Yakoboku is a quiet bar in Kumamoto’s Kamino-ura district, set in a renovated townhouse. Bartender Shinya Kiba makes original cocktails using local Kumamoto fruit and herbs.
Description source · Checked 2026-09-30
Plan Your Visit
Japan, 〒860-0848 Kumamoto, Chuo Ward, Minamitsuboimachi, 5−２１ 1F 夜香木Minamitsuboi-machi
- Style
- Local-ingredient cocktail barChecked 2026-09-09 · Source
- Booking
- Book through Yakoboku’s TableCheck page or call +81 90-8408-5211.Checked 2026-09-30 · Source
- Menu
- Kumamoto City’s June 2024 guide describes cocktails and alcohol-free cocktails.Checked 2026-10-02 · Source
Hours and menus can change. Check the venue’s latest details before visiting.
The score & its evidence
Seven signals. One score.
36.8 / 100
The composite combines the seven weighted signals and the published adjustments. The chart shows each signal before weighting.
Read the full calculation- Guest ratings
- 68.6
- World's 50 Best
- —None found · Checked; no qualifying signal found; contributes zero
- Top 500 Bars
- 36.8
- Spirited Awards
- —None found · Checked; no qualifying signal found; contributes zero
- Regional Recognition
- 76.9
- Serious press
- 12.2
- Social Vibes
- 58.1
Guest-shift adjustment · −15%
Our annual audit records 9 hosted guest-shift dates. The published rule reduces the composite above seven dates to favor a consistent core bar experience.
Weights: Guest ratings 23% · World's 50 Best 12% · Top 500 Bars 10% · Spirited 12% · Regional Recognition 18% · Press 10% · Social Vibes 15%
Missing evidence, confirmed none and evidence outside a scoring window each contribute zero. We do not redistribute their fixed weight to other signals.
Social Vibes
Score read updated:
Sentiment score
83/ 100
The existing 83/100 remains the proprietary Social Vibes score. This source review clarifies the evidence without recalculating it.
Score context
Yakoboku is Shinya Koba's Kumamoto ryokan counter: night-jasmine cocktail, hinoki Old Fashioned, shochu builds, 15 seats. Asia 25 in 2025 without turning into a circus. You go to Kyushu on purpose. Cash-or-card, master behind the stick, no Instagram bait by design.
Guest sources checked:
This review checks the linked sources. The stored summary and themes remain a proprietary interpretation, rather than a fresh customer survey.
Guest score details
Highlights in the stored read
- 150-year ryokan on Minamitsuboi — camphor counter, 15 seats, night-jasmine namesake pour.
- Kyushu Old Fashioned with hinoki and haze-tree wax; shochu espresso-martini riff.
- Seasonal Kumamoto produce (sudachi, persimmon, beet) instead of Tokyo-imported citrus.
- First Kyushu bar to crash Asia's top 25 — still priced like a local counter.
Reservations in the stored read
- Kumamoto is a dedicated trip; you don't stumble in from Shinjuku.
- Minimal room, no English menu theatre — some visitors want more hand-holding.
This read cites editorial or award context. Those links are distinct from guest accounts; only the reviewed links in Reviews & press count toward Press.
Editorial citations in this read
- eng.drinkplanet.jpEditorial source — DRINK PLANET · 1 January 2026; visit date unknown
Trade feature with an owner interview. Only the introduction is readable before the membership wall; interviewee and photographer are not independent customer voices.
- kumamoto-guide.jpEditorial source — Kumamoto City official tourism guide; individual author unnamed · 7 June 2024; visit date unknown
Tourism editorial with first-person tasting in the Yakoboku section at 5-21 Minamitsuboi. The earlier Bar States and Ladybird tastings belong to other rooms.
Award & ranking citations in this read
- theworlds50best.comAward or editorial guide · Publication and visit dates not verified
This citation is an editorial or award-guide source, not a customer review. Its role alone does not verify the stored quotation or a guest consensus.
Other cited sources
- app.bartendly.comSource role not established · Publication and visit dates not verified
Event or calendar material is separate from guest sentiment; it does not establish an individual customer account or complete annual coverage.
- app.bartendly.comSource role not established · Publication and visit dates not verified
Event or calendar material is separate from guest sentiment; it does not establish an individual customer account or complete annual coverage.
- instagram.comSource role not established · Publication and visit dates not verified
Event or calendar material is separate from guest sentiment; it does not establish an individual customer account or complete annual coverage.
Crowd signal
Google 4.7★ across 157 reviews.
View on Google · Checked . Ratings and review counts can change.
Awards
Results from the three global systems scored separately in our formula.
Top 500 Bars
Regional Recognition
Regional and national lists, local awards and bartender peer picks considered for this room's Regional Recognition score. The strongest result from each program and year scores; assessed guides use the latest accepted dated status once.