Liberdade Neighborhood: Japan in São Paulo

The Liberdade neighborhood is located in the central area of ​​the city of São Paulo and is divided into two districts, Liberdade and Sé. The neighborhood , founded in December 1905, is considered to be home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan.

Dark origin

Long before it became Liberdade, in the 19th century, the region was called "Bairro da Pólvora", due to the location of an old Casa da Pólvora, which was located in the place today called Largo da Pólvora.

At that time, the region was the scene of much suffering, as it was the site of executions by hanging.

One of the theories for the name of the neighborhood came from one of the executions that attracted the most attention at the time, that of a soldier who complained to the Portuguese Crown about late wages.

During the execution, the rope broke several times, so the executioners decided to proceed with the execution.

This sparked an outcry, with the crowd calling for an end to the cruelty, but the soldier ended up being beaten to death.

Meanwhile, the audience present shouted "Freedom, freedom!" This execution led to the construction of the Church of Santa Cruz dos Enforcados, located in the current Praça da Liberdade, built in honor of this soldier.

The other theory about what would have generated the name of the neighborhood is that after Emperor Dom Pedro I abdicated the throne, on April 7, 1831, a councilor suggested the name "Liberdade" to celebrate the date, but the proposal was not fully accepted.

The name ended up going to a fountain in Largo São Francisco, which became popular and ended up naming the street, the square and, consequently, the neighborhood.

Arrival of the Japanese

The Japanese began arriving in Brazil in 1908, meeting the socioeconomic needs of both nations.

In Brazil, the expansion of coffee cultivation depended on immigration to guarantee sufficient workers, due to the gradual decrease in the workforce, with the end of slavery.

Meanwhile, in Japan, demographic growth, rural exodus and social tensions contributed to emigration becoming an alternative to solving these problems.

Initially, immigrants went with work contracts to coffee farms in the interior of the state of São Paulo and to Minas Gerais.

Many of them left the plantations at the end of these contracts and returned to the capital of São Paulo.

Count of Sarzedas Street

Around 1912, Japanese immigrants largely began to live on Conde de Sarzedas Street, where several townhouses with basements had been built.

The rooms in these basements, in the basement, had cheaper rents. Over time, the Japanese began to develop commercial activities on this street.

An inn, a grocery store, a house that made soy cheese (tofu) and another that made a Japanese sweet, manju, as well as employment agencies, were some of the businesses initially created.

Eventually, the street became known as “Rua dos Japoneses”. Because it was located in a central area of ​​São Paulo, it made it easier for residents to get to work.

Between 1913 and 1914, Professor Jinshirō Tagashira began teaching children in his own home. Then, in 1915, the Taisho Elementary School was founded, where the children of Japanese parents studied.

However, the institution only received recognition as a private educational institution by the state of São Paulo in 1919. The school is one of the main educational institutions of Japanese culture in Brazil.

Meanwhile, the number of Japanese immigrants continued to grow. By 1932, at least 2,000 Japanese were already living in the city of São Paulo. Their presence spread to other streets in the region.

Difficulties

There was a period of greater difficulty for the Japanese in Brazil during the Second World War.

At that time, the Brazilian government ordered the suspension of the publication of Japanese-language newspapers.

Furthermore, diplomatic relations with Japan were severed, leading to the closure of the Japanese Consulate General.

The government also decreed the expulsion of Japanese residents on Conde de Sarzedas and Estudantes streets. In 1945, after Japan's surrender, the situation returned to normal.

It was also with the end of the war that there was an increase in the arrival of Japanese immigrants to Brazil and, consequently, their spread throughout the region.

A little corner of Japan in Brazil

This growth in the presence of Japanese people, mainly in São Paulo and, more specifically, in the Liberdade neighborhood, naturally contributed to characterizing the place as a Japanese region in Brazil.

In 1946, the first Japanese-Brazilian newspaper that circulated in Brazil after the Second World War was founded, the São Paulo Shimbun.

In 1949, the Sol Taiyodo Bookstore was opened, which began importing Japanese books to Brazil. The establishment is still in operation today in the Liberdade neighborhood.

In the 1950s, it was Cine Niterói's turn to be opened. The space held more than 1,200 spectators and showed productions from the Japanese film industry.

The packed sessions, with huge queues to get into the cinema. All of this contributed to spreading the culture of the land of the rising sun.

Cine Niterói was considered a key piece in characterizing the Liberdade neighborhood as a Japanese neighborhood and in fostering a commercial network in the region.

Proof of this is that Galvão Bueno Street, where Cine Niterói was located, became known as the center of the Japanese neighborhood.

The place was a great attraction for the Japanese because there they could find a little corner of their homeland and relive their homesickness.

The Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance - Bunkyo was founded in 1955 to organize the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil.

In 1964, the building where the society operates was opened, on the corner of São Joaquim and Galvão Bueno streets.

Neighborhood undergoes changes

In the late 1960s, the neighborhood began to undergo changes. The Cine Niterói was expropriated and had to move. Conselheiro Furtado Street was widened and, in the 1970s, the Liberdade Station of the São Paulo subway was built.

All of this helped to modernize the neighborhood, but it also had its negative effects, with some establishments eventually closing. The area also ceased to be “exclusive” to the Japanese.

With the changes, some people stopped living in the neighborhood, deciding to keep only their commercial establishments. Koreans, Chinese and other Asians began to seek out the region.

Therefore, today it is common for people to refer to Liberdade as the “eastern neighborhood of São Paulo”. However, the strong history and influence of the Japanese presence in the region still makes the neighborhood seen as Japan in Brazil.

What to do in the Liberdade neighborhood

Shops, bars , restaurants and cultural events are just some of the main attractions of the Liberdade neighborhood. The neighborhood's oriental style, with its Japanese lanterns, is an invitation to stroll through its streets.

Praça da Liberdade and Galvão Bueno São Joaquim streets are points in the neighborhood that most give an idea of ​​the Japanese influence in the neighborhood, attracting many Japanese and Japanese-Brazilians.

In the streets of the neighborhood, you can find clothes, food, as well as utensils typical of Japanese culture, in addition to the typical festivals celebrated.

Among them, the Chinese New Year, Hanamatsuri (flower festival), Tanabata Matsuri (star festival) and Toyo Matsuri (oriental festival), for example.

Main tourist attractions

The Japanese Immigration History Museum is undoubtedly one of the main tourist attractions in the neighborhood. It is located in the Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance – Bunkyo.

There, it is possible to learn about the history, from the arrival of the first immigrants to the most recent events, through a collection that has more than 97 thousand items, including personal objects, diaries, paintings, clothes, as well as documents, donated by immigrants and their families.

The Conde de Sarzedas Palace is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in the neighborhood. History says that it was built by the nephew of the Count of Sarzedas, between 1891 and 1895, to represent his love for his future wife.

That is why the building, located on Conde de Sarzedas Street, is also called Palacete do Amor. It currently serves as the Museum of the Court of Justice of São Paulo.

The neighborhood also has historic churches such as the Santa Cruz das Almas dos Enforcados, in Praça da Liberdade, the Capela dos Aflitos, as well as the Japanese-Brazilian Personal Parish of São Gonçalo, some of them.

There are also markets in the region, as well as stores where you can buy imported oriental foods. You can also buy other oriental products in the stores, such as decorative items, clothing, electronics and cosmetics.

oriental garden

Another must-see spot is the Jardim Oriental, on Galvão Bueno Street. With its landscaping, carp pond and traditional symbols of oriental gardens, the place is a great place for a short escape from the city.

In Largo da Pólvora, one of the most historic places in the neighborhood, you can also find a Japanese-style garden, with plants typical of the country, as well as lakes with carp.

Oriental bars, pubs and restaurants are also great tourist attractions, as they serve drinks and dishes typical of Japanese cuisine and other oriental countries.

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