A taco truck in Sagamihara worth the 2-hour trip from Tokyo

Tacos El Trompo, a taco truck in Sagamihara, was born from one man’s dream and his love of a Hispanic subculture.

Ricky, with the help of his wife, Sasha, created Tacos El Trompo out of his love for the Mexican subculture of Los Angeles and the lack of traditional al pastor tacos available in Japan.

The truck is not parked in a random lot. It sits in front of their business, Nicety, a clothing and accessories store that sells Ricky’s original brand, Ossan N the Hood. Ricky takes orders inside the store, then customers bring their ticket to Sasha in the truck outside, where she prepares each order.

Sasha spent more than two years developing the recipes before they began selling out of the truck.

Al pastor tacos and birria tacos from Tacos El Trompo in Sagamihara, Japan, May 24 2026. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)

The menu is limited to tacos, quesadillas and birria tacos, all built around al pastor, thinly sliced marinated pork cooked on a vertical rotisserie and topped with fresh pineapple.

Expect to wait at least 45 minutes.

Reviews by The Taco Fiend on Instagram (@the.taco.fiend1) have driven a surge of visitors to the truck, and the appetite for authentic tacos has done the rest.

The local military community from Camp Zama and nearby bases had taken notice, and while waiting in line I met people from Los Angeles that made a two-hour train ride from Tokyo just to eat here on their vacation.

Getting to Tacos El Trompo from Yokosuka can be a trek, about two hours by train and bus. Not wanting to make the journey twice, I ordered all three items on the menu.

The tacos and salsa were on par with the Tijuana-style al pastor you can find in Southern California, acidic and layered with the char of a well-seasoned trompo. That’s a genuine surprise given how hard certain fresh ingredients, like tomatillos and dried chiles, can be to track down in a typical Japanese grocery store.

Al pastor quesadillas from Tacos El Trompo in Sagamihara, Japan, May 24 2026. (Jonathan Baez/Stars and Stripes)

The quesadillas were stuffed generously with al pastor and plenty of cheese that pulled apart in long, satisfying strings.

But the birria tacos stole the show. The meat was deeply braised, tender enough to fall apart but with enough body to hold its own inside a crisped, grease-fried tortilla. The consommé, the rich broth left over from cooking the birria, arrived dark and fragrant, waiting to be sipped on its own before you even thought about dipping. It was some of the best I have tried anywhere.

If you are interested in trying authentic tacos in Japan, Tacos El Trompo should be on your list of places to try.

Tacos El Trompo

Directions: A 15-minute walk from Harataima Station to the Tacos El Trompo truck. From the stations only exit, walk northeast toward the traffic light, make a left and walk to the next light, make a right and the truck will be on your left after a short walk. Google plus code: G9PH+CV Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

Times: Open Sundays 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Costs: The tacos are 450 yen, or $2.77, each; quesadillas are 1,400 yen; and the birria tacos are 1,200 yen.

Dress: Casual

Information: Online: instagram.com/tacoseltrompo_jpn