Celebrate Japanese Heritage at the Sao Paulo Museum da Imigracao Japonesa

Inaugurated in 1978, the Sao Paulo Museum da Imigracao Japonesa was opened in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Japanese immigration in Brazil. The museum was opened for the purpose of preserving as much heritage as possible of the people who came to Brazil and Sao Paulo from Japan, remembering their lives, their work, and their struggles as they made their way in a new land.

Many immigrants who came to Sao Paulo from Japan were from rural areas, and they came to South America because they’d heard about jobs on coffee plantations that had been fled by the slaves, who were freed twenty years before in 1888. They arrived in Brazil as “colonists”, and the majority of those who arrived were able to sign contracts for work, and after these contracts ended, many of the immigrants had to start over again.

The Sao Paulo Museum da Imigracao Japonesa tells the history of these people, and has around 1000 exhibits that feature such things as art, books, everyday objects, photographs, and even reproductions of the boats that brought the immigrants over. Many of the displays show how the immigrants tried to adapt to their new lives here, while still maintaining their cultural traditions – for example, there is still a street market held every Sunday for Japanese crafts and food!

Currently, Sao Paulo boasts the largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan, with around 1.5 million citizen of Japanese origins or descent. The traditional Japanese neighborhood in the city may be Liberdade, but since the city is so multicultural, many of the areas are now racially mixed. One of the very interesting sections of the Sao Paulo Museum da Imigracao Japonesa is the display concerning World War II, when immigration was interrupted for about 10 years. It was during this time that the Japanese immigrants had quite a struggle with divided loyalties, and it is important to remember the hardships faced for those in Sao Paulo who could only hear about family and their country at home suffering through defeat.

The Japanese Immigration Museum in Sao Paulo is located on the upper floors of one of the city’s Japanese Cultural Associations, and it takes up about 3 levels of the building. The refreshing part of this museum is also the enthusiasm of those who work here – they truly care about the history of Japanese immigration, and will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!

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