Saburomaru Distillery: A Five-Part Visit to a Place That Breaks the Rules
2026.4.10
Saburomaru Distillery: A Five-Part Visit to a Place That Breaks the Rules
“The way this man lives is just too good.”
I visited Saburomaru Distillery in Toyama and came away a complete convert 💛
“We had nothing to lose.” An inventor who says that and laughs, guileless about it, took hold of me completely.
The place is not simply a whisky distillery.
It’s where things nobody thought possible get turned into hope, and laid down in cask.
Every step further in pulled me deeper into it, and before I knew it, I was the one taking the most from the visit.
For everyone who loves whisky — and for anyone who feels stuck, or wants to get through the wall in front of them.
Everything I saw, heard and felt about making things in earnest, packed into these posts.
Please read them 🥃 (Five parts)
I visit distilleries in Japan and abroad, too.
All my distillery reports are here
Whisky and rum taste better when you know the hearts behind them.
Every encounter is meant to be. Welcome to the world of Rum & Whisky.
Latest updates on Instagram Stories ⭐️
🔗 Online shop: https://shop.little-happiness.jp
[About the author]
Mika Tanimoto
CEO, Little.m Inc. / Owner-bartender
Since 2006, I have run Bar Little Happiness, a whisky and rum bar in Nagarekawa, Hiroshima. I visit distilleries in Japan and around the world and write about the people who make the spirits. Recipient of the Hiroshima City Excellent Skilled Worker Award.
“Whisky and rum taste even better when you know the hearts of the people who make them.”
[Visit the bar] 📍 Bar Little Happiness
Rolling Nagarekawa 1F, 5-14 Nagarekawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
Mon–Sat 7:00 pm – 12:30 am / Sun 7:00 pm – 12:00 am (closed when I travel to visit distilleries)
No cover charge, no reservation needed
