Inside Sangai, The SG Club's New Exclusive Tokyo Bar
List of Contents:
The SG Club: A Landmark in Tokyo's Cocktail Scene
Sangai: Terroir × Terroir
Intimate and Reservation-Based
Related Posts
The SG Club: A Landmark in Tokyo's Cocktail Scene
Founded by award-winning bartender
Shingo Gokan
, the SG Group operates widely admired bars, both in Japan and abroad. The SG Club, which opened in Tokyo in 2019, quickly became a staple of the city's cocktail culture thanks to its multi-layered concept. Each floor of the building offers a distinct approach to drinking: Sip, located in the basement, focuses on refined classics; the ground floor Guzzle is a more casual, social space; and Savor on the second floor is a membership cigar and cocktail lounge.
Now, with the opening of Sangai, the journey continues upward, literally and creatively.
Sangai: Terroir × Terroir
Sangai's concept is built around the theme of 'Terroir × Terroir.' The repetition of 'terroir' — a French term referring to the natural environment where a wine is created — refers to the marriage of two places, one in Japan and one abroad. Sangai specializes in a cocktail course that blends seasonal Japanese ingredients with elements sourced from around the world. Picture yuzu from Shikoku paired with botanicals from the Mediterranean, or fresh figs from Fukuoka balanced with Caribbean spices.
At its heart, Sangai seeks to return to the roots of cocktail creativity, uninhibited by the limitations of efficiency or convention. Each course is handcrafted from meticulously sourced ingredients, many of which were discovered by Gokan and the SG bartending team on visits to farms, markets and distilleries across Japan. The menu is built primarily around fruit at its absolute peak, grated or served fresh with each drink.
Intimate and Reservation-Based
With only eight seats, Sangai is designed to foster deep focus and quiet indulgence. Guests are greeted at the entrance by a traditional cedar ball (
sugidama
), crafted at Nara's Omiwa Shrine, Japan's oldest Shinto shrine which is dedicated to a sake deity. The space itself is a blend of Japanese cedar and oak, bringing natural textures and warmth to the interior. Its atmosphere strikes a delicate balance between Japanese elegance and global eclecticism.
This setting, paired with the unhurried rhythm of the 90-minute (two hours starting in September) course, invites guests to slow down and fully engage with the experience, one cocktail at a time.
Sangai operates entirely by reservation, offering a five-cocktail omakase course with optional à la carte additions and select classics available. The menu is expected to evolve continually, changing with the seasons and the arrival of new ingredients.
More Information
To book a cocktail course at Sangai, click
here
.
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