New Delhi, Sept. 1 -- For Deepa Kumar, 34, it started with Korean pop culture. The Mumbai-based analyst at a market insights major got hooked to K-dramas during the pandemic. Soon after, the algorithm started filtering in suggestions for Japanese dramas; she started watching anime. Alongside, her work led her to explore Japanese history, politics and culture. "As I observed Japanese politics for work, I decided to travel to Japan to get a holistic perspective. But the final push came from food," she says.

Last year, she travelled to Japan to experience the culture first-hand, and it included signing up for a 25-course sushi meal in Tokyo apart from exploring street food, frequenting the informal bars or izakayas, and experiencing a kaise...