Expo Japan-Paraguay 2025, hosted on 5 and 6 September, 2025, at the Paraguay Japanese Centre (Centro Paraguayo Japonés on Instagram) in Asunción aimed to foster connections between Paraguay and Japan. Music, dances, crafts, activities, information about Japan, and cuisine were offered to attendees. Entry was free, enabling greater attendance. Hundreds of participants gathered simultaneously to either explore Japanese culture further or reconnect with their heritage. The Asunción Times attended, joining in the celebration of cultural exchange.
Expo Japan-Paraguay 2025 Friday events
On 5 September 2025, the Expo Japan-Paraguay 2025 presented a night programme, commencing with an opening ceremony, beginning with remarks from Shimo Yamanishi, President of the Association of Residents of Japanese Prefectures in Paraguay. The ceremony concluded with a speech by Katsumi Itagaki, the Ambassador of Japan in Paraguay.
Following the ceremony, attendees had the opportunity to sample Japanese cuisine. Visitors also viewed crafts created by artisans from Japan and Paraguay. Concurrently, dance and musical performances, including Zenidaiko and Nanchu Soran, were shown. The evening concluded with a harp concert.
Saturday events at the Expo Japan-Paraguay 2025
On 6 September, the Expo Japan-Paraguay 2025 was offering a full-day programme with artistic performances, like a showing of the art of Shodo. Shodo is Japanese calligraphy, the art of writing characters with brush, ink, and paper in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Following the Shodo was dances and musical performances. The first group was Ñemity, composed of Paraguayans with interest and love for Japan. The second group, composed of Japanese-Paraguayans, performed dances and chants in a circle in front of the crowd. The attendees of the Expo Japan-Paraguay 2025 really enjoyed this performance. A brief interlude gave the chance to the organiser to do a raffle with everyone in the attendance. Shortly after, an award ceremony, the Uchiwa Kagawa Kenjin Kai, was held for the Japanese community. The night finished with other musical and dances presentations.
Japanese community and its impact in Paraguay
As per the Embassy of Japan in Paraguay, the first group of Japanese settlers arrived in South America in 1936 and moved to La Colmena. Due to the Second World War, immigration stopped and only restarted in 1953. Immigration reached its peak in the 1960s. Around 10,000 Japanese descendents and immigrants are living in Paraguay nowadays. A further 1200 Japanese-Paraguayans live outside of the country, mostly in Brazil and Japan.
Paraguayans of Japanese descents have had a great impact in Paraguay, especially in the business and cultural sector. Each year in Yguazú, in the Department of Alto Paraná, the the Natsubon, a festival celebrating Japanese culture is organised. Also held, each year in Asunción, is the Nihon Matsuri, the biggest Japanese festival in Paraguay.
Moreover, the governments of Paraguay and Japan are collaborating in strategic sectors. For instance, earlier in 2025, Japan donated fifty fire engines to Paraguay’s volunteer firefighters. Additionally, both governments engage in exchanges across the technological, scientific, diplomatic, educational, and agricultural sectors.
