Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, foresight analyst Seyi Oduwole unpacks her recent jaunt to Japan.  

: Before jetting off, I braced myself for the worst of overtourism and while the selfie-stick stampede was real at Nara’s deer park and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, my experiences at the Aman hotels in Tokyo (high in the clouds above the city’s madness) and Kyoto (tucked deep in tranquil forests) were the yin to that chaotic yang. I was truly blown away by my time at Aman Kyoto but we will discuss this more in our upcoming Brand Innovation Debrief on the company.  

: Japan, unsurprisingly, is already riding the wellrooms of 2035 bullet train. Think next-gen bathrooms, a serious onsen obsession, forest bathing bliss and a national diet built for longevity. It’s no wonder the country was spotlighted at IFE as an aspirational country for health and nutrition.

: As an undeniable foodie, I was in absolute heaven. From yuzu-flavoured vitamin drinks to nanohana (I had never heard of these greens before!) macaroons and sakura tea ceremonies with maikos, every moment was inspiring and indulgent. I went on countless 7-Eleven (best C-store ever!) snack hunts and discovered hole in the wall omakase bars in Golden Gai. My Instagram stories turned into a feast for the eyes, filled with sake tastings, perfectly packed bento boxes and Nishiki market scenes (my own personal dreamscape).