Tuesday night, we went to the Taste of Japan award ceremony and reception at Mess Hall. Taste of Japan celebrates Japanese cuisine and restaurants all over the world. The reception honored the Daikaya Group team, which brought Japanese traditions and comfort food to DC. We snapped its chef, Katsuya Fukushima, Daisuke Utagawa and Yama Jewayni, who are surrounded by Wisdom Partners' Hidetoshi Okuno, and JETRO's Shigenito Numata.

Hana's Japanese Market's Ikuyo Tanabe, Izakaya Seki's Cizuka Seki, Kaz Sushi Bistro's Kaz Okochi, and Maketto, Toki Underground, Paper Horse and Honeycomb's Erik Bruner-Yang were all recognized for having a huge influence on Japanese food and culture in DC.

Guests enjoyed traditional and modern Japanese dishes throughout the night, like Bantam King's signature shoyu paitan ramen, Daikaya's lox and bagel aburamen, Kaz Sushi Bistro's nigiri and rolls and M's Kitchen's udon, soba and somen. Here, ANA's Norry Hoshikawa, and JTB's Tetsuya Shibata and Shigeko Evans.

Young Won Trading provided the sake, imported from Japan. Sweet fuyuu persimmons delivered straight from Wakayama were served for dessert. Here, Wakayama Prefecture's Takuo Kamatsuka, Kaz Sushi Bistro's Kaz Okochi, Kihoku-Kawakami Agricultural Cooperative Society's Shigefumi Shimobayashi and JTB's Tanaka Keiichi.

Alfredo Flores and Richelle Castillo contributed to this issue.