SAO PAULO — For many members of Brazil’s Japanese community, Monday’s World Cup showdown between Brazil and Japan offered no easy choice. The knockout match became less about picking a side than celebrating two identities that have coexisted for generations.
Alan Saito embodied that divided loyalty as he arrived to watch the match wearing both national team jerseys. Japan’s blue shirt covered Brazil’s famous yellow kit, while his face carried green-and-yellow paint.
“Our hearts are divided,” said the 47-year-old digital advertising influencer before kickoff. “If Japan wins, that’s fine. If Brazil wins, that’s fine too.” He predicted Brazil would eventually prevail 2-1.
Brazil is home to about 2 million people of Japanese descent, more than half of them living in Sao Paulo. Their community traces its origins to the early 20th century, when Japanese immigrants arrived to fill labor shortages on coffee plantations. Today, Sao Paulo hosts the largest Japanese diaspora outside Japan.
One gathering point on Monday was a family-owned restaurant in Vila Ema, a neighborhood with a large Okinawan population. Decorated with Brazilian and Japanese flags, the restaurant welcomed dozens of supporters representing three generations of Japanese-Brazilian families.
Most spectators wore Brazil jerseys while enjoying pastel, the deep-fried pastry that has become a staple of Japanese-Brazilian cuisine. Yet conversations frequently turned to family ties rather than football rivalries.
Andresa Yumi Tacacura and her partner, Rafael Miyasato, both third-generation Japanese-Brazilians who previously lived in Japan for six years, admitted their loyalties leaned in Brazil’s favor but were far from absolute.
“We’re 70% behind Brazil and 30% behind Japan,” Miyasato said as he held the couple’s three-month-old son.
Supporters alternated between chants for Brazil and Japan, often using the affectionate Brazilian nickname “Nipo” for people of Japanese heritage. When Japan scored first, the restaurant briefly fell silent, interrupted only by celebrations from the smaller group wearing blue jerseys.
Among them was Satika Yonamine, a 73-year-old Okinawan who has lived in Brazil for five decades.
“I’m cheering for Japan only because my daughter is supporting Brazil,” she said with a laugh.
Similar scenes unfolded across Liberdade, Sao Paulo’s historic Japanese district, where Japanese lanterns lined streets filled with Brazil flags as bars welcomed fans supporting both nations.
Retiree Yushi Tokimatsu wore a floral Brazil-themed shirt over a Japan jersey while watching the match with friends. As Brazil equalized early in the second half, he admitted part of him still hoped Japan would advance because he doubted Brazil’s prospects of winning the tournament.
“I’d rather they go out now and try again next time,” he said.
His outlook changed moments later when Brazil struck the winning goal deep into stoppage time.
Tokimatsu immediately rose to celebrate alongside Brazilian supporters, smiling as he posed for photographs with fans waving the national flag.
“I’m not upset,” he said after the final whistle. “That’s part of the game.”
For many Japanese-Brazilians, the dramatic finish did not produce winners and losers within their community. Instead, it highlighted a century-old bond between two countries connected by migration, family history and a shared passion for football.
