Gracious visit: Princess Kako (right) greeting a welcoming party at the Bunkyo Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture in Sao Paulo. — AP
Princess Kako of Akishino, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, received the highest order of Brazil’s powerhouse state of Sao Paulo as she kicks off an 11-day trip to the South American nation. Her trip also marks the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko arrived on Thursday in Sao Paulo.
She held appointments with members of the Japanese community on Friday and finished her schedule at a dinner with Governor Tarcisio de Freitas at the state government palace. She was awarded the Order of the Ipiranga at a closed ceremony.
Princess Kako will visit another seven cities, including Rio de Janeiro and capital Brasilia, where she is expected to meet President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Speaking to de Freitas, she made reference to the first Japanese immigrants arriving in the city of Santos in 1908 after a gruesome voyage.
On the first day of her trip, she visited the memorial to pioneer Japanese immigrants at Sao Paulo’s Ibirapuera Park.
“I felt that the immigrants made an enormous effort to adapt to Brazil, and still today are very active in different areas.
“The fact that Brazil sheltered the Japanese community deepened the connections between the countries,” the princess said.
Today, Brazil has the largest population of people of Japanese descent in the world, estimated at about 2.7 million. About half of those live in Sao Paulo state, official figures show. — AP
