Starbucks Japan Reveals Chilled Sweet Potato Frappuccino and Tea Latte for Fall 2026
Starbucks Japan is getting an early start on fall with a new collection built around chilled Japanese sweet potato, turning one of the season’s most familiar flavors into two cold drinks and a matching dessert.
The new menu follows a “chilled, melting sweet potato” theme, focusing on how cooling roasted sweet potato changes its texture from soft and fluffy to something denser, smoother and more creamy.
At the center of the collection is Beni Haruka, a variety of sweet potato known for its refined sweetness and moist texture, which develops the rich, almost syrup-like quality commonly associated with Japanese mitsuimo-style roasted sweet potatoes.
Starbucks has deliberately taken that traditionally warm autumn flavor in the opposite direction, creating drinks designed to offer an early taste of fall while temperatures in Japan are still relatively high in September.
The “Torori Mitsuimo Beni Haruka Frappuccino,” priced at ¥687 for takeout (approx. $4.31 USD / £3.17 GBP) or ¥700 when drinking in-store (approx. $4.39 USD / £3.23 GBP), combines a smooth paste made from Japanese-grown Beni Haruka with a lighter milk base.
The chilled drink emphasizes the concentrated sweetness and creamy texture of the sweet potato, while whipped cream on top is finished with a roasted sweet potato-flavored sauce for an additional toasted note.
Starbucks has also added crunchy roasted sweet potato-flavored chips inspired by the caramelized syrup that forms on the outside of a baked sweet potato, creating a contrast with the smoother texture of the drink itself.
The “Torori Mitsuimo Beni Haruka Mousse Tea Latte,” priced at ¥628 for takeout (approx. $3.94 USD / £2.90 GBP) or ¥640 in-store (approx. $4.01 USD / £2.95 GBP), takes the same seasonal ingredient in a different direction by combining chilled Beni Haruka paste with milk tea.
The tea blend is centered around Darjeeling and Assam, pairing the floral aroma and light bitterness of the tea with the richer sweetness of the sweet potato.
A fluffy sweet potato-flavored mousse sits on top, with Starbucks recommending that customers first experience the lighter mousse before mixing the drink together to combine the tea, sweet potato paste and creamy topping.
The collection also extends into food with the “Beni Haruka and Annou Sweet Potato Baked Mitsuimo Cake,” priced at ¥530 for takeout (approx. $3.32 USD / £2.45 GBP) or ¥540 in-store (approx. $3.39 USD / £2.49 GBP).
The cake combines the cleaner, more refined sweetness of Beni Haruka with the richer and more intense flavor of Annou sweet potato, allowing the two varieties to provide different layers of sweetness in the same dessert.
Starbucks particularly recommends eating the cake chilled, which gives the sweet potato a dense and smooth texture while making its sweetness more immediate.
It can also be warmed instead, bringing out more of the aroma associated with freshly baked sweet potato while emphasizing the syrupy filling and caramelized character across the surface.
All three items will be available at Starbucks locations throughout Japan, excluding a small number of stores.
The Beni Haruka Frappuccino, Mousse Tea Latte and Sweet Potato Cake will all go on sale from September 2, 2026, with availability continuing while supplies last.
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