District of freedom

Liberty is a tourist district of Sao Paulo, located in part district and part of Liberty in the district known as the Cathedral is the largest stronghold of the Japanese community in the city, which, in turn, brings together the largest Japanese world, outside Japan
The Japanese presence in the neighborhood began in 1912 when Japanese immigrants began to reside in the street Count Sarzedas, steep slope, where the bottom was a stream and a swamp area.

One reason to seek this street is that almost all had basements, and the rents of the rooms in the basement were incredibly cheap. Lived in these rooms just groups of people. For those immigrants, that corner of the city of São Paulo meant hope for better days. Being a central district, there could move easily into the workplace.

Even then came the commercial activities: an inn, an emporium, a house that made tofu (bean curd), which produced another manju (Japanese sweet) and firms also agents for jobs, thus forming the "street of the Japanese" .
Signs Eastern.

In 1915 he founded the Taisho Elementary (Primary School Taisho), which helped in educating the children of Japanese, then the approximate number of 300 people.

In 1932 there were about 2,000 Japanese in São Paulo. They came directly from Japan and also from inside, close the contract after working in the field. All came in search of an opportunity in the city. About 600 Japanese lived on the street Count Sarzedas. Others lived on the streets Sister Simplicianus, Tabatinguera, Conde do Pinhal, Conselheiro Furtado, Thomas Lee (Today Mituto Mizumoto), which was founded in 1914 Ueji Hotel, a pioneer of Japanese hotels in Sao Paulo, and Students. The Japanese worked in more than 60 activities, but almost all establishments operated to meet the Japan-Brazilian community.

On October 12, 1946 was founded the Sao Paulo Shimbun newspaper, the first post-war between the Nikkei. On 1 January 1947 was the turn of the Journal Paulista. In the same year opened the Sun Bookshop (Taiyodo), still present in the neighborhood of Liberty, which passes through the Japanese books imported from the United States. The travel agency Tunibra, starts activities in the same year. An orchestra formed by Professor Masahiko Maruyama is the first post-war concert in March 1947 in the auditorium of the Center Professorship Paulista, Avenida Liberdade.
The famous trade fairs in the region.

On July 23, 1953, Yoshikazu Tanaka opened the street Galvão Bueno a building of five floors, with lounge, restaurant, hotel and a large screening room downstairs, to 1,500 spectators, called Cine Niterói. Different films were shown weekly produced in Japan, for the entertainment of the Japanese in São Paulo. Galvão Bueno Street becomes the center of the Japanese quarter, growing around the Cine Niterói, having been driven out of the street traders Count Sarzedas. It was there that the Japanese could find a little corner of Japan and kill longing for their homeland. In its heyday, worked in the region cines Niterói, Nippon (Santa Luzia in the street - now the headquarters of the Association Aichi Kenjin kai), Jewel (the square Carlos Gomes - evangelical church today) and Tokyo (Rua Sao Joaquim - also church).

In April 1964 the building was opened Japanese Cultural Association of Sao Paulo (Bunky) on the corner of San Joaquin Street and Galvão Bueno.