In Search of the Next Chapter: Starting March

2026.10.05

In short: a short essay from Mika Tanimoto, owner of Bar Little Happiness in Hiroshima, at the start of March 2026 — after a January trip that changed her “yardstick,” her interest has turned to Japan’s own distilleries and the philosophy and vision of their makers.

I used to long so much for the world outside Japan, yet now my interest has turned surprisingly towards Japan itself.

Even the rapid increase in Japanese distilleries over the past few years was something I watched as if from afar — I was hardly paying attention.

But the overwhelming reality I encountered on my trip in January rewrote my “yardstick”, and led my feelings to a purer place.

Now that the noise in my view has gone, the stories woven by Japanese makers are jumping out at me at a completely different resolution.

Beyond taste: the makers’ “philosophy” and “vision.”

What cards they hold, and how they use them to draw their vision.

At this resolution, I feel I can receive the places I have visited before, and the places I will meet from now on, as completely different stories.

I want to search, little by little and with care, for encounters that light a fire in my senses.

And I want to pass that excitement on to my guests!!

That is how March begins 🥃

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Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum&Whisky.

“Both whisky and rum taste even better when you touch the feelings of the people who make them.”