Japan’s Ambassador to Brazil Akira Yamada said the congressional approval of reforms, like the overhaul in the country’s pension system, may encourage more Brazilian companies to invest in Brazil.

“I’m convinced that, if the reforms advance, many Japanese companies will once again look at Brazil with the intention to settle and increase investment,” he said.

The statement was made during a Senate session on the 111th anniversary of the Japanese immigration in Brazil, held last Monday (Jul 8).

“The world’s third biggest economy, Japan offers a number of possibilities and enormous potential for Brazilian exports. It is Brazil’s most traditional partner in Asia and the country with which we have had the biggest technical cooperation for 60 years. The Brazilian government has made efforts to start Mercosur–Japan trade talks, one of the most advantageous avenues to our agribusiness, the diversification of our exports, and the attraction of new investment from Japan,” said Cecília Ishitani, director of the Japan and Pacific department with the Foreign Ministry.

The session, proposed by Senator Leila Barros, made reference to the arrival of ship Kasato Maru, in June 1908, at the Porto de Santos, in São Paulo state, bringing 781 Japanese people to work on São Paulo farms.

Today, Brazil is home to the largest community of people of Japanese descent, with some 2 million people.