“Omakase” is a special way of ordering things in Japan. It comes from the Japanese word meaning “to entrust”. In a sushi restaurant, for example, it means you leave it to the chef to decide what to serve – they skillfully select items they think will most appeal to your taste. A recent development is the growth of Omakase services.

We look at a service that makes monthly nationwide deliveries of carefully selected vegetables from Kochi in Shikoku, and visit a bookseller who sends his customers novels he chooses specially to match their personalities and life situations. Omakase is more than simply curating services, it’s about building relationships of trust.