Interest in food and other items from or associated with Brazil is growing in Japan ahead of the World Cup soccer tournament to be held there next year.
Restaurante Carioca, a Brazilian restaurant in the Aoyama neighborhood in Tokyo associated with former soccer star Ruy Ramos, a naturalized Japanese of Brazilian descent, has for some time been a favorite dining spot for ardent fans of both the sport and Brazilian culture.
Sales have been up 20 percent or so in recent months as a broader range of people flock to the restaurant.