Ritz-Carlton Tokyo’s new signature cocktail menu brings origami to your glass

A long time ago, I spent a year studying abroad in Hiroshima. The millions of paper cranes you see at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial come from around the world, and students of all ages in Hiroshima Prefecture itself fold many.

That tradition is attributed to Sadako Sasaki, who developed leukemia as a result of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Hospitalized in 1955, she set out to fold 1,000 paper cranes in hopes of recovery. Unfortunately, she did not recover — she died at the age of 12 that same year.

The tradition of folding paper cranes for world peace in Hiroshima may date back to 1955, but origami traces its history back to the 7th century. Papermaking arrived in Japan from China via the Korean peninsula. People quickly refined the processes to create washi, which was both thinner and more durable. Washi became wrapping paper for religious and other important ceremonies; by the Muromachi period, intricate washi-folding techniques were a mainstay of Ashikaga Shogunate decorum. That eventually trickled down to us common folk, using origami as a form of recreation: in 1797, the world’s first origami book presented a whopping 49 different ways to fold paper cranes.

The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo launched its new ORIGAMI menu at The Bar in September 2026. It features six signature cocktails, each reimagining a classic cocktail. The presentation of classical cocktails in Tokyo bars tends to be, let’s say… subdued. That’s not the case with the ORIGAMI menu; the presentation is itself reimagined. Cocktails “unfold” when they’re served. Another thing that isn’t subdued is the price: all six cocktails are priced at 3,900 yen each. I would expect no less from the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo.

The six cocktails are:

• Komorebi, a Harvey Wallbanger riff with Haku vodka and Japanese citrus
• Kohaku Ume, taking after the Scarlet O’Hara
• Kocho, a fragrant and floral Japanese version of the Vesper
• Koinobori, “an elevated interpretation of the ultimate Japanese shochu highball”
• Kusudama, a riff on the Mockingbird that sake fans will feel right at home with
• Kabuto, a sort of Japanese dessert-ified Palmetto

I’ll leave the ingredient details to the official website, but head bartender Kentaro Wada notes that the team at Ritz-Carlton Tokyo had the resources to allow significant creative freedom. In other words, they weren’t especially constrained by budgets or menu price targets and could source the highest-quality ingredients from across Japan.

Whether you’re flying solo, with a special someone, or in town on business, a night at The Bar at the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo tends to be quite special. Available until January 2027, the ORIGAMI menu elevates that experience even further, combining Japanese art traditions from over a millennium ago with a modern farm-to-glass experience.

Thanks to The Foundry for the invitation, and to Kentaro Wada and his team at Ritz-Carlton Tokyo for the hospitality!

Promotional images provided by Ritz-Carlton Tokyo: