Where to Find the Best Mexican Tacos in Tokyo: Tacos 3Hermanos and Furuya Yamato’s Story
From Mexico City to Harajuku: The Inspiring Journey Behind Tokyo’s Top Taqueria
Step off Harajuku’s pulsing main drag and slip down a quiet alley, and you’ll find yourself at the threshold of Tacos 3Hermanos—a tiny, unmarked temple where the air is thick with the scent of sizzling pork, toasted corn, and anticipation. This isn’t some themed eatery chasing Instagram fame. It’s the real deal: a sliver of Mexico City, transplanted to the heart of Tokyo, where the juiciness of every taco will haunt your senses long after you’ve left.
The Journey: Furuya Yamato’s Ikigai, Wrapped in a Tortilla
The soul of Tacos 3Hermanos is Furuya Yamato, a man whose journey is as layered and surprising as the flavors in his tacos. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Yamato found himself adrift, questioning the meaning of his life. A friend’s blunt question—“Where is your life?”—became the spark that sent him across the world to Mexico City, a place he’d never been, whose language he didn’t speak, and whose cuisine he’d barely tasted.
There, in the gritty neighborhoods of Ecatepec, Yamato learned the language of tacos—literally and figuratively. He found family, learned Spanish, and got a crash course in the art of street food: suadero confit, carnitas, salsa roja that makes you sweat and smile. His first suadero taco nearly brought him to tears; it was more than food—it was a revelation, a connection, a purpose.
When Yamato returned to Japan in 2018 to care for his aging parents, he couldn’t find the flavors he’d fallen for. So he started making his own—first at pop-ups, then a food truck, and finally, in 2024, at this brick-and-mortar taqueria in Harajuku. Every tortilla is hand-pressed, every salsa bold, every bite a tribute to the street food spirit he loves. For Yamato, this isn’t just a business—it’s his ikigai:
“When I wake up I need to make tacos, I want to make tacos. I want to share my tacos with people. This is my life now. This is my ikigai”.
The Experience: Inside Tokyo’s Tiny Taco Sanctuary
Push open the door and you’re greeted by a space barely big enough for a dozen souls, communal tables forcing strangers into conversation, and Spanish floating through the air as easily as the scent of grilled meat. The menu is stripped down to the essentials: carnitas (pork), lengua (beef tongue), and suadero (beef confit)—each taco a masterclass in simplicity and soul.
Order at the counter, grab a mango juice, and stake out a seat if you can. There’s no rush here, just the slow choreography of tortillas pressed by hand and meat sizzling on a comal brought straight from Mexico.
The tacos arrive in sets of five, each one a little miracle: juicy pork that glistens, lengua so tender it nearly dissolves, suadero with that perfect balance of crisp and melt.
Take a bite and the world narrows to a single, perfect moment. The tortilla is earthy and chewy, the meat rich and savory, the salsa bright and fiery. Every element sings in harmony, and for a moment, you’re not in Tokyo—you’re standing at a street stall in Mexico City, elbow-deep in taco bliss.
But it’s more than just the food. It’s the laughter of strangers sharing a table, the hum of three languages, the warmth that comes from food made with purpose and pride. The juiciness of these tacos—the way the flavors burst and linger—etches itself into your memory, a sensory souvenir you’ll carry long after the last bite.
Why Tokyo Is the World’s Most Exciting Food City
Tokyo isn’t just a sushi and ramen town. It’s a city obsessed with quality and authenticity, a place where a Japanese taquero can chase his purpose all the way to Mexico and back, and end up serving the best tacos you’ll find this side of the Pacific.
Tacos 3Hermanos isn’t fusion—it’s a love letter to Mexican street food, written with Tokyo’s relentless pursuit of excellence.
So, is it worth the wait? Absolutely. Whether you’re a homesick Mexican, a taco snob from LA, or just a curious traveler, Tacos 3Hermanos is a pilgrimage you won’t regret. And if you see me in line, say hi,I’ll be the one daydreaming of carnitas and plotting my next visit.