Sweden shares a common poetic tradition with the other Nordic languages in the Eddic poems, composed in alliterative verse. Despite early contacts with the East Asian world (mainly China, but also Japan) in the second half of the 19th century, interest in haiku in Sweden was mainly stimulated by the work of Reginald Horace Blyth and English and German translations of classical Japanese haiku. The first translation into Swedish of great importance was Jan Vintilescu’s Japansk miniatyrlyrik (Japanese miniature lyrics) published in 1959. The Swedish Haiku Society (Svenska Haikusällskapet) was formed in 1999 in Stockholm. Haiku has become popular since, with Swedish poets being featured in international anthologies and winning international awards.

Lars Vargö (born Lars Gunnar Axel Vargö, haigō: Langdao; October 6, 1947, Stockholm, Sweden), former ambassador to South Korea and Japan. Presently head of the Stockholm Japan Center and president of the Swedish Haiku Society. Author of several books on haiku, including a translation with commentaries on Bashō's complete hokku. Author of the Haikupedia article “Haiku in Sweden.” Resides in Stockholm, Sweden.