30 bars worth the trip across Japan, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Japan guides.
Bar Higuchi ★ 4.8 · Fukuoka
nakasu · Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 810-0801, Japan
Bar Higuchi in Nakasu-Kawabata is a whisky cocktail bar with a vast bottle collection. iPad menu with transparent pricing, signature Moscow Mules made well.
Tip: Reservations preferred. Counter only; iPad bilingual menu Standing room when busy.
Craftroom ★ 4.8 · Osaka
Umeda and Kita · 1-3-1 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0001
Asia's 50 Best Bars-ranked Osaka cocktail bar by Ryu Fujii, experimenting with Japanese ferments and distillates in a discreet Umeda basement under Osaka.
The Nikka Bar Sapporo ★ 4.8 · Sapporo
susukino · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0804, Japan
Nikka Whisky's Hokkaido flagship in Susukino, pouring rare expressions of Taketsuru, Yoichi and Miyagikyo from the company's own cellar warehouse.
Tip: Reservations via Nikka site; the Yoichi single-cask flights need a week's notice.
Bar High Five ★ 4.8 · Tokyo
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Bar High Five in Tokyo's Ginza is Hidetsugu Ueno's basement cocktail counter, World's 50 Best Bars 2011-2023. Hand-cut ice, custom drinks to your taste.
Tip: Cover charge is 1,000 yen with snacks. Open Mon-Sat from 17:00, closed Sundays and national holidays; arrive early for a seat at the counter.
SG Club ★ 4.8 · Tokyo
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0041, Japan
SG Club in Tokyo's Jinnan is Shingo Gokan's two-floor cocktail bar, Asia's 50 Best No. 9 in 2023. Order the showa-era cocktails on the two floors.
Tip: Reservations advised for Friday and Saturday. The sip floor is the quieter calmer counter.
Gen Yamamoto ★ 4.8 · Tokyo
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0045, Japan
Gen Yamamoto in Tokyo's Azabu-Juban serves an eight-seat seasonal cocktail tasting flight only. Four or six courses of seasonal-ingredient cocktails, no food.
Tip: Two seatings nightly; phone or email reservation only. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Strict no-phone policy at the counter.
Bar Nayuta ★ 4.7 · Osaka
Shinsaibashi and Amerikamura · 1-6-17 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0086
A ten-seat Amerikamura cocktail bar near Triangle Park where bartenders craft bespoke drinks to each guest taste from house-made syrups with no fixed menu.
Bar Yamazaki ★ 4.7 · Sapporo
susukino · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0063, Japan
Founded late 1950s by mixologist Tatsuro Yamazaki, Bar Yamazaki is one of Japan's classic Susukino cocktail bars; the Emperor's Imperial Prize landed in 1993.
Tip: Counter only; order the signature Sapporo cocktail to start.
Star Bar Ginza ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Star Bar Ginza in Tokyo's Ginza is Hisashi Kishi's pressed-tin temple of classic cocktail technique since 2000. The Sidecar is the order on a first visit.
Tip: Cover charge applies. Wear smart casual; phone reservations are accepted but the standing space at the counter turns fast.
Bar Trench ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0021, Japan
Bar Trench in Tokyo's Ebisu-Nishi is the absinthe and classic-cocktail counter Rogerio Igarashi Vaz opened in 2010. Asia's 50 Best Bars, back-alley den.
Tip: Reserve for groups; the back-room booth is the prized seat. Cash and cards. Open Sun-Thu to 02:00, Fri-Sat to 03:00.
Zoetrope Shinjuku ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
Zoetrope in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku is Atsushi Horigami's whisky bar specializing in Japanese spirits. Three-hundred bottles and silent black-and-white film.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reservation by phone; the by-the-glass list rotates with each visit.
Bar BenFiddich ★ 4.7 · Tokyo
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
Bar BenFiddich in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku is Hiroyasu Kayama's apothecary-style cocktail bar. Herbs from his own farm, fresh-muddled and tea-steeped each pour.
Tip: Reservation by phone strongly recommended. The herb-and-vegetable garden menu is the canonical flight.
Bar Sebek ★ 4.6 · Fukuoka
nakasu · Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 810-0801, Japan
Bar Sebek is a long-running classic-cocktail counter in Nakasu, profiled in international bar press as one of Fukuoka's reference cocktail rooms.
Tip: Reservation only. Counter twelve.
Ghost Ultra Lounge ★ 4.6 · Osaka
Shinsaibashi and Amerikamura · Shinsaibashi Arty Inn, 2-17-3 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0086
Amerikamura flagship basement electronic venue hosting Tokyo and international DJs on a Funktion-One sound system; open from 22:00 Thursday to Saturday.
Bar Kamata ★ 4.6 · Sapporo
susukino · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0805, Japan
A Susukino sake bar stocking nearly 300 Hokkaido-produced sake bottles. Otokoyama, Kunimare and Chitosetsuru pour by the glass alongside cellar-only labels.
Tip: Flight of three Hokkaido junmais is the easy intro; closed Sundays.
The Aviary Tokyo ★ 4.6 · Tokyo
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
The Aviary Tokyo in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku is the Tokyo outpost of Chicago's Alinea Group. Multi-course cocktail-and-food pairings in avant-garde format.
Tip: Reservation only via Tock; courses run two to three hours. Closed irregular days; check the calendar.
Tokyo Whisky Library ★ 4.6 · Tokyo
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan
Tokyo Whisky Library in Tokyo's Aoyama holds 1,200 whiskies, the largest English-friendly whisky bar in the city. Yamazaki, Hakushu, all the Scotch.
Tip: Reservation strongly advised. Tasting flights cover Japanese, Scotch and Irish; the rare-Japanese collection is the standout.
Bar Orchard Ginza ★ 4.6 · Tokyo
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Bar Orchard Ginza in Tokyo is Takuo Miyanohara's fresh-fruit-only cocktail bar. Whatever seasonal fruit hangs over the counter becomes that night's pour.
Tip: Reservation by phone. Closed Sundays. Cocktails are bartender's-choice from the fruit lineup.
The Bellwood ★ 4.6 · Tokyo
Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan
The Bellwood in Shibuya is Atsushi Suzuki's Taisho-era cafe-themed cocktail bar in Tokyo, kaiseki-as-cocktail menu, hidden 12-piece omakase counter at back.
Tip: Reserve via TableCheck; the kaiseki cocktail set takes 90 minutes. Closed Tuesdays.
Bar Rocking Chair ★ 4.5 · Kyoto
karasuma-kawaramachi · Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8042, Japan
A speakeasy cocktail bar in a Nakagyo machiya in Kyoto, opened by ex-Saint Germain bartender Yamada-san. Counter seats nine; reservations strongly advised.
Good Times Reggae Bar ★ 4.5 · Osaka
Shinsaibashi and Amerikamura · 2-10-21 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0086
An Amerikamura reggae bar open since 1992 with a Sound System from Jamaica, a rum-heavy cocktail list, and walls of vintage dancehall posters.
Bar nano gould ★ 4.5 · Sapporo
tanukikoji · Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0063, Japan
A Tanukikoji cocktail bar with the concept cocktails as liquid cuisine. Hokkaido-foraged ingredients across a rotating menu; quiet 14-seat counter.
Tip: Counter only; phone reservations strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday.
Bar Tram ★ 4.5 · Tokyo
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0021, Japan
Bar Tram in Tokyo's Ebisu-Nishi is the sister bar to Bar Trench, on the same back alley. Absinthe-and-herb cocktail focus, dimmer brick room than Trench.
Tip: Open daily 19:00-03:00. Smaller and more intimate than Trench; walk-ins welcome.
Bar Sunface ★ 4.5 · Tokyo
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004, Japan
Bar Sunface in Tokyo's Yotsuya is master Yamamoto Manabu's rum-focused bar. 1,200 rums by the bottle, cocktails and tasting flights of aged Caribbean spirits.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reservation by phone advised; the staff guide every flight.
New York Bar Park Hyatt ★ 4.5 · Tokyo
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-1055, Japan
New York Bar Park Hyatt in Tokyo Shinjuku is the 52nd-floor jazz bar from Lost in Translation. Live music nightly, panoramic Mount Fuji views on clear days.
Tip: Cover charge after 20:00. Reserve a window table for sunset; jazz starts at 20:00.
Peter Bar at Peninsula ★ 4.5 · Tokyo
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan
Peter Bar at Peninsula Tokyo is the 24th-floor cocktail bar overlooking the Imperial Palace gardens. Modern classics with Asian flavours, red lacquer.
Tip: Reserve a window seat at sunset; closed Sunday for renovation through mid-2026. Live music Thursdays and Saturdays.
Gold Bar at EDITION ★ 4.5 · Tokyo
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
Gold Bar at Tokyo EDITION Toranomon is a Golden Age cocktail room above the city, classic Martini and Manhattan rebuilds, Japanese spirits as the base notes.
Tip: Open daily 17:00-01:00; window seats face Toranomon Hills and Tokyo Tower.
Bar Kurayoshi ★ 4.4 · Fukuoka
nakasu · Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 810-0801, Japan
Bar Kurayoshi is one of Nakasu's stalwart classic-cocktail rooms, regularly listed alongside Sebek and Higuchi in Fukuoka cocktail-bar reviews.
Tip: Reservation only. Counter and one private room.
Kyoto Beer Lab Tap Room ★ 4.4 · Kyoto
karasuma-kawaramachi · Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8138, Japan
The on-brewery tap room of Kyoto Beer Lab on the Takase-gawa in Shimogyo. Eight house taps, pizzas from a wood oven, riverside terrace seating in summer.
Ueda Saketen ★ 4.4 · Osaka
Shinsaibashi and Amerikamura · 1-3-28 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0085
A Shinsaibashi standing sake shop selling direct-from-brewery junmai and daiginjo from smaller Kansai and Hiroshima breweries not widely distributed.