Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa

São Paulo


This modest but fascinating museum, on the 7th floor of a Liberdade office building, documents the arrival and integration of the Japanese community. Photos, period objects and a full-scale reconstruction of a typical immigrant’s farm lodging tell a poignant story: from the arrival in Santos of the first 781 settlers aboard the Kasato-Maru in 1908, through to today. Bring ID.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby São Paulo attractions

1. Catedral da Sé

0.7 MILES

Crowning the Praça da Sé is the domed Catedral da Sé, a huge neo-Byzantine concoction that, for better or worse, replaced the original 18th-century…

2. Praça da Sé

0.76 MILES

The old heart of the city, palm-fringed Praça da Sé has seen better days but still draws animated crowds; from street hawkers and nose-down business types…

3. College of Law

0.79 MILES

Next to Igreja de São Francisco de Assis is the prestigious College of Law. Founded in 1827, it is considered to be Brazil’s oldest institution of higher…

4. Igreja de São Francisco de Assis

0.8 MILES

Built in the 17th and 18th centuries, this classic example of Portuguese baroque just west of the Catedral da Sé is one of the best-preserved colonial…

5. Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo

0.8 MILES

On Praça da Sé stands the modest Igreja do Carmo, which dates to the 1630s and still preserves its original high altar.

6. Caixa Cultural

0.85 MILES

This cultural center occupies a grand neoclassical-style building with an imperious facade of black marble that served as Caixa Econômica Federal's…

7. Japan House

0.88 MILES

You can't miss the stunning facade of this Av Paulista newcomer. Its sliding vertical plank entrance sits in stark contrast to the surrounding concrete…

8. Solar da Marquesa

0.89 MILES

Down a set of narrow downtown side streets stands one of the city’s last surviving 18th-century residences. This simple but delightful villa was once home…