As the taco boom continues across Japan, Taco Bell, which is expanding worldwide, is reportedly seeing its growth slow in Japan despite continuing to expand its domestic footprint. Japan currently has 1,469 taco and Mexican restaurants, up by double digits from the previous year, but the pace of domestic expansion appears to be slowing.
As tacos, a Mexican specialty, experience an unprecedented boom in Japan, Taco Bell operates more than 7,000 locations worldwide. Its presence in Japan continues to expand, but its growth has been described as sluggish.
As of April 2026, Japan had 1,469 Mexican restaurants and taco specialty shops, up 13.7% year on year. The figure had also risen 11.5% in 2025, marking two consecutive years of double-digit growth.
The continued taco boom is one factor behind this trend, but growth rates differ among domestic chains, and attention remains focused on developments in Japan, including Taco Bell's domestic expansion.
This article presents a fact-based account of Taco Bell's domestic expansion and the taco market's growth trend. Attention is again turning to how the Japanese market will develop in the future.