Although festivities and events celebrating 100 years of Japanese immigration in Brazil are taking place in different parts of the country throughout the year, the week around June 18, the date when the Kasato Maru docked at the port of Santos in 1908, packs up some of the year's highlights.
All related events are coordinated by ACCIJB, the Association for Celebrations of the Japanese Immigration Centennial in Brazil, which has been planning them for years.
Prince Heir Naruhito of Japan arrived in Brazil on June 17 for a series of commemorative events, of which the climax for the Nipo-Brazilian community is the weekend of June 21-22. On those days, the prince will attend two celebrations at the Sao Paulo sambodrome.
According to ACCIJB, 25,000 people will attend the event on each day. Requests for tickets were submitted to ACCIJB and analyzed one by one, as the association privileged elderly members of the Nikkei community in Brazil when deciding who could attend.
The Torch
A commemorative torch left Santos and arrived in Sao Paulo on June 8. It will stay at the Immigrant Memorial until June 21, when it will be taken to the Sambodrome as one of the main attractions in the weekend celebrations.
Commemorative Coins
Both Japan and Brazil designed commemorative coins to celebrate the Japanese Immigration Centennial. In Brazil, the coins were issued on June 18 by Banco Central do Brasil.
The coins have a face value of R$ 2 and cost R$ 24 each. On the front, the coin depicts a Japanese woman working in a persimmon field. Persimmon cultivation was introduced in Brazil by the Japanese. On the back, the coin depicts a reproduction of the Kasato Maru.
The first edition of the commemorative coins has a total of 2,000 units. A later edition with 8,000 coins is planned. They can be purchased at Banco Central do Brazil commemorative coin sales offices or online from the Banco do Brasil commemorative coin website.
Brazil-Japan Cultural Week at Anhembi
If you're in Sao Paulo until June 22, don't miss the Brazil-Japan Cultural Week at the Anhembi Park, which has just about everything from traditional dances to robots. Admission is free and there is a bus that leaves from Tiete Bus Station. At the station, look for the Tourism booth for directions to the bus stop where you take the bus.
Japanese Immigration Centennial Souvenirs
Bunkyo, the Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance in Sao Paulo, is the place to go throughout the year for Centennial souvenirs. They have a key chain the size of a stamp that looks like a charm for about $3, T-shirts for about $12 and more.
A Year of Celebrations
Whenever you are in Brazil in 2008, especially in Sao Paulo, look up events commemorating Japanese immigration on the ACCIJB website, under Agenda.
