As the first modern comprehensive higher education institution in Japan, Keio University
is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2008.
The founder of Keio University Yukichi Fukuzawa is known as the first person in Japan to
introduce Brazil in his book on world geography titled “Sekai Kunizukushi” (published in
1869).
The history of international exchange between Japan and Brazil overlaps with the history
of Keio University and Brazil. In 1908, one month before the first emigrant ship
“Kasatomaru” arrived at the port of Santos, Yuzaburo Yamagata, who studied at Keio
University, arrived at the port of Rio de Janeiro. He played a leading role in pioneering
group of Japanese immigrants to Brazil. At the same time, Ryo Mizuno, president of
“Kokoku Shokumin gaisha (Japan Immigration Company)” and a graduate of Keio
University, arranged this first emigrant ship to leave the port of Kobe. Years later, Ryo
Mizuno opened “Café Paulista” in Ginza and served Santos coffee of Brazil, to promote
coffee in Japan.
In August 1930, Shizuo Hosoe, a graduate of Keio University School of Medicine, was
sent to Brazil as a contract doctor for the Foreign Ministry. Exchange with Brazil through
medicine has continued to date. In 1981, an academic partnership agreement was
established between the Faculty of law of Keio University and Faculty of law of the
University of Sao Paulo, which started academic exchange also in the field of law.
This year, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japanese emigration to Brazil, an
international symposium will be held at the University of Sao Paulo.
The Faculty of Law will participate on the theme of consumer protection law, immigration
law and etc., and the School of Medicine on the theme of parasitology, gastroenterology,
dermatology and ophthalmology. The symposium will be open to the public.
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1. Background information of the Symposium
Opposite to the fact that the Japanese immigrated to Brazil on Kasatomaru, today,
people from Brazil including Japanese-Brazilians are immigrating to Japan. Nowadays,
Brazil is counted as a country with high economic potentials such as in the word BRICs.
It is also attracting attention because of its rich mineral resources and bio-ethanol
technologies. On the other hand, Brazilian immigrants in Japan are having a hard time
adjusting to life, and are also experiencing difficulties in education, employment and
medical healthcare because of language issues. This problem has become more
significant after the Bubble Economy. The symposium aims at enhancing development
and collaboration of the two countries based on longtime research achievements of
both countries, including research that may present a clue to solving the issues of
immigrants and leading-edge research by scientists of Japan and Brazil.
2. Event Details
(1) Time and Date: Saturday, 16 August, 2008 – Wednesday, 20 August, 2008
(2) Venue: University of Sao Paulo, Campuses of the Law School and School of
Medicine
(3) Main Hosts: Keio University and University of Sao Paulo
(4) Planning: Keio University Faculty of Law and School of Medicine, University of
Sao Paulo Law School and School of Medicine
(5) Special support: Japan Airlines
(6) Supporter: Japan-Brazil Year of Exchange sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Japan Accredited event (No. 212)
(7) Cooperation: Sao Paulo Mita-kai
3. References
(1) Exchange between Keio University Faculty of Law and Brazil
Since the establishment of a partnership agreement between the Faculty of law of Keio
University and the University of Sao Paulo in 1981, academic exchanges have been
made. Since the establishment of the agreement, a faculty member of Keio University
has always taught Japanese law at Law School of the University of Sao Paulo. At the
same time, law specialists from Brazil come to Keio University to deliver a lecture at
the Faculty of Law in the occasion of visiting Japan. In 1999, Keio University conferred
the Honorary Degree of Doctor upon Prof. Kazuo Watanabe of the University of Sao
Paulo, who is also the first Japanese-Brazilian to become a judge of the high court.
Prof. Watanabe has put in great efforts to speed up judicial trial in Brazil of Brazilians
who have committed crime in Japan.
(2) Japan-Brazil Year of Exchange & Keio University 150th Anniversary: Hospital
Santa Cruz Cooperation program
In August 1930, Shizuo Hosoe, a graduate of Keio University School of Medicine, was
sent to Brazil as a contract doctor for the Foreign Ministry. He felt a strong necessity to
build a Japanese hospital for Japanese immigrants, and worked hard to realize this. In
1939, just before the completion of the hospital, the Second World War broke out and
the government of Brazil seized it, which is now operated as Hospital Santa Cruz.
Exchange has continued, and in July 1978, 4 medical students were sent to Brazil as
the first delegation of the International Medical Association, a students’ organization.
This activity has been continued, and this year, the 31st delegation has left Japan on
12 July for a 51 day trip to Brazil and other countries for mass checkup, medical
treatment and on-the-job training of emergency medical care of Japanese-Brazilians.
To interlock with the symposium, the delegation is planning an exchange at Hospital
Santa Cruz through a seminar on Kampo medicine and issue on transfer of technology.
(3) Exchange between Keio University and Brazil through sports
Exchange between Keio graduates (who were members of the athletic league) and
Brazil started before World War 2 through the pole vault. After the war, more
exchanges have been made through tennis, sailing, volleyball, baseball and etc. The
teams are mainly consisted of Japanese immigrants who used to play baseball.
Exchange between Japan and Brazil through baseball started in the 1920s, and has
played a significant role within the Japanese community in Brazil. In 1958, which was the year of the 50th anniversary of Japanese immigration, Waseda University baseball
team visited Brazil. Since, university baseball teams have visited Brazil on similar
occasions for international cultural exchange, such as Meiji University on the 70th
anniversary, Keio University on the 80th anniversary and both Keio University and
Waseda University on the 90th anniversary. From Wednesday, 6 August 2008 until
Wednesday, 20 August 2008, the baseball team of both Keio University and Waseda
University will tour Brazil to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japanese
immigration to Brazil, and will play with the national team of Brazil and play in a
Keio-Waseda baseball game in various cities of Brazil.
*To cover the event, please contact us in advance.
Inquiries:
Ms. Kawagoe or Ms. Mizuno
Office of Communications and Public Relations,
Keio University
TEL: ＋81-3-5427-1541
FAX: ＋81-3-5441-7640
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.keio.ac.jp/
