São Paulo's Japantown got its name (which means "Liberty") after the 1888 abolition of slavery when the neighborhood's main square, which once held the official city whipping post, was renamed Praça da Liberdade. Adopted shortly thereafter by Japanese immigrants, Liberdade is now the center of the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. The best way to experience the area is to get off at the Liberdade Metrô stop and take a stroll down Rua Galvão Bueno. In addition to pretty Japanese lamp standards, the street has some great sushi restaurants (plus Chinese and Korean cuisine as an added bonus), mineral and knickknack shops, Asian grocery stores, and Japanese faces everywhere. The small but excellent Museum of Japanese Immigration tells the story of the Japanese diaspora in Brazil. On Sundays, the square surrounding the Metrô stop becomes the giant outdoor Sunday market. The enthusiastic staff at the Museu Historico da Imigração Japonesa, Rua São Joaquim 381 (tel. 011/3209-5465; www.nihonsite.com/muse; R$5 adults, R$1.50 children 8 and over; Tues-Sun 1:30-5:30pm; Metrô: Liberdade), is eager to show off three floors of photographs, artifacts, and film loops telling the 100-year history of the Japanese experience in Brazil.
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