• Wine Cask Finished Whisky: When Grapes and Barley Share One Glass
  Wine Cask Finished Whisky: When Grapes and Barley Share One Glass You pour it, take a breath, and your first thought is: this cannot be whisky. The aroma is berries, white grape, something floral and delicate. You check the label again. Single malt Scotch. The bottle confirms it. But your nose is telling you something… Read more: Wine Cask Finished Whisky: When Grapes and Barley Share One Glass
• Your Complete Guide to Visiting a Whisky Bar in Hiroshima for the First Time
  Your Complete Guide to Visiting a Whisky Bar in Hiroshima for the First Time If you’ve never visited a specialist whisky bar before, or if you’re visiting Hiroshima and wondering where to go for an exceptional drink, this guide is for you. Bar Little Happiness has been welcoming first-time visitors, solo travelers, tourists, and whisky… Read more: Your Complete Guide to Visiting a Whisky Bar in Hiroshima for the First Time
• Glentauchers 2008 by Gordon & MacPhail: Apple Pie, Walnut, and the Art of Invisible Excellence
  Glentauchers 2008 by Gordon & MacPhail: Apple Pie, Walnut, and the Art of Invisible Excellence Some distilleries become famous. Others become essential. Glentauchers has spent most of its existence in the second category — a quiet powerhouse of Speyside, making whisky that has shaped the taste of some of the world’s most recognized blends without… Read more: Glentauchers 2008 by Gordon & MacPhail: Apple Pie, Walnut, and the Art of Invisible Excellence
• Caol Ila: The Feminine Elegance of Islay That Changed My Mind About Peated Whisky
  Caol Ila: The Feminine Elegance of Islay That Changed My Mind About Peated Whisky Islay has a reputation. When whisky lovers hear the name, they picture smoke — thick, medicinal, relentless. Laphroaig. Ardbeg. Bruichladdich. The island has built an identity around intensity, and many people who don’t already love peat will simply step back and… Read more: Caol Ila: The Feminine Elegance of Islay That Changed My Mind About Peated Whisky
• The Lucky Cat Solla: Chestnut Cask, Beloved Cat, and Mars Whisky’s Pioneering Spirit
  The Lucky Cat Solla: Chestnut Cask, Beloved Cat, and Mars Whisky’s Pioneering Spirit Every year, Hombo Shuzo’s Mars Whisky releases a limited edition bottle in their beloved Lucky Cat series. Each release is named after a real cat — a member of the president’s family — and each cat’s personality shapes the choice of cask.… Read more: The Lucky Cat Solla: Chestnut Cask, Beloved Cat, and Mars Whisky’s Pioneering Spirit
• SOGAINI: The Bottle That Carries Hiroshima’s Soul
  SOGAINI: The Bottle That Carries Hiroshima’s Soul Some bottles tell you where they come from the moment you pick them up. SOGAINI — the latest limited release from Sakurao Distillery — is one of those bottles. Before you even taste it, the design invites you to look, to explore, and to feel the landscape of… Read more: SOGAINI: The Bottle That Carries Hiroshima’s Soul
• Bar Little Happiness at 20 Years: What Two Decades of Rum and Whisky Teach You
  Bar Little Happiness opened in Hiroshima in 2006. In 2026, it marks its 20th year in operation — two decades of whisky, rum, distillery visits, tasting events, and conversations with guests from Japan and around the world. This column reflects on what those 20 years have built, and what the next chapter looks like. From… Read more: Bar Little Happiness at 20 Years: What Two Decades of Rum and Whisky Teach You
• Togouchi Gin 999 & Yamahoka: Hiroshima’s Craft Spirits Beyond Whisky
  Chugoku Jozo — the company behind Sakurao Distillery — has been producing Togouchi whisky from sourced and locally matured spirit for many years, blending it in tunnels in the mountains near Hiroshima. More recently, they have expanded into gin. Togouchi Gin 999 and the Yamahoka range represent Hiroshima’s craft spirits identity expanding beyond whisky —… Read more: Togouchi Gin 999 & Yamahoka: Hiroshima’s Craft Spirits Beyond Whisky
• Akashi Single Malt 5 Year: Japanese Whisky from the Seto Inland Sea
  The White Oak Distillery in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture — between Kobe and Himeji on Japan’s Seto Inland Sea coast — produces one of Japan’s most distinctive and accessible single malts. Akashi Single Malt 5 Year Old has gained significant international attention as an entry point to Japanese whisky that doesn’t require the same waiting lists… Read more: Akashi Single Malt 5 Year: Japanese Whisky from the Seto Inland Sea
• Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries Renewed: Two Chichibu Stills, One Vision
  Chichibu Distillery operates two pot stills — the original still from the distillery’s founding in 2008, and a second still added as production expanded. Double Distilleries (DD) is the expression that specifically blends spirit from both stills: a comparison of two different cut points, fermentation approaches, and still geometries within the same distillery, representing Ichiro… Read more: Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries Renewed: Two Chichibu Stills, One Vision
• Sakurao Hiroshige Collection: When Hiroshima Whisky Meets Japan’s Greatest Printmaker
  Utagawa Hiroshige — the 19th-century ukiyo-e master whose woodblock prints of landscapes and weather made him one of Japan’s most internationally recognised artists — has an unexpected connection to whisky. Sakurao Distillery, based in Hiroshima Prefecture, has produced a limited collection that takes Hiroshige’s prints as its visual and conceptual framework: each expression inspired by… Read more: Sakurao Hiroshige Collection: When Hiroshima Whisky Meets Japan’s Greatest Printmaker
• Ichiro’s Malt World Blended Whisky: Japan Meets the World in One Bottle
  Ichiro’s Malt is among the most sought-after Japanese whisky brands in the world. But while the Chichibu single malts command the most attention from collectors, the World Blended expression occupies a different and interesting position: it blends Chichibu malt with whiskies sourced from distilleries outside Japan, creating a genuinely international composition under one of Japan’s… Read more: Ichiro’s Malt World Blended Whisky: Japan Meets the World in One Bottle
• Miyagikyo 2022: Nikka’s Apple Orchard in a Glass
  Nikka Whisky’s Miyagikyo Distillery, nestled in a mountain valley near Sendai in northern Honshu, produces one of the most distinctive Japanese single malts: floral, fruited, and famously apple-forward. The 2022 vintage expression captures Miyagikyo at a specific moment in its maturation — a snapshot of a distillery that has been quietly perfecting its fruit-driven character… Read more: Miyagikyo 2022: Nikka’s Apple Orchard in a Glass
• Cooley Distillery: The Rebel Spirit of Irish Whiskey
  Irish whiskey has long been dominated by a handful of large producers. Cooley Distillery, founded in 1987 in County Louth, was the first independently owned Irish whiskey distillery in generations — and its founder, John Teeling, built it deliberately as a challenge to the establishment. Cooley’s story is one of independence, experimentation, and a refusal… Read more: Cooley Distillery: The Rebel Spirit of Irish Whiskey
• Sakurao Shimahei: A Limited Expression from Hiroshima’s Own Distillery
  Sakurao Distillery, located in Hatsukaichi near Hiroshima, continues to release new expressions as its whisky matures. Sakurao Shimahei is among the limited bottlings that demonstrate the distillery’s growing ambition — and the quality that Hiroshima’s coastal climate and soft water can bring to single malt. Sakurao’s Distinctive Position Sakurao Distillery was established in 2018 by… Read more: Sakurao Shimahei: A Limited Expression from Hiroshima’s Own Distillery
• Centenario 30: Three Decades in Oak, from Costa Rica
  If Royal Centenario 25 represents mastery, Centenario 30 represents a further step into territory that few rums reach: three full decades of tropical maturation in Costa Rica, producing a spirit of extraordinary depth and integration. Rum aged this long in a warm climate has undergone changes that no whisky or brandy experiences in the same… Read more: Centenario 30: Three Decades in Oak, from Costa Rica
• Royal Centenario 25: Costa Rica’s Ambassador Rum and a Message About Peace
  Ron Centenario from Costa Rica is not the most famous rum in the world, but among those who know it, it is deeply respected. The 25-year-old expression — Royal Centenario 25 — represents the peak of the range: long-aged, complex, built on Costa Rica’s rich molasses and the patience of two and a half decades… Read more: Royal Centenario 25: Costa Rica’s Ambassador Rum and a Message About Peace
• Johnnie Walker Blue Label: What Makes the World’s Most Famous Luxury Blend
  Johnnie Walker Blue Label occupies a specific position in the whisky world: it is, arguably, the most recognised premium blended Scotch globally. At any international hotel bar, airport duty-free, or business dinner in Tokyo, Singapore, or New York, Blue Label is the shorthand for “serious Scotch.” But what is actually in the bottle? The One… Read more: Johnnie Walker Blue Label: What Makes the World’s Most Famous Luxury Blend
• Tenjinmura Oriental Rum: Sansho Pepper and Iyokan Citrus in a Japanese Rum
  Japanese craft rum continues to expand its vocabulary. Tenjinmura Oriental Rum represents a specific ambition: to make rum that is distinctly, irreducibly Japanese in character — using hoajao (Sichuan pepper, also used in Japanese cuisine) and iyokan citrus (a mandarin variety specific to Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku) as defining botanical elements. What Japanese Botanicals Add Sansho/hoajao… Read more: Tenjinmura Oriental Rum: Sansho Pepper and Iyokan Citrus in a Japanese Rum
• IE Rum: Okinawa’s Craft Rum with Karaki and Jimami — Japan’s Most Daring Pairing
  Iejima Island, off the coast of Okinawa, is known for two things: its wartime history and its sugarcane fields. IE Rum turns the latter into something remarkable — a range of craft rums that uses Okinawan botanical ingredients including karaki (Okinawan cinnamon) and jimami (peanut) to create expressions that are unambiguously Japanese while remaining recognisably… Read more: IE Rum: Okinawa’s Craft Rum with Karaki and Jimami — Japan’s Most Daring Pairing
• Kokuto de Lequio: Okinawa’s Smoky Black Sugar Rum
  Japan’s relationship with rum is intimate and underappreciated. Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost prefecture, has a centuries-old tradition of producing sugarcane spirits — and from that foundation, a small but growing craft rum movement has emerged. Kokuto de Lequio is one of its most distinctive expressions: a rum made from Okinawan kokuto (black sugar) with a deliberately… Read more: Kokuto de Lequio: Okinawa’s Smoky Black Sugar Rum
• Sakurao Angel’s Share & Rum Cask: Hiroshima’s Distillery Experiments
  Sakurao Distillery in Hiroshima is not standing still. Having established its core whisky range, the distillery has begun exploring unconventional maturation — including a rum cask finish that brings a tropical sweetness to Hiroshima’s already-distinctive spirit, and an Angel’s Share expression that commemorates the evaporation losses that are, paradoxically, the sign of a cask maturing… Read more: Sakurao Angel’s Share & Rum Cask: Hiroshima’s Distillery Experiments
• Islay Cask Rum: When Caribbean Spirit Meets Scottish Peat
  One of the more fascinating developments in premium aged rum is the use of ex-Islay whisky casks for finishing. A Caribbean rum finished in a cask that previously held heavily peated Scotch absorbs something genuinely unexpected: the ghost of peat smoke, beneath the tropical fruit and molasses that rum brings from its own heritage. Two… Read more: Islay Cask Rum: When Caribbean Spirit Meets Scottish Peat
• Ardbeg Smokiverse: Mapping the Universe of Smoke
  The Ardbeg Committee — founded in 2000 — is one of the whisky world’s most famous fan communities. Each year, Ardbeg releases a limited Committee bottling: cask strength, unchillfiltered, no colouring, exploring a specific dimension of the distillery’s character. Smokiverse treats peat not as a single flavour, but as a universe of chemical compounds: phenols,… Read more: Ardbeg Smokiverse: Mapping the Universe of Smoke
• Cadenhead’s: Scotland’s Oldest Independent Bottler
  Founded in Aberdeen in 1842, William Cadenhead is Scotland’s oldest surviving independent bottler. They purchase casks from distilleries, age them under their own care, and bottle them at natural cask strength — no dilution, no chill-filtration, no artificial colouring. What goes into the bottle is what was in the cask. Nothing more. Why Independent Bottlings… Read more: Cadenhead’s: Scotland’s Oldest Independent Bottler
• Highland Park: Orkney’s Viking Whisky and the Harmony of Peat and Sherry
  Highland Park Distillery, founded in 1798 on the Orkney Islands north of the Scottish mainland, occupies a unique position in the whisky world: it is simultaneously one of Scotland’s oldest and most remote active distilleries. Orkney was a Norse territory for centuries — the Viking influence is still present in place names and local culture… Read more: Highland Park: Orkney’s Viking Whisky and the Harmony of Peat and Sherry
• The Yamazaki Distillery Experience: Japan’s First Whisky Distillery
  Yamazaki Distillery — founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii of Suntory, with Masataka Taketsuru as its first master distiller — is the birthplace of Japanese whisky. Located at the confluence of three rivers south of Kyoto, in an area historically prized for its soft, pure water, it remains one of the most significant distilleries in… Read more: The Yamazaki Distillery Experience: Japan’s First Whisky Distillery
• The Yamazaki Distillery Experience: Japan’s First Whisky Distillery, Still Making History
  Yamazaki Distillery — founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii of Suntory, with Masataka Taketsuru as its first master distiller — is the birthplace of Japanese whisky. Located at the confluence of three rivers south of Kyoto, in an area historically prized for its soft, pure water, it is one of the most visited whisky destinations… Read more: The Yamazaki Distillery Experience: Japan’s First Whisky Distillery, Still Making History
• Cadenhead’s: Scotland’s Oldest Independent Bottler and the Art of Unfiltered Truth
  Most whisky drinkers know distillery brands — Glenfarclas, Springbank, Ardbeg. Fewer know the world of independent bottlers: companies that purchase casks from distilleries, age them under their own care, and bottle them under their own label. William Cadenhead, founded in Aberdeen in 1842, is Scotland’s oldest surviving independent bottler. What they do, and why it… Read more: Cadenhead’s: Scotland’s Oldest Independent Bottler and the Art of Unfiltered Truth
• Highland Park: The Most Northerly Distillery in Scotland, Where Vikings Made Whisky
  To reach Highland Park Distillery, you travel further north than you might expect Scotland could go: to Orkney, a group of islands north of the Scottish mainland, where Norse culture is still present in place names, festivals, and a particular attitude toward the wild. Highland Park has operated here since 1798, making it simultaneously one… Read more: Highland Park: The Most Northerly Distillery in Scotland, Where Vikings Made Whisky
• Ardbeg Smokiverse: The Science of Smoke, Bottled
  Every year, Ardbeg releases a special bottling for its Committee members — the global community of dedicated fans who sign up for early access to limited releases. Smokiverse is one of those releases: an exploration not just of Ardbeg’s peat, but of peat itself as a chemical phenomenon. What Ardbeg Committee Releases Mean The Ardbeg… Read more: Ardbeg Smokiverse: The Science of Smoke, Bottled
• Islay Rum Barrel Aged: When Caribbean Rum Meets Scottish Peat
  The world of aged rum has, in recent years, developed a fascination with unusual cask finishing — and one of the most striking crossover experiments involves Islay whisky casks. A Caribbean rum aged in ex-Islay malt casks picks up something genuinely unexpected: the ghost of peat, the echo of coastal smoke, beneath the tropical fruit… Read more: Islay Rum Barrel Aged: When Caribbean Rum Meets Scottish Peat
• Caol Ila History: The Islay Giant That Spent a Decade in Silence
  Caol Ila is Islay’s largest distillery by production volume — quietly responsible for a substantial share of the malt whisky that flows into many of Scotland’s best-known blends. Its present incarnation is modern, efficient, and spotlessly clean. But its history is anything but smooth. Founded in 1846 — At the Foot of a Cliff Caol… Read more: Caol Ila History: The Islay Giant That Spent a Decade in Silence
• Captain Morgan Private Stock: The Rum That Changed What Spiced Rum Could Be
  Captain Morgan is one of the most recognised rum brands in the world — but Private Stock is a different proposition from the standard spiced offering. Richer, more complex, aged longer, with a depth that rewards attention rather than dismissal. Private Stock vs. Standard Spiced Where Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold is designed for high-volume… Read more: Captain Morgan Private Stock: The Rum That Changed What Spiced Rum Could Be
• Ron Seto White Rum: Japanese Craft Rum and the Art of Wagashi Pairing
  Japan’s craft rum scene is small, rapidly growing, and increasingly original. Ron Seto — a Japanese rum producer working with Japanese ingredients and sensibilities — represents exactly the kind of spirit that makes this category worth watching. Their white rum is the subject of this column: clean, precise, and genuinely different from Caribbean standards. Japanese… Read more: Ron Seto White Rum: Japanese Craft Rum and the Art of Wagashi Pairing
• Hakushu Distillery, 2013: The Whisky Distillery in the Forest
  In 2013, I visited Hakushu Distillery — Suntory’s mountain whisky distillery in the Southern Japanese Alps, Yamanashi Prefecture. The visit left an impression that hasn’t faded. A Distillery Inside a Forest Hakushu was established in 1973 on the slopes of Mount Kaikomagatake in the Minami Alps, at an altitude of approximately 700 metres. It is… Read more: Hakushu Distillery, 2013: The Whisky Distillery in the Forest
• The Glenlivet 1976: What a Bottle From 50 Years Ago Tells Us About Time
  There are bottles that stop a conversation. A Glenlivet distilled in 1976 — now a half-century old — is one of those bottles. The spirit inside was made before many of the people who might drink it tonight were born. It has been quietly ageing in oak for decades, absorbing and releasing, becoming something that… Read more: The Glenlivet 1976: What a Bottle From 50 Years Ago Tells Us About Time
• Mars Whisky Lucky Cat: Choco & Luna — When Two Cats Don’t Get Along, and Why That Makes Better Whisky
  Mars Whisky — produced by Hombo Shuzo, operating distilleries in both Kagoshima and Shinshu, Nagano — runs one of the most unusual limited-edition series in Japanese whisky: The Lucky Cat. Each release is named after a real cat owned by the company’s president, Hombo-san. The twelfth release, Choco & Luna, is the subject of this… Read more: Mars Whisky Lucky Cat: Choco & Luna — When Two Cats Don’t Get Along, and Why That Makes Better Whisky
• Palo Cortado Explained: The Rarest Sherry Cask in Whisky — and Why It’s an Accident
  If you’ve spent time reading whisky labels, you’ve encountered the words: Palo Cortado cask finish. The name sounds elegant. The whisky inside usually is. But what exactly is Palo Cortado — and why is it so rare? It All Starts as Ordinary White Wine All sherry begins the same way: as a dry white wine,… Read more: Palo Cortado Explained: The Rarest Sherry Cask in Whisky — and Why It’s an Accident
• Setouchi Distillery, Part 2: The MRI Scientist Designing Whisky for the Year 2195
  The elder brother inherited the family business. The younger brother came in from an entirely different world — and designed the whisky-making operation from scratch. He is a scientist, trained at Kyoto University in medical imaging (MRI) research. The reason he entered whisky production, he explains, is that they are fundamentally the same discipline: “Both… Read more: Setouchi Distillery, Part 2: The MRI Scientist Designing Whisky for the Year 2195
• I.W. Harper 12 Year: The American Dream, Distilled — From $4 to a Bourbon Empire
  In April 1867, a 19-year-old named Isaac Wolfe Bernheim stepped off a ship in New York harbour. In his pocket: four dollars. He spoke almost no English. His uncle, who had promised him a job, had just gone bankrupt. And yet — within five years — he would co-found what became one of America’s most… Read more: I.W. Harper 12 Year: The American Dream, Distilled — From $4 to a Bourbon Empire
• Clynelish 14: The Waxy Gem of the Highlands, Guarded by the Wildcat
  There is a word that comes up every time serious whisky people talk about Clynelish: waxy. It sounds clinical, but in the glass it means something close to silky, creamy, mouth-coating — a texture unlike almost any other Scotch whisky. Alongside that wax: honey sweetness, coastal salt, pear-like fruit, spice. All present simultaneously, none dominating.… Read more: Clynelish 14: The Waxy Gem of the Highlands, Guarded by the Wildcat
• Ardbeg 10 Cask Strength 61.7% — The Legend That Took 20 Years to Return
  For twenty years, Ardbeg fans around the world had one wish: bring back the Ardbeg 10 Year Old at cask strength. In 2026, that wish was finally granted — and the result, bottled at 61.7% ABV, is the highest-strength Committee Release in Ardbeg’s history. A Legend Restored The original Ardbeg 10 Cask Strength was released… Read more: Ardbeg 10 Cask Strength 61.7% — The Legend That Took 20 Years to Return
• Ian Chang Special Tasting Event — Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima, July 4, 2026
  On Saturday, July 4, 2026, Bar Little Happiness in Hiroshima will host a special tasting event with Ian Chang — former Master Distiller & Blender at Kavalan Distillery (Taiwan), and current Master Blender at KOMORO Distillery (KDI), Nagano, Japan. About Ian Chang Ian Chang is one of the most respected blenders working in Asian whisky… Read more: Ian Chang Special Tasting Event — Bar Little Happiness, Hiroshima, July 4, 2026
• Ian Chang & KOMORO Distillery: A Philosophy of Inheritance
  On a quiet afternoon in Hiroshima, I sat across from Ian Chang — Master Blender at KOMORO Distillery (KDI), formerly Master Blender and Distiller at Kavalan — and listened to him talk about his life for nearly two hours. He had travelled to Hiroshima specifically to meet me ahead of a special tasting event he… Read more: Ian Chang & KOMORO Distillery: A Philosophy of Inheritance
• Rainmaker Rum: The Man Who Left Ichiro’s Malt to Chase a Dream
  It was raining the day I visited. A light drizzle, wind pressing against the warehouse walls, making a low, insistent sound. Mr. Oshima stood in front of the still, checking the spirit as it ran — nose first, then a small taste on the tongue. “About 59.5% now,” he said quietly. “A little low.” He… Read more: Rainmaker Rum: The Man Who Left Ichiro’s Malt to Chase a Dream
• Ardbeg Dolce 2026: La Dolce Islay — Marsala Cask Meets Islay Peat
  Once a year, a single bottle unites Ardbeg fans across the world. That day is Ardbeg Day — the finale of Fèis Ìle, the legendary Islay music and whisky festival. And the bottle chosen for 2026 is Ardbeg Dolce. The Theme: La Dolce Islay The 2026 theme is La Dolce Islay — a nod to… Read more: Ardbeg Dolce 2026: La Dolce Islay — Marsala Cask Meets Islay Peat
• Bar Little Happiness: A Hiroshima Whisky Bar Guide for First-Time Visitors
  Written by Mika Tanimoto, Owner-Bartender, Bar Little Happiness — Hiroshima’s specialist whisky & rum bar with 1,000+ bottles Bar Little Happiness is in Hiroshima’s Nagarekawa district — the city’s central entertainment area, a short walk from Hondori shopping street and about fifteen minutes on foot from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. We have been open since… Read more: Bar Little Happiness: A Hiroshima Whisky Bar Guide for First-Time Visitors
• Scarlet Muscat Amaro: Sakurao Vodka Meets Hiroshima’s Wine Heritage
  Written by Mika Tanimoto, Owner-Bartender, Bar Little Happiness — Hiroshima’s specialist whisky & rum bar with 1,000+ bottles Scarlet Muscat Amaro is one of those products that makes you pause and reassess what you thought you knew about a distillery’s range. Sakurao Distillery — primarily known in the international whisky community for their coastal Hiroshima… Read more: Scarlet Muscat Amaro: Sakurao Vodka Meets Hiroshima’s Wine Heritage
• Bowmore 12 and the Black Bowmore Legacy: Understanding Islay’s Most Complex Sherry Distillery
  Written by Mika Tanimoto, Owner-Bartender, Bar Little Happiness — Hiroshima’s specialist whisky & rum bar with 1,000+ bottles Bowmore occupies a particular place in Islay whisky — not the most aggressively peated (that is Ardbeg or Bruichladdich’s Octomore), not the most recognised (Laphroaig claims that), but arguably the most complex in combining significant peat with… Read more: Bowmore 12 and the Black Bowmore Legacy: Understanding Islay’s Most Complex Sherry Distillery

Bar Little Happiness

A bar like no other—for whisky and rum lovers.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Hiroshima’s nightlife district,
Bar Little Happiness offers a handpicked selection of over 1,000 bottles, curated by a woman who has dedicated 20 years to her craft.

Here, Japan’s finest whiskies and rums are served with clarity, care, and calm.
This is more than just a bar.
It’s a destination—sought out by enthusiasts from around the world.

For Rum & Whisky Lovers

A whisky warehouse door. A heart-shaped window. A thousand bottles.

Every part of this space was designed with intention.
The entrance was inspired by a traditional ageing cellar.
The small, imperfect heart was carved by hand—by the owner herself.

Inside, over 1,000 bottles of rum and whisky line the shelves.
For those who don’t just drink, but choose where and how.

The Story Behind the Bar

In 2006, fresh out of university, a young woman opened a tiny café-bar tucked into the corner of a parking lot—with no experience and barely a taste for alcohol.

That changed the moment she encountered a single glass of whisky—so balanced, so profound, that it felt like destiny.

Over the past 20 years, her passion for whisky and rum has grown into something far greater:
A curated selection of over 1,000 bottles.
A space where guests say, “I never thought I could enjoy whisky—until now.”

At Bar Little Happiness, it’s not just about drinks.
It’s about the quiet connection between people, made possible by the right glass at the right time.

We invite you to experience what we call “A Little Happiness”—
a moment of discovery, comfort, and something truly special.

Private Room & Food

Enjoy charcuterie, chocolate, and light meals alongside your drink. A cozy private room is available for special occasions.

Reviews

Trusted by Whisky Media in Japan

Bar Little Happiness has been featured in leading Japanese whisky media—
including the TV program Whiskypedia (BS Fuji), the book The Book of Japanese Craft Whisky, and more.

Its thoughtful selection and serene atmosphere have drawn attention from both whisky lovers and media professionals seeking authenticity.

From Distilleries Around the World—To Here.

At Bar Little Happiness, we don’t just serve spirits—we connect with their origins.
Distillers and producers from around the world regularly visit our bar,
and the owner herself has traveled across Japan and beyond to meet them in person.

From the sacred whisky island of Islay and the distilleries of Scotland,
to the rum-producing islands of the Caribbean and the emerging whisky scene in New Zealand—
every bottle on our shelves carries a story—and a handshake.

Beyond the Bar

Bar Little Happiness is more than a destination.
It is part of the global whisky and rum conversation—
a place that hosts, explores, and shares.

Every encounter becomes a story, returned to the glass.

A Gift of Thanks

In 2012, to mark the 7th anniversary of our founding,
we reflected on how we could express our gratitude for the trust and warmth we had received since opening.

This reflection led us to support the construction of a medical clinic in a village in Ghana, Africa.

We had no personal connection to Ghana. Yet, we were inspired to quietly give back—
as a way to honor the many moments of kindness that had shaped our journey.

Even today, this small clinic holds a quiet but profound.

Peace of Mind Guarantee

All items are clearly listed with descriptions and prices—no surprises, no pressure.
Our digital menu is available in multiple languages, including English, Korean, and Chinese.

• Wine Cask Finished Whisky: When Grapes and Barley Share One Glass
  Wine Cask Finished Whisky: When Grapes and Barley Share One Glass You pour it, take a breath, and your first thought is: this cannot be whisky. The aroma is berries, white grape, something floral and delicate. You check the label again. Single malt Scotch. The bottle confirms it. But your nose is telling you something… Read more: Wine Cask Finished Whisky: When Grapes and Barley Share One Glass
• Your Complete Guide to Visiting a Whisky Bar in Hiroshima for the First Time
  Your Complete Guide to Visiting a Whisky Bar in Hiroshima for the First Time If you’ve never visited a specialist whisky bar before, or if you’re visiting Hiroshima and wondering where to go for an exceptional drink, this guide is for you. Bar Little Happiness has been welcoming first-time visitors, solo travelers, tourists, and whisky… Read more: Your Complete Guide to Visiting a Whisky Bar in Hiroshima for the First Time
• Glentauchers 2008 by Gordon & MacPhail: Apple Pie, Walnut, and the Art of Invisible Excellence
  Glentauchers 2008 by Gordon & MacPhail: Apple Pie, Walnut, and the Art of Invisible Excellence Some distilleries become famous. Others become essential. Glentauchers has spent most of its existence in the second category — a quiet powerhouse of Speyside, making whisky that has shaped the taste of some of the world’s most recognized blends without… Read more: Glentauchers 2008 by Gordon & MacPhail: Apple Pie, Walnut, and the Art of Invisible Excellence
• Caol Ila: The Feminine Elegance of Islay That Changed My Mind About Peated Whisky
  Caol Ila: The Feminine Elegance of Islay That Changed My Mind About Peated Whisky Islay has a reputation. When whisky lovers hear the name, they picture smoke — thick, medicinal, relentless. Laphroaig. Ardbeg. Bruichladdich. The island has built an identity around intensity, and many people who don’t already love peat will simply step back and… Read more: Caol Ila: The Feminine Elegance of Islay That Changed My Mind About Peated Whisky
• The Lucky Cat Solla: Chestnut Cask, Beloved Cat, and Mars Whisky’s Pioneering Spirit
  The Lucky Cat Solla: Chestnut Cask, Beloved Cat, and Mars Whisky’s Pioneering Spirit Every year, Hombo Shuzo’s Mars Whisky releases a limited edition bottle in their beloved Lucky Cat series. Each release is named after a real cat — a member of the president’s family — and each cat’s personality shapes the choice of cask.… Read more: The Lucky Cat Solla: Chestnut Cask, Beloved Cat, and Mars Whisky’s Pioneering Spirit

Information

Google Maps: Click here

Address: Hiroshima, Naka-ku, Nagarekawacho

Open: 7PM to 1AM / L.o 1h ago

Instagram: @littlehappiness7