Knowing that there was an area in São Paulo that was similar to that of a Japantown in Brazil, I knew that when I visited, I would need to check out the Museu da Imigração Japonesa located in Liberdade. I had pre-made plans to go on a walking tour earlier that day so it was an easy win and my guide was so kind in showing me directions on how to get there. The museum is about 4 levels I think of historical content.
The ticket was about R$10-20 if I remember correctly. I would say be sure to arrive where you'll have enough time to see everything here! I think I had about 3 hours, but honestly could have probably used a little more if I had wanted to read everything - there is a ton if information and artifacts that were new to me that it could have taken me some time going through everything I came across.
There are lots of areas that have TV screens where they have videos playing of interviews, documentary type recordings, historical storytelling recordings, etc. Each floor contains something super interesting and new - definitely saw some unexpected things while I was there and it made my experience all the more memorable.
It was not too crowded when I was there so it was nice to go at my own pace and not feel overcrowded or rushed. There is also a room where there is an interactive station where you can write or draw on magical water coloring type board using a traditional Japanese brush using water. Once the water dries, the color of the board changes and appears like ink. There is also a station where you are able to do origami and another area where people can sit and view what is playing on the big screen in that same room.
On the upper level, there is a small gift shop and during the time that I went back in March of this year, they were in prospects of creating a cafe that was in the remodeling stages. The museum staff were all friendly and I actually had the pleasure of having a nice conversation with one of them where I got a sense of what it was like for them to live in Brazil with Japanese heritage. This was one of the best museums dedicated to showcasing Japanese culture and what immigration to Brasil was like that I have ever been to. read more