Sake may have waned in popularity in Japan, but the demand for rice wine is rapidly growing elsewhere in the world. The Sake 2020 Project, formed in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics, is leading the effort to ‘create a better environment to promote sake to foreign customers’.

With Haruki Murakami at its centre, Japanese fiction is booming overseas. The literary journalMonkey Business: New Writing from Japanis proof that the acclaimed writer is part of a lush literary landscape. Could the nation’s novels be an overlooked piece of the ‘Cool Japan’ puzzle?

With the launch of her Netflix show, Marie Kondo’s image as a Japanese decluttering guru has earned her mass appeal abroad. But within her own country, Kondo is facing criticism for packaging "Brand Japan" nicely and neatly, to appeal to audiences in the West for her own personal gain.

WhileLove Island’s high-drama has gripped the British public, a Japanese dating series is quietly making waves worldwide for being its exact opposite.Terrace House’s subtle approach to reality TV is resonating with viewers who feel fatigued by the genre’s relentless demands on their attention.