Japan’s presence at Asia’s 50 Best Bars continued to shrink this year, with just three establishments making the 2026 top 50 — half as many as last year and the country’s weakest showing since the rankings began.

At Tuesday night’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 awards ceremony at Wynn Palace in Macau, Virtu, Punch Room Tokyo and Bar Libre were the only Japanese bars to place in the top 50.

The result also marked the first time since the inaugural edition of the rankings in 2016 that Japan failed to place a bar in the top 10. Punch Room Tokyo was the highest-ranked Japanese bar at No. 23, climbing from No. 36 last year. Virtu landed at No. 26 after slipping from No. 18, while Bar Libre jumped from No. 49 to No. 39.

Last year’s ninth-ranked Bar Benfiddich plummeted to No. 62, placing it on the extended 51-100 list.

This year’s top honor went to Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame, leading a strong showing for mainland China, which placed seven bars in the top 50.

Meanwhile, Bangkok retained its status as Asia’s’s cocktail capital, outstripping last year’s total with eight entries. Three also placed among the top 10: Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No. 4), Bar Us (No. 6) and Lennon’s (No. 7).

With four bars on the list, Jakarta is also emerging as a city to watch; Modernhaus, modeled after a chic living room, narrowly missed the top 10 at No. 11.

In a press statement, Faye Hugget, director of community for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, said this year’s ranking showcases “the remarkable depth and diversity of Asia’s bar scene.”

“It’s a clear reflection of how Asia’s cocktail culture is being shaped not just by its traditional capitals but by a new generation of bars redefining what hospitality looks like across the region.”

Mariko Kojima, a drinks writer and CEO of beverage communications agency Toast, said Japan’s reduced presence reflected the broader diversification of Asia’s cocktail scene.

“After the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a movement of bartenders who returned to their hometowns after gaining experience abroad, resulting in a situation where good bars can now be found in a variety of cities,” she said. “It seems (this trend) is finally taking shape on the list, as the rankings have expanded to include smaller cities that were previously not known as cocktail destinations.”

Japan nevertheless led the extended 51-100 rankings with eight bars. “Half of those were from Osaka, Kumamoto and Nara, suggesting that the industry continues to pay attention to and discover bars in Japan,” Kojima said.