Princess Kako welcomed at Japanese-Brazilian school
Princess Kako visits Colegio Oshiman in Sao Paulo on June 7 to interact with fifth-generation Japanese-Brazilian students at the school. (Yuko Kawasaki)
SAO PAULO—Princess Kako visited a school in Sao Paulo on June 7, deepening decades-long ties between Japan's imperial family and the Japanese-Brazilian community.
The princess met with students at Colegio Oshiman, a private school with a large number of fifth-generation Japanese-Brazilian children.
Yukie Isshiki, 16, who visited Japan earlier this year, gave a welcoming speech in fluent Japanese.
She described the moving moment of hearing the emperor speak during his New Year's public appearance, saying, 'My heart trembled.' She shared memories of her homestay and added, 'I love Japan even more now.'
Kako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito and the second daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, smiled and applauded the speech.
Although most of the students' parents do not speak Japanese, the children are studying the language three times a week.
They also participate in calligraphy, flower arrangement and other Japanese cultural activities each week.
BIENNIAL TRIP TO JAPAN
Every two years, selected students such as Isshiki travel to Japan for a 50-day educational visit. The trip includes attending the emperor's New Year's greeting—a rare opportunity to see the imperial family members during a public appearance.
Mayumi Kawamura Madueno Silva, the school's principal, noted the emotional impact of these cultural ties, saying that even students who don't know the emperor's face are moved to tears when they trace their ancestors' roots in Japan.
During Kako's visit, the school celebrated the traditional Brazilian "Festa Junina" (June Festival), showcasing folk dances and homemade sweets.
After trying Brazilian treats such as fried tapioca and "brigadeiro" (a chocolate dessert), Kako said they were very tasty.
The school also maintains a 50-year tradition of letter exchanges with the emperor emeritus and empress emerita.
Students regularly send essays and New Year's greetings. In return, they receive letters from the Imperial Household Agency, reporting that the emperor's parents enjoy reading them.
'We write letters every year and even attended the New Year's greeting in Tokyo, but the imperial family still felt distant,' said Isshiki. 'After meeting Princess Kako today, I felt much closer to them. I want to be kind like her.'
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