Açaí Day
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What Is Açaí Day?
September 16th is "Açaí Day" in Japan, established in 2019 by Frutafruta Inc., a company specializing in açaí beverages and food products. The date marks September 16, 1929, when the first ship carrying Japanese immigrants arrived in Belém, a city at the mouth of the Amazon River.
Nearly a Century of History Linking Japanese Immigrants and Açaí
Açaí is celebrated worldwide today as a superfood, but few know that its rise is deeply tied to the history of Japanese immigration to Brazil.
- Origin: The date commemorates September 16, 1929, when a ship carrying Japanese immigrants reached Belém at the mouth of the Amazon River
- Established by: Frutafruta Inc., a company dealing in açaí beverages and foods, in 2019
- Purpose: To spread awareness of how Japanese immigrants who settled in the Amazon played a major role in cultivating açaí and building it into an industry
How Japanese Immigrants Helped Build the Açaí Industry
Japanese immigrants who crossed the ocean to the Amazon farmed under harsh conditions while contributing to the region's economic development. The açaí we know today as a global food owes much to the accumulated effort of these immigrant communities.
According to Frutafruta, 2019, the year the day was established, marked the 90th anniversary of Japanese immigration to the Amazon. In 1999, a juice-extraction line for açaí is said to have been installed at the fruit factory of CAMTA, the Japanese-Brazilian agricultural cooperative in Tomé-Açu, Pará, making mass production possible; this is often credited with leading the way in industrializing açaí.
How to Mark the Day
- Enjoy an açaí bowl or açaí juice
- Look into the history of Japanese immigration to Brazil
- Research the nutritional value and health benefits of açaí
- Read about the connection between the Amazon and Japan
A Story of Immigration in Every Bowl of Açaí
Açaí Day sheds light on a little-known history that links the distant Amazon to Japan. On September 16th, consider enjoying your usual açaí bowl with a fresh appreciation for the story behind it.