Tucked away in the bustling Roppongi district of Tokyo—a city renowned for its love of vending machines—the Swedish Embassy once offered something delightfully unexpected: a bright yellow vending machine that didn’t dispense sodas or cigarettes, but Swedish culture.
Launched in 2012 as part of a creative public diplomacy campaign, the “Try Swedish!” vending machine was more than just a novelty—it was a miniature embassy in mechanical form. Designed to introduce Japanese locals and curious tourists to Sweden’s unique blend of flavor, design, and innovation, the machine stood as a playful ambassador of Nordic life on a quiet Tokyo street.
A Tasty Introduction to Sweden:
The vending machine offered a curated selection of authentic Swedish products, carefully chosen to surprise and delight. Among its rotating inventory were:
- Salty licorice (a polarizing favorite among Scandinavians),
- Surströmming-flavored chips (a bold, tongue-in-cheek nod to Sweden’s famously pungent fermented herring),
- Daim chocolate bars,
- Crispbread from Wasa,
- Miniature IKEA pencils and other branded trinkets,
- And even Swedish meatball-scented candles—a whimsical fusion of food and fragrance that captured the campaign’s lighthearted spirit.
Priced affordably—typically between ¥100 and ¥500 (roughly $1–$5 at the time)—each item was a bite-sized or pocket-sized passport to Sweden.
Public Diplomacy with a Sense of Humor
The “Try Swedish!” initiative was spearheaded by the Swedish Embassy in collaboration with Swedish companies and cultural institutions, including the Swedish Trade Council and VisitSweden. It reflected Sweden’s broader soft-power strategy: promoting the nation not through formal lectures, but through approachable, everyday experiences infused with wit and warmth.
“The idea was to make Sweden feel close, fun, and accessible,” explained a former embassy spokesperson. “In a city like Tokyo, where vending machines are part of daily life, we thought: why not use one to tell our story?”
The machine quickly became a social media sensation, drawing long lines of curious passersby and generating international headlines. It even inspired copycat “cultural vending machines” from other embassies, though few matched Sweden’s mix of quirkiness and authenticity.
Public Diplomacy with a Sense of Humor
Though the “Try Swedish!” vending machine is no longer operational—it ran for about a year before being retired—it left a lasting impression. It exemplified how modern diplomacy can thrive outside traditional channels, using design, humor, and everyday objects to build cross-cultural connections.
Today, the machine lives on in photos, news clips, and fond memories of those who once pressed a button and received a tiny taste of Sweden in the heart of Tokyo. It remains a charming reminder that sometimes, the best way to share a culture isn’t with a speech—but with a Surströmming-scented surprise.