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 Reluctant Drinker to Specialist
Mika Tanimoto did not grow up as a whisky drinker. Before opening the bar, she barely drank alcohol at all. The transformation came through a single bottle — a whisky that genuinely moved her — and from that moment, everything changed. Twenty years later, the bar holds over 1,000 bottles, has hosted legendary figures from the global spirits industry, and has been featured in national media, international travel publications, and specialist whisky books. The journey from “couldn’t drink” to recognised specialist is, itself, the most honest endorsement of what whisky can do.
What 20 Years in a Single Bar Teaches
Running a specialist bar for 20 years means watching trends arrive and depart, watching distilleries rise and fall, watching prices that once seemed extraordinary become normal, and watching guests find their own paths into the world of spirits. It also means building relationships — with makers, with distributors, with the guests who have sat at this counter for years. Those relationships are what make a bar a bar, rather than simply a place to drink.
Mika’s Perspective
Twenty years ago, I made a decision I didn’t fully understand at the time. I found something that moved me, and I built a life around sharing it with others. That is still what happens at this bar, every evening it opens. If you find yourself in Hiroshima — whether you know whisky deeply or have never tried it — the door is open. An encounter is inevitable.
Bar Little Happiness | Hiroshima, Japan
Founded 2006 | 20 years in operation | english.little-happiness.jp
Bar Little Happiness | Hiroshima, Japan
Rum & Whisky specialists | 1,000+ bottles | English menu available
Open Mon–Sat 7PM–12:30AM, Sun 7PM–midnight
No cover charge. Walk-ins welcome.
english.little-happiness.jp