The 10-hour flight I took recently from my home on America’s west coast to Tokyo gave me plenty of time to peruse the itinerary for my trip: four days of work, three business meals, and eight hours of evening shopping. The timing was so tight, I had it on a spreadsheet.

For the past nine years I have been conducting my autumn wardrobe raids in tandem with my autumn Tokyo trips; ever since I realised that it was possible in Japan’s professional hub to find more idiosyncratic, original workwear – even from global western brands – than in any other capital city.