Many people are probably confused and asking, "What exactly is a tortilla? How is it different from a taco?"
"Tortillas" are crepe-like "shells" made from corn flour or wheat flour, and are a staple food for Mexicans. They are like rice for Japanese people. Rice can be called different things depending on how it is prepared, such as "onigiri" (rice balls), "mochi" (rice cakes), or "okayu" (rice porridge), and tortillas are the same; they can be transformed into different dishes by changing the shape and thickness of the dough, or the cooking method, such as "tacos (baked)," "tostadas (fried)," or "tamales (steamed)."
Although the number of Mexican restaurants has been increasing in Japan in recent years, Mexican food is still unfamiliar to Japanese people, and naturally there are no restaurants that specialize solely in tortillas.
It all began with an encounter with a certain tortilla
Japan's first tortilla specialty store, New Classic Tortilla Club, opened in Yoyogi Uehara in June 2023. It is a small tortilleria (tortilla shop in Spanish) located on the first floor of the small complex called CABO.
The man behind this restaurant is Jun Katayama. What's amazing about him is that he had no prior experience with tortillas. Katayama, who originally worked at an interior design company, discovered a taste in 2019 that changed his life.
"I had the avocado tacos at Los Tacos Azules in Sangenjaya. They were simple tacos with just a single slice of avocado on top, but it was a shock! After that, I tried tacos at a variety of restaurants, but nothing quite clicked. Then I realized, 'Ah, the secret to this deliciousness is in the shell.' I thought to myself, 'The tortilla is magic!'"
This is where Katayama really took the plunge. "I want to make tortillas a staple food in Japan, on a par with rice!" He decided to become a tortilla maker. His ambitions were high, but he was still an amateur, so to speak. At first, he would make tortillas that were hard and had the texture of a tire. He continued to make them, failing countless times, and studied on his own, reading Spanish articles and ordering a flour mill from America. He kept going, dreaming of one day opening a shop.
If there's nothing, let's make it something! The fictional store "New Classic Tortilla Club" is born
Since getting the flour mill, Katayama's tortilla-making skills have improved day by day.
"I didn't have the money or the space, so I started an Instagram account to create a fictional tortilla shop and story and share it with the world. I wanted to raise awareness of the brand and gain a fan base, and then I thought it would be great to open a real shop one day. The story is about how Mexican tortilla maker New Classic Tortilla Club makes tortillas a staple food in Japan."
I created a composite image of the store's exterior and made original T-shirts. I posted them as if they really existed. I often get inquiries from people who think it's a real store.
Despite his plans, Katayama felt it would be some time before he could open a shop. One day, he was lucky enough to find out that CABO, a complex in Yoyogi-Uehara, was looking for tenants. He was determined not to miss the opportunity and decided to make his dream come true in this location.
In June 2023, Katayama's fantasy became a reality.
The interior design of the store was handled by Katayama, who used his experience working at an interior design company to create a space that exudes the warmth of wood. 
Located within the complex CABO, a 30-second walk from Yoyogi-Uehara Station, the shop is marked by a large cactus.
Not just for tacos! Enjoy tortillas in a variety of ways
New Classic Tortilla Club is based on selling tortillas by weight. They are freshly made every day and put on display in the store. They are moist and have a fine texture. The aroma of corn fills your mouth with an authentic taste. Their frozen tortillas, which can be stored for a long time, are also popular.
An automatic machine for making tortillas. Masa (corn flour) dough is placed into the machine and formed into a thin shape. 
The tortillas are baked on a traditional Mexican ceramic plate called a comal, which Katayama obtained in Mexico. 
If you plan to eat them the same day, choose fresh tortillas. If you plan to eat them the next day or later, we recommend frozen tortilla packs. If you want to make tortillas from scratch for a taco party, buy raw flour dough called "masa."
Fresh tortillas (5 yen + tax/gram), frozen tortillas (500 yen/5 packs, 900 yen/10 packs), masa (5 yen + tax/gram)
"Initially, we wanted to have a store that only sold tortillas by weight, but we felt that this was too challenging for Japanese people, as they were not yet familiar with the concept. So we decided to offer food that could be eaten in the store. However, since we are a 'tortilla store', we decided to offer only tortilla dishes, including ways to eat them other than tacos, such as sopes, gordidas, and tostadas."
You can choose two pieces of tortillas from three types of tortillas and three types of fillings to enjoy inside the restaurant or on the terrace. Take-out is also available. Two pieces cost 1,100 yen. 
"Sopes" are made with thick tortillas, which are rare in Japan. The ingredients, from left to right, are the limited-time menu item "Nopal (Cactus)" and the Mexican classic "Carnitas." Choose your favorite salsa from three varieties: "Roja," "Verde," and "Macha."
The New Classic Tortilla Club has other selling points, too. One of its charms is that you can enjoy tortillas of different colors that change daily. Lighter colored corn has a lighter flavor and goes well with strongly seasoned ingredients like Mexican food. On the other hand, darker colored corn has a sticky texture like rice, so it goes well with Japanese ingredients. It seems like fun to think about the ingredients to match the color of the tortilla of the day.
In addition to the standard yellow, they offer six different kinds of corn, including black, blue, and purple, which change daily. The different colors of Mexican corn are similar to the differences in rice varieties such as "Koshihikari" and "Akitakomachi." 
On this day, the tortillas were made with red and white corn.
Someday, tortillas will become a staple food in Japan
Many Mexicans and people from Central and South America come to try the tortillas from their home countries, and when they smell the aroma inside the store, they all say, "It reminds me of my grandmother's house." The delicious tortillas are recognized even by those who know the authentic taste, and so the store quickly gained a large number of repeat Japanese customers.
"I'm happy when so many people tell me, 'I didn't know tortillas were this delicious.' It may seem a bit out of the blue, but my goal is to make tortillas a staple food in Japan, so I'd like to first create facilities and factories that can mass-produce tortillas, and then aim for a world where tortillas are displayed next to slices of bread in supermarkets and convenience stores. I'd like to see tortillas become so well established in Japan that children start buying them on their way there."
Tortillas are so versatile. They can be fried, baked, or steamed. You can put anything on them, even Chinese or Italian. If we can spread this freedom throughout Japan, tortillas will surely become even more beloved.
The story of New Classic Tortilla Club establishing a new culture in Japan has only just begun.
From left: Representative Jun Katayama, Lin Hongfei, and Doi Nanako. 
The T-shirts that were made of synthetic material before the store opened are now real.
