Where to experience Japan in Luxembourg

As the World Expo 2025 kicks off in Osaka, Japan on 13 April, we take a deep dive into all things Japanese in Luxembourg and a little further afield.

While there are less than 600 Japanese nationals living in Luxembourg, they have made their mark on the country, from places to sample authentic cuisine, taste sake or participate in cultural events, to sports organisations and language courses. In Dusseldorf, roughly two hours by car from Luxembourg in Germany, the Japanese community has built ‘Little Tokyo’.

Embassy of Japan in Luxembourg

In June 2024, a new working holiday visa was launched for young people in both Luxembourg and Japan to travel and supplement their expenses during their stay with temporary employment in each other’s countries. An opportunity for youngsters to explore culture through a working holiday and improve their language skills, it’s open to Luxembourgish and Japanese nationals aged 18-30 years for a duration of one year upon entry. You can find more details here.

The embassy also has a cultural space that you can visit (without an appointment) Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:30. Here you’ll find tourist information if you are planning a holiday to Japan, but you can also borrow books including manga, CDs and films. You can find out more here.

The Japanese Garden at Nordpark in Dusseldorf © Photo credit: Shutterstock

The embassy also has a cultural space that you can visit (without an appointment) Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 16:30. Here you’ll find tourist information if you are planning a holiday to Japan, but you can also borrow books including manga, CDs and films. You can find out more here.

Over the year, the embassy also organises culture events. In the past few years this has included demonstrations of Aikido (martial arts) and Ikebana (Japanese art of flower arranging), but also seminars on trade and artificial intelligence, film screenings and music performances.

It also provides a weekly cultural highlight with the focus on cuisine and rituals such as the tea ceremony, through explanatory videos and documentaries. You’ll find these on the embassy’s Facebook page. You can check for future cultural events here.

Learn Japanese

Lifelong-learning.lu has official classes run by the Ministry of Education for A1 (beginners) up to B2 (intermediate) for teenagers and adults. Classes take place at the Lycée des Garcons, Lycée Hubert Clement Esch, and Athenée de Luxembourg. You can find out more here.

Japan Luxembourg Association (JLA)

Established in 2012 to celebrate Japanese culture and strengthen bonds with Luxembourg, it organises online language classes at different levels. As you improve you can join a monthly get-together to speak Japanese in simple conversation for native and non-native speakers.

The Japanese stand at the Bazar International  © Photo credit: Sarita Rao

Established in 2012 to celebrate Japanese culture and strengthen bonds with Luxembourg, it organises online language classes at different levels. As you improve you can join a monthly get-together to speak Japanese in simple conversation for native and non-native speakers.

You can also learn Kitsuke or the art of dressing in a Kimono, with classes held once a week for five weeks. To join, you’ll need to speak Japanese and have your own kimono though.

Japanese sports

Look out for local commune clubs which will advertise on the commune website or via flyers posted to your mail box. The Aikido Club Luxembourg runs initiation courses for free.

There’s also the Judo & Jiu-jitsu Club Luxembourg, and another judo and Jui-jitsu club based in Bonnevoie. You’ll find karate clubs in Belair and Cessange with the main Karate Club Luxembourg in Alzingen. You’ll find a list of all martial arts clubs here.

Japanese eateries

There are plenty of places serving up ramen and sushi, but not all of them are authentically Japanese. We’ve done our best to list the ones we think are in this section, but take a look at the articles on specific Japanese cuisine for more choices.

In the capital

Award-winning Aké by Kamakura is lauded for both its soups and its sushi, but also has some stunning meat and seafood dishes, including Wagyu, seaweed salad, tempura fried vegetables and desserts such as Dora Yaki – pancakes filled with azuki beans.

Ryôdô is named after the famous chef who offers sushi, sashimi and akami but also a tasting menu with Wagyu beef, lamb with plum sauce, and fusion style dishes.

Manzoku is run by a husband and wife team who make their noodles with locally ground flour, with vegan ramen soups imported from Japan. Try tonkatsu, shoyu and miso or guest flavours such as spicy Sapporo. You can choose toppings from locally reared meat, nori seaweed, ajitama egg and kikurage mushroom.

Yamayu Santatsu has graced Luxembourg for three decades and serves up hot and cold sushi with fresh fish and authentic flavours. Maki, sashimi, nigiri, chirashi and temaki are on the menu too.

Other sushi places include Bonnevoie-based Yokoso which is adorned with posters, pictures and flags, and offers octopus Takoyaki and salmon flambeed in sake. You can wash it all down with an Asahi or Kirin beer.

Tokyo-sized ramen bar Kaito in the Gare district has a special ramen made with 100% Hoikaido wheat, Ebi tempura, egg, karaage, nori seaweed and bamboo shoots. More ramen offerings at Nanban in the same area, where you can also get kid’s sized portions.

In the old town, Ramen Samurai has a lovely terrace and Japanese themed interior and ramen served with caramelized pork, but also gyoza (filled dumplings) and karaage-style fried chicken.

Outside the city

With its private booths yet bright bamboo décor, this long-standing favourite, Nonbe (meaning good living) serves up Izakaya and Kaiseki food in Belval. The former is Japanese tapas which includes Chashu or Japanese braised pork belly, prawn and cabbage gyoza, and chirashi. They also offer a set menu that changes seasonally.

If you want a Japanese chef to cook the ingredients in front of you, then Yamasakura in Schifflange is the destination to head to, with plenty of meat and seafood choices on the menu.

Sushi Jaya in Hesperange offers high-quality blue fin tuna, which it serves up in a staggering array of hot and cold sushi.

More sushi and ramen

You can read our roll call of sushi places and check out our seven places to slurp some ramen in the articles below.

Also read:A roll call of places to try sushi

Also read:Satisfy your Ramen cravings at these seven places

Tea and cakes

Les Nii is a relatively new Japanese-inspired patisserie in Belair run by Keisuke Nii, originally from Kakogawa. Try macarons made with yuzu, matcha or black sesame, and melon bread, a type of brioche with a hard crust.

Also relatively new, ThéRâPie is a Japanese tea room, well-being salon, boutique and art gallery, where you can sample Japanese tea made the traditional way and Kenchinjiru (a broth made with root vegetables and Shiitake mushrooms), and crispy tofu coated in red miso.

Also read:Les Nii: Luxembourg’s new Japanese patisserie

Sake tasting

Delve into the realm of the art of sake with the passionate company of enthusiasts at the House of Japan. Sourcing varieties from Japan, their curated selection invites you to discover the craftsmanship, flavours and aromas. They also stock Japanese tea and craft goods, and organise public and corporate events.

Visit ‘Little Tokyo’ and the Japanese Garden at Dusseldorf

Dusseldorf is also home to one of the biggest Japanese communities in Europe. The streets of ‘Little Tokyo’, as it is referred to, are filled with izakaya serving authentic cuisine and Ramen bars, for a unique Japanese atmosphere. You’ll find it between the main station and the city centre along Immermannstrasse and Klosterstrasse. For more Japanese culture, you can also stroll through the Japanese Garden in the Nordpark to the EKŌ-Haus in Niederkassel, where you can marvel at the Buddhist temple