A guide to the very best of Japan in Stockholm

Since Sono Saito arrived in Stockholm from Japan in August 2021, she has encountered a journey of discoveries. Some have come hand-in-hand with the Swedish culture shift – the amount of fathers out and about with their children, for instance, and the affordability of the birth control pill. While other discoveries have included the joyous uncovering of Japanese experiences around the city that Saito dearly missed. Most of all, she missed food. “Food is my happiness, sometimes I really miss Japanese food,” Saito says.

Thankfully, over the last few years, Stockholm has revealed to Saito the tastes, places and products that is has on offer to act as home comforts. Read on for her guide to the very best of Japan to be found around the city.

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“This is my most favourite sushi restaurant in Stockholm. At Soyokafe, you can eat sushi that is very similar to the sushi you can eat in Japan. Don’t get me wrong – I like Swedish sushi. It is good and very creative but if I am being honest, I miss Japanese sushi and Soyokafe fulfills those cravings. They have good selection of sake too which is difficult to see in normal Swedish restaurants. Also, it is very affordable considering the quality of food!”

“Moving to Sweden definitely has increased my coffee consumption. But I am still a tea person – I drink tea everyday. When I came here I brought a bunch of Japanese tea as I was afraid of not having access to it. But I do not have to worry about it anymore as The Tea Centre has a wide range of Japanese tea! I especially recommend Genmaicha (green tea mixed with roasted rice) which has low caffeine and has mild and warming taste.”

“Grötris is the closest to Japanese rice of all the rice you can buy in Swedish supermarkets! Of course, if you go to the Asian markets you can find Japanese rice, but as I eat rice daily, is not wallet-friendly to always buy Japanese. Rice is essential for Japanese people, so thank you, grötris!”

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“It is very hard to find cafes where they offer Japanese desserts and sweets. I think Café Koya is the only cafe which is dedicated to Japanese pastries. Every time I crave Japanese pastries, I come here. Swedish pastries are very tasty, I admit, but still it is too sweet for me sometimes even though my tolerance level for sweetness became much higher after living here over two years. Pastries here are just the right sweetness. When Asian people compliment sweets, we say ‘Ohh it is so good it is not that sweet!’ I remember we said that to each other when we had strawberry cake here. They have nice tea as well. Also the cafe is filled with Ghibli characters which are super cute!”

“I remember that I was impressed and surprised by the fact that there are so many ramen and sushi restaurants in Stockholm. I did not know that Japanese food is so welcomed here. Among other Japanese restaurants in Stockholm, what makes Mamawolf different is that you can eat meal that we Japanese eat daily. Here you can eat more everyday Japanese food (like udon, karaage, onigiri and more) which makes me feel nostalgic.”

“This oil is becoming popular in Japan, and I was using it in Japan as well. After moving to Sweden my hair got super dry due to the Swedish climate, but this hair oil moisturises my hair and gives it a fluffy finish without weighing it down. It is also very light and non-greasy, so it is easy to handle for someone like me who has very fine and soft hair.”

“It is typical, but of course I am a Japanese person who loves manga. I have an older brother and always borrowed manga from him. So when I entered this store and saw the incredible number of manga lined up, my heart leapt with excitement! Not only manga, but they also have books for studying Japanese language, Japanese cooking recipe books, guide books and more, so I can feel a lot of Japan every time I come here!”

“In Japan, we eat Chinese food a lot and some Japanese food is strongly influenced by it. So Chinese food is so popular and growing up, I eat it daily and it is one of my favourite cuisines. Surfers is the one of the best Chinese restaurants in Stockholm, in my opinion. What I especially love about this restaurant is that the size and range of food they offer is perfect for sharing with a group of people! In Asian culture, we share food which I love and miss after coming here. But here, we order bunch of different dishes and can enjoy sharing each other!”

“After living in Sweden for two years, the hardest part, still, is getting used to the climate. The humidity in Japan is very high, so I still have trouble with the dry climate in Sweden, especially with dry hair. When I posted on Instagram that I was having a hard time finding a good shampoo, I received a lot of advice from people with the same problem! That's when I came across this product. Since I started using it, I can really feel the difference. I feel like my hair has regained its health!”