I’m really enjoying life in Sweden! Swedish people are very kind so it has been quite easy to get settled here. I like the pace of Swedish lifestyle and fika! I have been drawing since my childhood days. My curiosity for creation has bloomed in many ways, especially after I moved to Sweden. Illustration is a way of self-reflection and it has also been a way to explore and understand Sweden and Swedish people. Actually, I’m quite a shy person, so when I decided to post my illustrations online to Instagram, I also saw it as a challenge to practice interaction with strangers. Even though Swedish and Japanese people are similar in some ways, encountering Swedish culture has given me so many new stories to tell.

I started the Instagram account because I wanted to get to know more Japanese people living in Sweden, and of course Swedish people too! It became a platform for exchange and I had no idea that it would attract so many people. I started the account in autumn 2016 and six months later I reached 10 000 followers. I remember feeling so surprised and grateful when I got my first 500 and 600 followers. Today I have over 52 000 followers, so it’s been quite a journey! I believe that people who enjoy my posts are in similar situations to me; people who are studying or living abroad, who are in international relationships, or who are just curious about Sweden. I receive many questions from my followers and in I have come to feel like my illustrations have enabled me to become a link between Sweden and Japan.

The Swedish way of spending time! In Japan there are pretty much only three modes in life: “work”, “eat” and “sleep”. In Sweden there’s more of a “on” and “off” button. Here people work, but when they leave their offices they are “off” and enjoy their private life. Even during busy periods, Swedish people tend to clearly differentiate between private and professional life. I wish more people could have a similar approach in Japan!

If I could organize an event I’d love to have a fika party! I want people to get together and enjoy Swedish cakes and sweets, and exchange ideas and experiences.