Japantown Walking Tour (Self Guided), Sao Paulo

Home to the world's largest ethnic Japanese community outside Japan, the Sao Paulo district of Liberdade entices tourists with its Asian-inspired influences present everywhere: restaurants, shops, decor, markets, etc.

Up until the late 19th century, the area was known as Campo da Forca (Field of the Gallows) as the one reserved for the execution of slaves and convicts – for whom the only way to liberty was death. The hangings were carried out until 1891 in Largo da Forca (Gallows Square), the public square now known as Praça da Liberdade (Liberty Square). Igreja da Santa Cruz das Almas dos Enforcados (Church of the Holy Cross of the Souls of the Hanged), prominently located to the south of the square, commemorates the dead of Campo da Forca.

The Japanese presence in the neighborhood began in 1912. As of 1974 the entrance to Liberdade has been marked by a nine-meter tall red Torii (a characteristic arch marking the entrance to Shinto Shrines). This towering structure, situated on Rua Galvão Bueno (Galvão Bueno Street), is a distinctive representation of the neighborhood. People from all over the world, as well as other parts of Brazil, are often seen mingling with the Japanese housewives doing grocery shopping on Galvão Bueno and the businessmen looking for some low-priced Asian food for lunch.

As of recently, sizable populations of Chinese and Koreans have also inhabited Liberdade. Nowadays, the area is a popular tourist destination and a meeting spot for those interested in Asian (mainly Japanese) culture.

If you are suchlike and would like to explore the most popular attractions of Liberdade on your own, take this self-guided walking tour.