On May 30 and 31, Ribeirão Pires will host the Oriental Festival, an annual event celebrating Asian culture and tradition through cuisine, artistic performances, and workshops. In partnership with Kaikan, the festival serves as a gathering place for the Asian community, which has had a strong presence in the city since the Japanese immigration.
Although relatively recent, the event started modestly, with just one day of celebration, but has since become one of the city’s main cultural events and now lasts two days.
This year, the festival will take place at the Ribeirão Pires City Hall, in the city center. It is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Currently, admission to the festival remains free, but requires a donation of 1 kilogram of non-perishable food or pet food at the entrance.
Dining options
The festival’s cuisine is a show in itself. At the event venue, there will be stalls and food trucks specializing in Asian cuisine. With dishes such as sushi, sashimi, ramen, gyoza, yakisoba, and other Japanese options. In addition, the festival also features Korean options, such as hot dogs.
The menu will also feature Asian sweets and even desserts considered exotic. There will also be traditional drinks and teas.
Shows and attractions at the Oriental Festival
The festival’s curators sought to strike a balance between Asian tradition—featuring taiko and traditional dances—and, on the other hand, to incorporate new trends linked to pop culture, such as anime and K-pop.
With that in mind, the event will feature dances, folk groups, and taiko performances. It will also provide a platform for contemporary singers and groups. In addition, it will include themed spaces such as the Maid Café, which will have staff dressed as anime characters.
Activities continue with the traditional cosplay contest, divided into adult, teen, and kids categories, including participation by pets. There will also be origami and Japanese calligraphy workshops for all ages.
Ribeirão Pires and Japanese Immigration
The Japanese were the first to arrive in the city, in 1923. Officially recognized as the founders of the Japanese community in the region, the couple Yutaka Nogami and Toki Kumabe Nogami were on their honeymoon when they decided to settle in the city and purchase land for farming.
Soon after, Chinese and Korean immigrants also settled in Ribeirão Pires throughout the 20th century. Integrating with the local Japanese community, the immigrants formed a sort of “Oriental corridor, ” featuring Asian businesses and cuisine in the city.
Currently, Ribeirão has its own Japanese-themed attraction with the Milton Marinho de Moraes Oriental Park, inaugurated in 2020 on the banks of the Billings Reservoir. Within the complex is the Miroku Tower, , linked to the Meishu-Sama doctrine. Built in the 2000s, the temple offers guided tours