Brazilian Designs Inspired by Japanese Architecture

Written by Giovana Martino | Translated by Diogo Simões
Published on August 02, 2022

June is the month in which the day of Japanese immigration is celebrated in Brazil, a country that has the largest Japanese colony outside Japan, with more than 2 million people, Japanese or descendants. Since the 20th century, Japanese families immigrated to Brazilian rural regions, forming a solid colony in the interior of states like São Paulo, influencing many aspects of the local culture.

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On June 18, 1908, the first ship arrived in Brazil bringing Japanese families looking for better opportunities while their country was in an overwhelming economic and political crisis between the wars. Mass immigration lasted until the mid-1970s, and most of the families that landed in Brazil were poor peasants from the southern and northern provinces of Japan. Upon arriving in Brazil, they settled in regions of the rural interior of São Paulo, where over time they had more exchanges with Brazilians and other immigrants until they consolidated themselves as a strong colony, influencing the food, habits and even the architecture of the region.

In turn, Japan recovered economically and became one of the strongest economies in the world, being, therefore, an influential agent of culture in the world. Within the scope of architecture, for example, Japan is the country with the most Pritzker Architecture Prize winners, with 7 nominees: Arata Isozaki in 2019, Shigeru Ban in 2014, Toyo Ito in 2013, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa in 2010, Tadao Ando in 1995, Fumihiko Haki in 1993 and Kenzo Tange 1987. In this way, the attributes of Japanese culture that were imprinted on architecture were also recognized globally and began to influence projects around the world, whether from their techniques, form, aesthetics and even conceptually. Check out a selection of Brazilian projects that demonstrate this influence below: