Japanese Companies Active in Brazil Today
Japanese companies in Brazil have continued to operate even amid the harsh conditions of the pandemic. As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to calm down and new values aimed at sustainability are required, this series will introduce the current status of Japanese companies active in Brazil. This is a project sponsored by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brazil. Reprinted from the Newspaper Brasil Nippou.
Stories from this series
Part 33—Connecting the World with Automotive Parts: Yazaki Brazil
Oct. 15, 2025 • Tomoko Oura
In the 33rd installment of this series, we spoke with Chairman Naoki Ii (64, from Tokyo) and General Manager Leonardo A. Faria (39, from Rio de Janeiro) of Yazaki do Brasil (President Lázaro de Figueiredro Júnior). The company manufactures and sells automotive parts, mainly wire harnesses (assembly wires for automobiles) that connect the devices in cars, throughout Brazil. In South America, too, they aim to realize the “connection” concept common to Yazaki Group products through people’s lives and society as …
Part 32—Yamaha Motor Brazil, the most dynamic motorcycle manufacturer
June 20, 2025 • Tomoko Oura
In the 32nd installment of this series, we spoke with Mauro Iwamura (50, Tsuppan student), president of Yamaha Motor Brazil (hereinafter referred to as YMDB). The company has been the fastest growing motorcycle manufacturer in Brazil over the past seven years, with a growth rate of 17% during that period, far exceeding the industry average of 8%. * * * * * Brazil is the first place for Yamaha to establish a factory outside of Japan YMDB began operations in …
Part 31—Hitachi South America, Ltd.: A company with a history dating back to before the war
June 6, 2025 • Tomoko Oura
In the 31st installment of this series, which covers the current status of Japanese companies active locally, we spoke with Hitachi South America, Ltd. President Yasunori Miyoshi (54, Chiba Prefecture). The company was incorporated in 1982, but its presence in Sao Paulo as a base for South America dates back to 1940. By updating its currently thin business portfolio in South America and combining the latest IT, OT (control and operational technology) and products to solve social issues, the company …
Part 30—Konica Minolta Business Solutions of Brazil
May 29, 2025 • Tomoko Oura
In this 30th installment of the series, we spoke with Kenji Matsubara (57), director of Konica Minolta Business Solutions of Brazil. Since its establishment in 1988, the company has been involved in the sale of multifunction devices, production print machines, and label printing machines. Last year, Konica Minolta Inc. of Japan celebrated its 150th anniversary, while the company itself marked its 35th anniversary, and to mark this milestone, the company created a special logo for both companies and expanded its …
Part 29: Fruta Fruta, the company that sparked the acai boom in Japan
May 16, 2025 • Tomoko Oura
Acai has become known as an Amazonian superfood in both Brazil and the US. It was Fruta Fruta Co., Ltd. that sparked this boom in Japan. In this 29th installment of the series, we spoke with Makoto Nagasawa (62, Hyogo Prefecture), CEO of Fruta Fruta, a company headquartered right next to the lush forests of central Tokyo. The company acts as the exclusive import and sales agent for fruit ingredients produced by CAMTA (Cooperativa Agrícola Mista de Tomé-Açu.), Brazil's largest …
Part 28—Abe Law Firm, with Close Ties to Japanese Companies
May 2, 2025 • Tomoko Oura
In the 28th installment of this series, we spoke with Abe Marcos of Abe Law Firm and Marcelo Cargano, chief of the firm’s Japan desk. The firm is one of the leading law firms that has been providing services to Japanese companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates in Brazil for many years. The firm has organized a team of experienced Brazilian lawyers from the Japan Desk, which serves as the Japanese language liaison office, and works with Japan’s big four …
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