Pavilhão Japonês, Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo

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Built jointly by the Japanese government and the Japanese-Brazilian community, the Japanese Pavilion was donated to the city of São Paulo in 1954, in celebration of the IV Centenary of its foundation. At that time, Ibirapuera Park was being inaugurated. Oscar Niemeyer was responsible for the park's architectural design, but among the spaces idealized by the architect, one building does not show his features.

This is the Japanese Pavilion, whose main feature is the use of traditional Japanese materials and techniques, with reference to the Katsura Palace, the former summer residence of the Emperor in Kyoto.

Figure 1: The Japanese Pavilion was transported disassembled, on a ship, and brings together materials brought especially from Japan, …

Figure 3: … volcanic stones from the garden, …

Figure 4: … Kyoto mud that gives texture to the walls, among others.

Its project was carried out by Professor Sutemi Horiguchi (from Meiji University) and is based on modular wooden compositions (with sliding partitions, external and internal), organically articulated, and marked by the presence of the tokonoma (area intended for the exhibition of paintings, arrangements floral, pottery, etc), including chashitsu (room for tea ceremony), as well as other built-in niches, with shelves and small cabinets, decoratively arranged.

Figure 5: The tea ceremony hall was opened in 1954 with the presence of heir grandmaster Sen Soko (later 15th Grandmaster of the Urasenke School of Tea Ceremony).

Figure 6: The Exhibition Hall houses original pieces and replicas of “Japanese treasures”, representing artistic and craft languages from different periods; donated and consigned by the government of Japan, entities, companies and various personalities. Part of this collection was exhibited during the celebrations of the IV Centenary of the City of São Paulo.

Figure 7: The lake received the first nishikigoi (colored carp) in the 1970s, on the initiative of the Brazilian Association of Nishikigoi – with a capacity of around 100,000 liters of water, it houses around 320 carp.

This is one of the few pavilions, outside of Japan, to keep its features in a perfect state of conservation. The other is located in the United States and is known as “Shofuso” – Solar do Pinheiro e do Vento, also built in 1954 and is currently installed in Fairmount Park, in Philadelphia.

Distinguished visitors visited the Japanese Pavilion and its garden displays some of the landmarks of these visits, such as the homage paid by the City of São Paulo to the Japanese-Brazilian community on June 18, 1978, on the occasion of the visit of the Crown Prince couple Michiko and Akihito.

Visited by most of the Japanese authorities who came to Brazil, the Japanese Pavilion is a monument that symbolizes Japan's feeling of gratitude to the Brazilian people for welcoming Japanese immigrants.

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