CONTENTS
Interview

Yakoboku:
Worth the Trip: Kumamoto's World-Class Bars - Part 1 -
World Topics

Popular articles like this and that!?
WORLD TOPICS TOP 10 for its 15th Anniversary!

Cocktails

Beni
Koba Shinya／木場進哉
Cocktails

Kyushu Old-Fashioned
Koba Shinya／木場進哉
Cocktails

Imagination
Koba Shinya／木場進哉
Pick Up

Keep an eye on these four in 2026!
New Year's Special: U30 Bartender Feature. - Part 1 -
World Topics

I went to Makuhari Messe!
"Drink Japan 2025" Report
Interview

Ritz Bar: No shakes, no frills, just one ingredient. New Century French-Style Bartending! -Part 2-
Pick Up

LOOPS: Top bartenders' cocktails in a casual setting.
A modern lounge originating in Takanawa, also acclaimed for its cocktail events. - Part 2 -

BARTENDER & COCKTAIL

This month's featured bartender【Koba Shinya／木場進哉】by 「夜香木」

INTERVIEW

01.01.2026

Yakoboku:
Worth the Trip: Kumamoto's World-Class Bars - Part 1 -

DRINK PLANET編集部　撮影：大塚淑子

The fact that Kumamoto's "Yakoboku" ranked 25th in "Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025"—not in the Tokyo metropolitan area or Kansai region, but in Kyushu (a first for the region!)—can truly be called an epoch-making event in Japan's bar industry. We asked co-founder and owner bartender Shinya Koba about Yakoboku's journey so far and its future!

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Cocktails created by Koba Shinya／木場進哉