For whisky lovers visiting Tokyo, jetlag can be a blessing in disguise. While the city's legendary whisky bars come alive after dark, there’s a whole world of whisky waiting to be explored while the sun is out—if you know where to look.

A Little Bit About The Guide's Author

My name is Patrick Liu, or "Pato" (@caskd.co), and I’ve spent over a decade immersed in the world of whisky, with an adept knowledge for Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu expressions, a broad expertise in Japanese whiskies, and a rapidly growing fascination of Scotches. My whisky journey—fueled by curiosity, dedication, passion, and the patience of my loving Japanese wife—has led me to forge lifelong friendships, build strong industry connections, curate an exceptional collection of rare whiskies, and cultivate an obsession that will last a lifetime.

Fortunately or unfortunately, my remote work situation keeps me on U.S. hours while I’m in Tokyo, which means my routine is anything but conventional. While most locals are clocking into their offices, I’m finishing up my workday at sunrise, free to roam the city in search of whisky gems before the evening crowds take over. Through countless days of exploration, I’ve delved into the whisky bars, liquor stores, second-hand whisky shops, and tourist traps that welcome thirsty whisky fans well before sunset.

Many whisky otakus might not appreciate me revealing these secrets, but I believe great whisky experiences should be celebrated and shared. So, for those eager to sip and shop while the sun is still high, I present to you my ultimate guide.

The Selection Criteria

To make this list, each location had to meet two essential requirements: it must open by 3:00PM and offer either whisky for purchase or tastings. Not every spot was a winner—some were blatant tourist traps, and others fell short of expectations. But amidst the disappointments, I uncovered some true hidden gems.

The Best of the Best

For those who prefer to cut straight to the chase, here are my top five recommendations:

• J’s Bar
• Aloha Whisky
• Liquor Shop B.A.L (Barrel Aged Life)
• M’s Tasting Room
• Acorn Limited

Beyond these standouts, I’ve personally visited and evaluated 30 locations, detailing the good, the bad, and the unexpected in my full guide. If you’re a fellow whisky enthusiast with an appetite for adventure, follow me on Instagram (@caskd.co) and feel free to reach out with any questions either through direct message or by email (caskd.co@gmail.com). Cheers to discovering Tokyo’s whisky scene—one dram at a time.

The Whisky Bars

1.        J’s Bar, Ikebukuro

The absolute Best Bar for daytime drinking, with various Scotches and Japanese Whisky available for tasting. This is the only Whisky bar in Tokyo that is open daily starting at 1:00PM. They keep the bar stocked with new and old whiskies and have a daily three bottle special for 3,000 yen. That means you can taste three different samples of whisky from a specialized selection of bottles, many of which are independent bottling scotches. The staff is extremely friendly, but English is limited and smoking is allowed. Overall, I highly recommend a visit given it’s one of the only fully stocked bars that is open for whisky tastings at 1:00PM.

Rating: 10/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

2.        Aloha Whisky, Ikebukuro

David Tsujimoto needs no introduction. He is the friendliest, wisest, kindest Hawaiian bar owner in Tokyo and his bar is well stocked with Bourbons, Scotches, Japanese, and other world whiskies. Aloha Whisky Bar won the "Bar of the Year" award at the 2020 Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky awards. His staff speak English, Japanese, and Chinese, but more importantly, they are all very knowledgeable about Whisky. Although the bar normally does not open until 6:00PM, there are currently opportunities to indulge in David’s Omakase Whisky experience, which are typically privately run during the day before the actual bar opens. Overall, if the Omakase is out of budget, I still highly recommend a visit during normal business hours.

“The Aloha Whisky omakase features 10 very special whiskies in an intimate 2hr experience at 1pm. The majority of these whiskies are Japanese. The cost is 35,000/person.” - David Tsujimoto     

Rating: 10/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

3.        The Royal Scotsman, Kagurazaka

One thing you’ll come to find in Japan is that the hours listed on Google Maps, Yelp, or even Tabelog are not always accurate. The best thing to do is to go on a restaurant's Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram page to check their latest hours. The Royal Scotsman is a great pub style whisky bar that is a hidden gem for beer, scotches, shochu, and Japanese whisky, along with some of the best pub food that you can find in Tokyo. They are open early starting on Fridays and through the weekend, but when I went that particular day, Tomo-san just so happened to be traveling to Scotland, so the bar was closed that entire week, super unlucky, but nonetheless I highly recommend this bar to all.

Rating: 9/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

4.        J.W.C. (Jule’s Whisky Collection) & Library Bar, Ginza

Jule’s Whisky Collection is a bar, resale shop, and liquor store all wrapped into one. It is located in the second floor basement of a popular department store Ginza SIX. There are actually two storefronts situated next to each other, one is the store and other is more of a bar type setup where you can sit down at the counter and try a limited variety of whiskies, primarily standard Suntory bottles. Overall, the prices were pretty expensive, but there were some bottles that were available for tastings that I normally don’t see at other bars if that’s any consolation. 

Rating: 8/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

5.        Bvlgari Hotel Bar, Ginza

The Bvlgari Hotel Bar is situated right across the street from Tokyo Station on the 45th floor. The Bar is fairly new and swanky as the Hotel was opened in April 2023. It was extremely difficult to find though as the main entrance is very hidden and Google maps did not do a very good job in helping with the navigation. Once I did manage to find the entrance, it was a super pleasant experience as the bar is situated dead center around a 360 view of all of Tokyo. The staff and bartenders were extremely friendly. I ended up trying a very well-made espresso martini while getting photo-bombed by my son as I was trying to take a picture of the nice views. Overall, the whisky selection was mediocre at best and overpriced, but they had some very nice cocktail selections.

Rating: 8/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

6.        The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Bar, Akasaka

The Ritz-Carlton is a 5 star hotel located near Roppongi, just minutes away from Roppongi station. The bar is situated on the 45th floor and has a corner view of all of Tokyo. Fully stocked with various Scotches and Japanese whisky, the Bar is no stranger to exclusively bottlings. I was able to try the latest Ichiro’s Malt & Grain exclusive bottling and it did not disappoint. The bar will occasionally sell their exclusive bottles for purchase, but sometimes only as a bottle keep. Overall staff and service is great, but prices are expensive as expected.

Rating: 7/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

7.        Tokyo Whisky Library, Omotesando

This bar is located in a trendy neighborhood of Omotesando known for its luxury shopping, high-end boutiques, and modern hipster coffee shops. TWL is self-explanatory, it is a bar lined wall to wall with whiskies and other liquors, however, the overall selection is very standard and overpriced. There are not very many single casks or vintage scotches to try, and if you do happen to find one, without a doubt it will be expensive to taste. Overall, it is a nice vibey place to take a break from shopping as they also serve food.

Rating: 6/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

8.        TRUNK Hotel Bar, Shibuya

TRUNK Hotel is particularly sentimental for me as I had my wedding here back in 2018. The location is very modern and hipster and the lobby has a Bar / Cafe stocked with mostly average whiskies, but they do have one Hibiki 30 that has been there probably since the day that I was married. As you can guess, the price for a dram of the Hibiki 30 is pretty egregious, but I do recall a time when they were much better stocked with other varieties of Suntory bottles that were more fairly priced. Overall, this bar is cool for the vibes and if you have some time to kill or some work to get done, otherwise I would skip this location altogether.

Rating: 6/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

9.         82 Hamamatsucho 浜松町店, Daimon

I randomly stumbled across this Pub after getting rejected a second time by Bar Shinkai 新海 (see below). I was intrigued because it was open early and on Google Maps some customers did show photos of whisky bottles. However, as I entered the Pub I was welcomed by a cloud of cigarette smoke which was not very pleasant. The Pub is an indoor smoking location so many of the customers were there during their lunch break or smoke break. I did end up getting two quick drinks as they had some new Akkeshi bottles that I wanted to try out, but quickly paid and left once I downed the drams. Overall, the customer service was extremely nice, however, I would not recommend this location unless you’re in the area and are a fan of chain smoking / secondhand smoke.

Rating: 6/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

10.  Japanese Malt Whisky SAKURA グランスタ東京店, Tokyo Station

This is a small corner store that has a decent amount of Japanese whisky and also serves food. The Japanese whisky served here primarily features some of the newer Japanese distilleries including Kanosuke, Akkeshi, Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu, Nagahama, and Yuza. Overall, you should only stop by here if you’re already in Tokyo Station and need to kill some time.

Rating: 5/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

11.  Bar Shinkai 新海, Multiple Locations (Around Tokyo Tower)

There are multiple Bar Shinkai’s sprinkled around Toranomon Hills, Higashi Azabu, and Shibadaimo that are all open early and have a great variety of Whisky selections… BUT I found out the hard way that none of these locations serve whisky until after 5:00PM. All locations are open around 11:00AM, however, they are primarily open for lunch, serving a unique Sri Lankan curry cuisine. I ended up having some curry and personally I found it to be very average, but other customers seemed to have enjoyed it. Overall, I was pretty disappointed that they had so much whisky available on the shelves that I could not enjoy.

Rating: 3/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

The Liquor Stores

1.        LIQUEUR SHOP B.A.L, Saitama

WOWOWOW, this was definitely the best find on my whisky adventure. Barrel Aged Life is mainly a liquor store, however, it is designed in a way that is very tasting friendly and the store opens early at 11:00AM daily. Almost every single bottle in the store is available for tastings, even some of the ultra premium varieties. The store has standing and sitting areas for in person tastings, but what is particularly unique is the option to take home samples for any of the bottles that are available for tasting in either 10ml or 50ml sizes. BAL is stocked mostly with Independent Bottler Scotches, but there are a few Japanese whiskies sprinkled here and there along with other liquors. The staff was very friendly and I had a very pleasant time. The only downside is that this store is located in Saitama, which is quite a trek from Tokyo (roughly 1 hour by train from Ikebukuro station). I would recommend stacking this trip along with Acorn Limited if you’re planning to visit. Overall, I highly recommend a visit, even though it’s a bit far from Tokyo.

Rating: 10/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

2.        M’s Tasting Room, Itabashi

M’s Tasting Room is an amazing gem just one stop north of Ikebukuro. This store has a decent selection of bottles for sale and as the store name suggests, there are also a ton of bottles for tasting as well. The storefront itself is fairly small and the selection is primarily newer Independent Bottling Scotches and not a ton of Japanese Whiskies are available. The owner has some legendary Scotch bottles on display if you look up at his top shelf, but none are for sale or tastings unfortunately. Overall a great spot to try a nice variety of IB bottlings for cheap.

Rating: 10/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

3.        Acorn Limited, Saitama

Acorn Limited is a very familiar brand and liquor store located in Saitama. If you’ve frequented Japan bars you’ll most likely have run into and drank an independent bottle that Acorn has been involved with. The owner and his son both speak very good English and are extremely knowledgeable about whisky. I have been wanting to visit this store for over 10 years and was not disappointed when I finally got the chance to visit. The store is fully stocked with Japanese and Scotch whiskies and there is a limited selection for tastings for those that are interested in purchasing a particular bottle of whisky. For those that are unable to make it out to Saitama, there is also a sister store called The Whisky Plus that is located in Ikebukuro. Overall, I would say it’s worth the visit for a whisky nerd, but probably a little far for a casual whisky enthusiast.

Rating: 10/10 (Cash Only)

4.        Liquor Hasegawa, Tokyo Station

Liquor Hasegawa is well stocked with Japanese Whiskies, Scotches, Bourbon, Beer, and other Liquors. There are two locations located in the outskirts of Tokyo station in the basement shopping area. The store allows for tastings on certain bottles, but to my surprise they limit the tastings to three per customer. I will occasionally find good deals on Hibiki Blender’s Choice or other Suntory products, but they typically fly off the shelves right away so you have to be a bit lucky. The other thing I like about this store is that they sell different miniature bottles, most notably, Blackadder mini’s that typically are more rare and unique, which I have not seen at very many other liquor stores. Overall, I would say the prices are fair, but by no means a steal.

Rating: 9/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

5.        Liquor Mountain Ginza 777, Ginza

Liquor Mountain is a franchise liquor store that has multiple locations all across Tokyo and I would consider them a bit fancier compared to Yamaya or Shinanoya. This particular location in Ginza has a section of top shelf rare bottles available for purchase, but fair warning that the prices are pretty steep and not for the faint of heart. The store has a nice selection of bottles available for tasting, which to my surprise included some of the newer Suntory limited release bottles. I did the math and the price for tasting samples were essentially equivalent to 2x the retail full bottle price, which isn’t too bad in my opinion. Overall, I would say the selling point is convenience of location and variety of tastings available.

Rating: 9/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

6.        Shinanoya, Multiple Locations

Shinanoya is another well-known liquor store chain that has multiple locations all across Tokyo. The variety and selection is very similar to Liquor Hasegawa and Liquor Mountain, covering a wide range of Scotches, Japanese Whiskies, Bourbons, and other Liquors. The unique thing about Shinanoya is that they do occasionally have private limited releases and bottlings, which have been known to be extremely tasty. Unfortunately, they do not offer tastings. Overall, the selection is great, prices are fair, and service is decent.

Rating: 8/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

7.        The Whisky Plus, Ikebukuro

As mentioned above, The Whisky Plus is the sister store of Acorn Limited and is located conveniently near the east side of Ikebukuro station. The store itself is a bit smaller than the main store in Saitama and I think the selection is not as good in comparison, but all things considered there is still a great amount of IB Scotches and Japanese Whiskies available for purchase. There are no tastings available at this store, but I did see some open bottles and sample bottles behind the counter so I wasn’t entirely sure if they were being completely honest with me. Overall, I think the customer service here is not as good as the main store, but the prices are very fair and selection is great for Tokyo.

Rating: 7/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

8.        Yamaya, Multiple Locations

Yamaya is the most basic of all the major liquor store chains that I’ve highlighted in this article. This franchise focuses on mid to low range daily drinkers and is closer to the type of stuff available at supermarkets. They offer non-alcoholic beverages, beers, sake, shochu, wines, whiskies (Scotch, Bourbon, Japanese), and pretty much any type of hard liquor. There was a time, way back in the day, where I could occasionally find Yamazaki 12, Hibiki 17, or Hibiki 21 sitting on the shelves, but those days are long gone. Overall, I would set expectations low when visiting a Yamaya, but they do have very fair prices and are a good location if you’re looking to buy some of the newer distillery bottles at retail.

Rating: 6/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

9.        Sanko Liquor Store 三幸酒店, Ueno

This one is a funny one because the Google Maps name suggests that it’s a Liquor Store, but upon arrival, I quickly found out that it was a Yakitori stand that serves a limited selection of Japanese Whisky. I didn’t have time to try any of the food or whisky, but the yakitori appeared to look quite tasty and the whisky selection included a Hibiki 21 and Yamazaki 18. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see the prices for the whisky, but my assumption is that it wasn’t super cheap considering they didn’t get cleared out already. Overall, I would only visit this spot if I was already in Ueno, but would not go out of my way.

Rating: 6/10 (Cash Only)

10.  TASTING MARKET ～whisk(e)y & cidre～,Sumida City

Hidden in the outskirts of Tokyo, this liquor store is independently owned and has a very large selection of Independent Bottling Scotches. The owner was not very friendly at all and did not seem very inviting to foreigners. Although the store name claims to be a tasting market, there were very few bottles available for tasting, and in fact the owner seemed very reluctant to offer me tastings at all. Overall, I would not recommend visiting this store as there are plenty of better options with friendlier staff, but they did seem to have some older IB bottles that I did not see at other stores.

Rating: 5/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

The Second Hand / Auction Stores

1.        Book Off Bazaar,  Multiple Locations

For those of you who don’t know what Book Off is… shame on you! Book Off is a traditional second hand store that opened in 1991, originally only focusing on the purchasing and reselling of books, but have since evolved into a resale juggernaut that includes manga, CDs, DVDs, video games / consoles, mobile phones, portable media players, toys, and sports equipment. Book Off Bazaar is a super saiyan version of Book Off, which in addition to everything listed above, also includes luxury goods, home goods, clothing, and of course alcohol. The alcohol section at these stores can be hit or miss, but generally the prices are much more fair than many of the other second hand whisky shops. Overall, I would recommend a visit because there are other deals that can be found outside of just whisky.

Rating: 9/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

2.        Liquor Off, Mutiple Locations

Liquor off is a second hand store that is a specialty branch of Book Off that only focuses on the resale of alcohol. There are four locations sprinkled across Tokyo. Back in the day there were many rare gems that could be found at these locations at fair prices, however, most of these locations now will simply price based on the latest auction prices that are found online. I do occasionally find rare miniature bottles or older odd ball bottles at these locations that are often hard to price and can sometimes be good deals. Overall, I find Liquor Off to be very nostalgic and fun to visit if you’re looking to try to replicate the good old days of “whisky hunting”—but keep your expectations low.

Rating: 8/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

3.        Bottle Off, Ueno

Bottle Off is a second hand resale shop that is located in the heart of Ueno. The store is fully stocked with older rare Japanese Whiskies and Scotches, however, the prices are oftentimes marked up even higher than the auction prices that can be found online. I have personally never seen anyone purchase anything from this store through all the times I have visited. Overall, I would not recommend visiting this store if you’re looking to buy bottles or taste any whisky.

Rating: 5/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

Tourist Trap Stores

1.        M Whisky Museum Shop, Ginza

This location is a literal whisky museum that has an entire floor of whisky on display for sale. I gave it a high rating only because of the expansive inventory that they carry here, but it is definitely a tourist trap as many of the prices are much higher than secondary auction prices. The customer service is friendly as they probably are all aware that the prices are egregious and only wealthy unknowledgeable customers would ever purchase anything from this store. However, if you do fall into this category, then they will welcome you with open arms and whisky samples to try. Overall, I would recommend a visit just to experience the museum aspect of the store, however, I would not recommend purchasing anything from here unless you are desperate.

Rating: 8/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

2.        Whisky Kingdom, Shinjuku

Talk about the perfect tourist trap location… Whisky Kingdom is one of the only whisky resale shops located right outside of Shinjuku station, situated right next to Omoide Yokocho. This location is pretty tiny, but they do have a small seating section on the second floor that allows for tastings. The prices are fair for the tastings compared to what you might expect to pay for similar bottle drams in the US or Europe. The resale bottles, however, are quite expensive. Overall, I would stop by for the tastings if you’re looking for standard Yamazaki, Hibiki, and Hakushu, but would not recommend purchasing bottles from this store.

Rating: 7/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

3.        Black Sea Liquor Shop & Bar, Ginza

Another Suntory filled resale tourist shop that is very tiny and overpriced. The staff are mostly Chinese, but they speak English, Japanese, and Chinese. The only unique thing about this store is that they do have a few older style Suntory bottles available for tasting, but again they are all very overpriced. Overall, I would not recommend buying or tasting anything from this store.

Rating: 5/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

4.        Liquor Museum Premium Shop, Ginza

There is a left and right side entrance to this building as you arrive. The left side is the main resale shop that has a decent selection of collectible Suntory, Nikka, and Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu bottles that are mostly overpriced. The right side is an actual sit down bar, however, the bar itself does not open until after 3:30PM and from what I could tell through the window, did not stock anything particularly unique or special. Overall, I would take a peek inside if you just so happen to be walking by, but definitely not worth a dedicated visit.

Rating 5/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

5.        Rare Whisky Ginza レアウイスキー銀座, Ginza

A particularly noticeable and unsettling feature of the resale shop was the extensive damage to the labels of their rare older bottles, as a direct result of the harsh lighting used in their display cases. That was sadly the most memorable thing for me post visit, even more so than the egregious prices. This store does have a few bottles available for tastings, but it’s only for potential customers looking to purchase a bottle. Overall, I would not recommend visiting because even if you were willing to pay the extremely high prices for a particular bottle, it would not be in pristine mint condition.

Rating: 4/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

6.        Kohakunokura Japanese Whisky Store 琥珀の蔵, Ueno

The store is very tiny and has mainly overpriced Suntory bottles available for purchase. They also offer tastings to those interested in purchasing a bottle. Overall, I felt like the staff were part of Yakuza and were a little intimidating, so definitely not worth visiting.

Rating: 2/10 (Credit Card Accepted)

— est. 2016 —

Asian Whisky Collector // Drinker // Enthusiast

LA🇺🇸|日本🇯🇵|台灣🇹🇼

caskd.co