Taylor Swift fans Hinko Nishizki, left, and Rinka Tomomo visit Turret Coffee in Tokyo, Feb. 15, 2024. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Did a visit from Taylor Swift turn a nondescript but artsy coffee place in Tokyo into a must-stop shop for fans of the global pop behemoth?
Whether Swift queued up at Turret Coffee during her recent Eras Tour performances at Tokyo Dome, as a recent New York Times report suggests, is in doubt. Undeterred Swifties descended on the place, nonetheless.
Named for the mini trucks that used to drive around nearby Tsukiji fish market, Turret can seat six outside and four standing at a side bar. Midweek following Swift’s weekend dates in the city, a line of 10 customers waited for service.
Owner Kiyoshi Kawasaki said Swift visited his shop Feb. 5, but he wasn’t sure who she was until he saw photos of the singer in an Instagram post by the Japanese edition of Vogue, according to a New York Times article Feb 9.
“They came to the store in the morning,” Kawasaki told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday via Instagram Messenger. “At the time the store was very crowded and there was a long line.”
Rinka Tomomo wears a Taylor Swift hoodie at Turret Coffee in Tokyo, Feb. 15, 2024. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Die-hard Swifties Rinka Tomomo and Hinko Nishizki, both from Tokyo, met a few months ago at a showing of the movie “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” they said during a recent visit to Turret.
Since then, they have been going to Taylor Swift concerts together.
“A big purpose in our life has been all about Taylor,” Tomomo said.
They saw all four Eras Tour concerts Feb. 7-10 at Tokyo Dome, she said. They also bought tickets to Swift’s shows in Australia and Poland.
“We came [to Turret] because Taylor was here,” said Tomomo, who was wearing a Taylor Swift hoodie.
That day, the cafe’s speakers pumped out trendy music by Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus and Harry Styles.
Swift’s purported presence lured her fans, but they stayed for the coffee.
A sea salt caramel latte from Turret Coffee in Tokyo. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Menu items include the Turret latte, a bitter coffee for 660 yen, or about $4.40; spice mocha and berry mocha seasonal drinks for 690 yen each; and an espresso macchiato for 460 yen.
Turret also offers vegan-friendly beverages, including vanilla soy, almond milk and oat milk lattes for 690 yen.
I tried the 600-yen sea-salt caramel latte. It had a perfectly frothy taste and just the right amount of salt. The drink came with an awesome rosette drawn into the froth by a talented barista.
Food items include dorayaki, a pancake patty with sweet azuki bean paste in the middle, for 360 yen; chocolate chip cookies for 330 yen; and chocolate chunk scones for 290 yen.
Turret roasts coffee on site. You can also buy coffee drip bags, ground coffee and beans at the store.
Turret Coffee is named for the mini trucks that used to drive around nearby Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Turret Coffee
Location: 2-12-6 Tsukiji, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0045
Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; closed Tuesday.
Prices: Coffee starts at 390 yen; 490 yen for basic lattes; 690 yen for seasonal drinks.
Dress: Casual
Directions: About 10 minutes on foot from Tsukiji Station.
Information: @TurretCoffee on Instagram.
