Liberdade

Japanese immigration to Brazil began in 1908 with the Kasato Maru, and the country now holds the largest population of Japanese descent outside Japan, concentrated in Sao Paulo. Liberdade is where that community settled in the city: red suzuranto street lamps along Rua Galvao Bueno, a torii at the metro exit, shops selling ingredients, ceramics and manga, and a Sunday street fair on the main square with food stalls. The Museu Historico da Imigracao Japonesa tells the story properly, including the indenture conditions on the coffee plantations and the wartime persecution of the community. Chinese and Korean businesses have grown substantially here since the 1990s, and the district's official name now acknowledges the wider East Asian presence.

What you actually see

• Red suzuranto lamps - the street lighting along Galvao Bueno.
• A Sunday street fair - food and craft stalls on the main square.
• The immigration museum - the full account, indenture and wartime years included.
• A district that changed - Chinese and Korean businesses alongside Japanese.

When to go

All year; Sunday for the fair. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The Sunday fair is crowded and increasingly generic. The area is a busy central district with the usual city precautions needed, more so at night. The immigration museum keeps limited hours. Restaurant quality varies widely on the main streets.

Nearby

The Se cathedral is north; Avenida Paulista is west up the hill.