Tokyo nabs four spots on Asia's 50 Best Bars list
Tokyo had four bars on the list: Bar Benfiddich earned 9th position (a drop from its 5th spot last year), Virtu ranked No. 18 (a slip from its previously held 11th place) and new entries Punch Room Tokyo and Bar Libre landed at No. 36 and No. 49, respectively.
Kumamoto's Yakoboku, a minimalist bar specializing in seasonal cocktails, made its debut at No. 25, while Nara's Lamp Bar reentered the list at No. 46 (it previously ranked No. 55).
This year's podium finish was the same as last year's, demonstrating the winners' consistent excellence and influence in their respective cities: Hong Kong's Bar Leone (No. 1), Seoul's Zest (No. 2) and Singapore's Jigger & Pony (No. 3).
Hong Kong's Bar Leone, run by Lorenzo Antinori (far left), is No. 1 again this year. |
ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS 2025
Bangkok stole the show, though: With seven bars listed, including two of them in the top 10 — Bar Us (No. 4) and debutant Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No. 5) — it was the city with the most entries, an achievement reminiscent of its performance at the recent The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 , in which it also emerged tops with six restaurants on the list.
The Thai capital's coup chips away at the dominance of cocktail hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo on the Asia's 50 Best Bars' roll call while also demonstrating its rise as a drinks destination: In 2024, Singapore led the list with 11 bars — it has five this year — while Tokyo and Bangkok had four entries each.
This year's list also saw a more diverse representation across Asia, with more than a dozen new entries from bars in Cambodia, India and Indonesia — regions that didn't gather much attention in previous editions of the event. Jakarta was a standout, with four bars making their debut on the list: Modernhaus (No. 12), The St. Regis Bar (No. 22), Carrots Bar (No. 34) and Cosmo Pony (No. 38).
Emma Sleight, head of content for Asia's 50 Best Bars, said Asia's bars 'continue to redefine excellence in cocktail culture, as seen in the talent and creativity of this year's winners.'
'With 20 new entries, the most in recent years, this list is a testament to the boundary-pushing creativity of Asia, with truly memorable drink experiences waiting to be explored by cocktail enthusiasts,' she said.
Bar Benfiddich, helmed by bartender Hiroyasu Kayama (center), earned a 9th position this year, claiming the title of Tokyo's best bar. |
BAR BENFIDDICH
The Japan Times' contributor Melinda Joe said the large contingent of new entries suggested that 'consumers, or at least voters, were seeking out lesser-known destinations' but she expressed surprise at the overall rankings for Tokyo's bars, considering 'the record number of tourists we've seen in the past year.'
'I had always considered the (results of the) 50 Best program as an indicator of where people are traveling,' she said. 'The quality of bars in Tokyo has remained consistently high, but the challenge for these places vis-a-vis the list is that the market is extremely saturated compared to other cities.
'Whereas there might be 100 good bars in a place like Kuala Lumpur, there are probably 10,000 in Tokyo. That's great news for consumers, but this kind of nuance is not easily conveyed through award programs.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
44 minutes ago
- NHK
Archival footage of Nagasaki temple destroyed by atomic bomb found
NHK has learned that footage of a temple in Nagasaki that was classified as a national treasure but destroyed in the 1945 atomic bombing of the city has been preserved. The broadcaster said it discovered the 41-second black-and-white film of the Fukusaiji temple in its archives. It was shot by kabuki actor Nakamura Shikaku around 1930 and later donated to NHK along with other images. The temple was built in 1628 and designated as a national treasure in 1927. It is also known as a place where Sakamoto Ryoma and Katsu Kaishu, prominent samurai active at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, stayed. The temple, located 2.6 kilometers from the hypocenter of the atomic bombing, was completely destroyed by fire. The discovered footage shows the temple's exterior as well as an all-night light made of stone. The light survived the bombing and still exists on the temple grounds. Nagasaki University Professor Emeritus Himeno Junichi said there are photos and postcards of the temple, but that it is the first time for footage to be discovered. Himeno said it is significant that the temple's appearance can now be viewed three-dimensionally. He said the moving image is a first-class historical resource.
NHK
5 hours ago
- NHK
'Gundam' creator talks war and robot anime
Tomino Yoshiyuki's traumatic childhood experience of World War Two left an indelible impression on his young mind. The raging conflict, which ended 80 years ago this year, eventually inspired him to create the globally renown anime franchise 'Mobile Suit Gundam,' one of the most celebrated depictions of the tragedy of war. The 83-year-old recently spoke with NHK about his most famous work, and why the themes it explores resonate more forcefully now than ever. Tomino Yoshiyuki as a baby Tomino Yoshiyuki was born in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 1941, the same year the Pacific War began with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During the war, US fighter jets frequently targeted a military factory near his home. "A couple of times I could feel the heat from buildings burning nearby while I was hiding in an air-raid shelter. The most terrifying experience for me as a child was when I was in a shelter that the neighborhood association was digging. Because my house was the farthest away, when I got there it was crowded and I could only sit at the entrance. There was a straw mat hanging at the entrance to block the wind, and the way it swayed back and forth was extremely frightening." "I clearly remember running to the air-raid shelter with two or three of my favorite picture books in my arms. I also remember our kind, elderly landlord dying when a firebomb exploded as he was trying to extinguish it. I saw him buried in a grave. I think that took place about a month before the end of the war." War and values Tomino Yoshiyuki Tomino was just 3 years old when the war ended, so he doesn't think of himself as being part of the war generation. But he notes a significant difference in values and ways of thinking between those who experienced World War Two and those who did not. "I specifically remember the sound of a B-29 formation flying overhead. I think the noise reflected the magnitude of war. But that was just the experience of a 3-year-old child, so it's not the same as the experience of someone older who lived through the war." "There was a time during elementary school when I became interested in the Zero fighter (a fighter plane used by the Imperial Japanese Navy). During middle and high school, as I read accounts of wartime, the roar of B-29 bombers became something I had once perceived as part of my daily life." "It took me 20 years to realize that this was different from the generation that had never experienced war. When I look at the people younger than me, my juniors, with a 20-year time gap, I think for them, it's all just a fantasy." Vision behind "Mobile Suit Gundam" After graduating from university, Tomino joined Tezuka Osamu's Mushi Production. He then went independent and worked as director on the robot anime "Reideen the Brave" and as executive director on "SUPER MACHINE ZAMBOT 3." In 1979, he created "Mobile Suit Gundam." Asked about his vision, he explains that it was not the typical good-versus-evil narrative of traditional robot anime, but rather a depiction of human warfare using robots. A scene from "Mobile Suit Gundam" "At the time, the production team thought it was wrong to show war stories to children. Perhaps because of Japan's experience of defeat in the war, there was an instinctive aversion to depicting war stories. Fighter planes are flown by a single pilot, so I made the size of my mobile suits small. They are only about 20-meters tall, about the same size as a fighter plane." "Creating a story about a single pilot and having aliens as enemies in Gundam was something we'd been doing for nearly 20 years with giant robots, so I thought it was time to move on. To operate a 20-meter-tall weapon like the mobile suits, you need a system to manufacture it, which requires a military-industrial complex and the infrastructure for mass production. So, in the end, we had no choice but to depict a war between nations." Realistic depictions of war Tomino was particular about ensuring the anime depicted war in a realistic fashion. He explains his thinking behind a famous scene involving deserter Cucuruz Doan: "I suddenly realized that if everyone thinks the same way, the entire team will be wiped out. The character who regains his sanity (Cucuruz Doan) would act that way. After all, his team was wiped out. But ultimately, there are Japanese soldiers who escape, end up joining the American army, and become prisoners of war. I wrote the story with the understanding that this is a natural outcome." Main character Amuro Ray in a scene from "Mobile Suit Gundam" He also revealed that one of the final scenes in "Mobile Suit Gundam," where Amuro drifts toward his allies' ship, was inspired by real events. "I thought about whether Japanese soldiers and civilians who were sunk in the Pacific Ocean could be saved or not. When I chose scenes from war stories where they were rescued, I found myself tracing back through history." Sense of crisis Tomino sought to depict the reality of war and convey its cruelty and folly. But he says the fighting currently taking place in the real world exceeds his imagination. Tomino Yoshiyuki "What Mobile Suit Gundam did was try its hand at a war story set in the near future. The weapons known as mobile suits are more advanced than today's fighter jets. When you start a war using such weapons, drones inevitably appear. Human-piloted weapons are becoming obsolete. Drones are already commonplace, and I think we'll see even more advanced unmanned weapons in the future. What does it mean to wage war in such a world? I've started to think that it's just about creating the spectacle of a battlefield." 'They stopped thinking' Tomino also spoke of the conflicts he faced as the creator of Mobile Suit Gundam, which has many fans both in Japan and abroad. Tomino Yoshiyuki "Humans are surprisingly quick to shut down their ability to think. They play with Gundam model kits and say, 'This is cool.' That's how I feel about the modern world. It's not just a problem of the present; when humans first saw steam engines during the Industrial Revolution, they were so awed by their power that they stopped thinking for themselves." "However, I am not an educator, so I couldn't teach this to young people. For the past 20 years, I have been eagerly waiting for someone to pick up on my vague words and convey them in a way that is easier to understand, but I feel that no one has appeared yet." Future plans Despite being in his 80s, Tomino shows no signs of slowing down. He reveals he currently has a new title in the works. I'm really trying to make it a battle story, but there are no enemies in this one. The enemies might be humans who are using the Earth. I want to create a story like that. I'm confident that I can do it because it's anime.
NHK
a day ago
- NHK
Upper House Election Broadcast - HELLO! NHK WORLD-JAPAN
We introduce NHK's live, international coverage of Japan's Upper House election, which took place on July 20. We go behind the scenes and see NHK's crew rehearsing until the very last minute.
