This past weekend, festivities began to celebrate the one hundred year anniversary of Japanese immigration in Brazil. The event kicked off with a huge celebration in São Paulo’s Sambodrome, where 25,000 people attended. The event included Japanese rhythmic dancing, drum groups, and traditional dances. Since the celebration honored the melding of two cultures, there were also Brazilian cultural traditions represented, including a samba school and floats.
Another highlight of the celebration was the participation of the Japanese crown prince Naruhito, who is currently traveling throughout Brazil in honor of the centennial. He was in the parade in the Sambodrome and also gave a brief speech, promising to work with the Japanese and Japanese descendant communities in Brazil, which encompass some 300,000 people. On Monday, the Prince arrived in Belo Horizonte, after traveling to Paraná and Brasília.

To see more photos of the event, click here.