Chocolate bars, caramels, marshmallows — these Western confections are familiar today, but were a rarity for ordinary Japanese people during the Meiji era (1868-1912). Morinaga & Co, a company established at that time, manufactured and spread these products across the nation.

For three centuries, a handful of insurers have dominated the market from the City of London. The upstart intent on challenging them rents two floors just outside the district in an area known as Silicon Roundabout, where its employees work while lounging on cushioned windowsills.