made green salsa and finished with a squeeze of lime, it takes on a refreshing tartness that adds another layer to the taste.
The shop offers six types of tacos, each paired with its own distinct salsa, with the combinations carefully thought out.
From Traditional Chilaquiles to Authentic Micheladas
Tacos aren't the only thing on the menu. The shop also serves chilaquiles, a staple Mexican breakfast dish made by tossing totopos (crisped corn tortilla chips) in house-made salsa until moist and topping them generously with cheese, cream, and onion — a dish enjoyed locally for weekend brunch or the morning after a night out.
The drink menu is built around Mexican beer to pair with the tacos, including the Mexican craft beer MINERVA as well as TECATE and Modelo, alongside the classic Mexican beer cocktail michelada. A michelada mixes beer with tomato juice and fresh lime, seasoned with salt, chili powder, and hot sauce for a spicy kick.
For soft drinks, the shop also offers Mexican-bottled Coca-Cola, a version rarely found in Japan, rounding out a lineup built to bring the full experience of Mexico to the table.
A Colorful Interior That Feels Like a Trip to Mexico
The interior is built around fuchsia pink, a color associated with Mexico, creating a colorful space throughout. Goods and artwork by Hasumin, an artist based in Oaxaca, Mexico, are placed throughout the shop, adding to the feeling of having traveled to Mexico simply by walking in.
A Journey That's Just Getting Started
TONATIUH TACOS isn't looking to stop at being a popular spot in Yokohama. Looking ahead, the shop is aiming to expand beyond Yokohama nationwide, with its goal set on the best tacos in Japan while spreading the flavors and culture of Mexico further across the country.
One of its next challenges is entering — and aiming to win — the Taco Grand Prix hosted by the Mexican Embassy, putting the tacos it has refined over roughly two years of trial and error to the test against Japan's taco scene.
The journey of this small taco shop in Yokohama's Ishikawa-cho, aiming to become the best taco shop in Japan, is only just beginning.
Store Information
- Store Name: TONATIUH TACOS (トナティウタコス)
- Type: Mexican Taco Specialty Restaurant
- Address: Yamazaki Building 1F, 1-12 Ishikawa-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0868
- Opened: May 17, 2026
- Hours: 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM (closes when sold out); Closed on Thursdays
- Phone: 045-900-0440
- Official SNS: Instagram, Hot Pepper Gourmet
- Seating: Counter (7 seats), Table (14 seats), Terrace (4 seats)
- Price Range: Lunch 1,400 to 1,500 yen / Dinner 1,500 to 2,500 yen (individual menu items 1,000 to 2,000 yen)
