The latest menu features 20 new drinks, four returning favourites, and a seasonal fruit punch, drawing inspiration from historical recipes, traditional ingredients, and everyday Japanese culture.
Punch Room Tokyo at The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza has introduced Wonderland Vol. 3, its latest signature drink menu, exploring Japan’s drinking history and the flavours associated with everyday life in the country. Launched on 28 October 2026, the menu features 20 new drinks, four returning favourites, and a seasonal fruit punch.
Led by Yasuhiro Kawakubo, Director of Bars at The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza, the new menu focuses on punch rather than conventional cocktails. Often regarded as a precursor to the modern cocktail, punch provides the foundation for the bar’s approach, built around five elements: spirit, citrus, sugar, spice, and tea.
While Wonderland Vol. 2 explored Japan through an outsider’s perspective, the third edition turns its attention to the country’s own drinking traditions, historical records, and familiar flavours.
Revisiting Japan’s Drinking History
Three drinks form the historical centre of Wonderland Vol. 3. Waran’s Ponsu draws inspiration from a mixed drink recorded in Nagasaki in 1799, believed to be Japan’s oldest written punch recipe. The drink, called “PONSU”, was reportedly favoured by Dutch traders at the port and is also considered a possible origin of the word ponzu.
Windjammer Punch revisits the Jack Tar, a cocktail that was once widely served in Yokohama during the 1950s. The drink was at risk of disappearing after the bar credited with creating it closed in 2024. Meanwhile, Sol Kobeno reinterprets Sol Cubano, an original drink from the 1980s that Kawakubo has been interested in bringing back through Punch Room’s punch-making approach.
The three drinks are reinterpretations rather than direct reproductions of their historical counterparts. Kawakubo develops the concept, name, and story for each drink before giving the brief to bartenders Kenta Aoyama and Shunpei Hayakawa. Both bartenders independently create their own versions, which are then tasted side by side. The version that best reflects the original concept and delivers the strongest flavour is selected for the menu.
Kawakubo’s interest in bartending began when he was 15, after discovering a bartending book. He started his professional career in 2005 and has since worked on bar openings and menu development in Singapore, Paris, and Sydney. After returning to Japan in 2020, he held bar management positions at international hotels and Bvlgari Ginza Bar before joining The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza.
Five Chapters Inspired by Japanese Culture
Beyond historical recipes, the menu draws on ingredients and flavours found across Japan, with the bar prioritising local sourcing and producers located as close to Ginza as possible. Ingredients include daidai vinegar and shochu-based umeshu, while Kappa & Yuzu features unfiltered, small-batch doburoku from Konohanano Brewery in Asakusa.
Other drinks take inspiration from familiar aspects of Japanese food and café culture. Kare～Margarita references home-style Japanese curry, while Melon Soda…? draws on the flavours of kissaten, Japan’s traditional cafés.
These influences are organised into five chapters, each connected to one of the menu’s core punch elements. Port Town explores spirits through the history of 19th-century harbours in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki. Yokai takes inspiration from Japanese folklore and citrus, while Wagashi draws on traditional confectionery for its sweetener-based drinks. Kissaten explores tea and Japanese café culture, and Japanese Food focuses on spice and the country’s more savoury flavours.
The menu also features original illustrations by California-born, Tokyo-based illustrator Erica Ward. Kawakubo describes her work as “a perfect fit for expressing the fusion of Western and Japanese cultures.”
Punch Served for Sharing
The way drinks are served also reflects the communal tradition of punch. Guests ordering a drink individually receive it by the glass, while those ordering the same drink together are served from a silver punch bowl with a ladle for sharing. The format references 19th-century London private clubs, where punch was traditionally passed among guests rather than poured as individual servings.
Located on the lobby mezzanine of The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza, Punch Room Tokyo features a dimly lit interior with dark-walnut coffered walls and ceilings, alongside jewel-toned brocade upholstery. The shared punch bowl adds to the bar’s communal setting, encouraging guests to gather around the drink.
Punch Room Tokyo’s Latest Recognition
Punch Room originated at The London EDITION in 2013, with its Tokyo location becoming the concept’s first outpost in Japan and eighth worldwide. The bar combines the brand’s punch-focused format with Japanese ingredients and cultural references. Last year, teams from the London, Tampa, and Tokyo locations also presented their signature drinks together at Tales of the Cocktail.
The launch of Wonderland Vol. 3 follows a notable result for the bar at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026, announced in Macau on 28 July. Punch Room Tokyo climbed 13 places to No.23 and was named The Best Bar in Japan, making it the highest-ranked Japanese bar on this year’s list.
Punch Room Tokyo
Japan, 〒104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 2 Chome−8−13 東京エディション銀座 2階
