We explore the world of Japanese cuisine and its role in boosting the nation’s profile around the globe. Monica Lillis sits down with London-based saké sommelier Erika Haigh and Monocle’s Copenhagen correspondent, Michael Booth, meets Mads Battefeld of Sushi Anaba. Plus: Gregory Scruggs visits Uwajimaya, an authentic Japanese grocery shop in Seattle, and Guy de Launey explores how Japanese tea-making is brewing bilateral relationships in Slovenia.