The diplomatic relations were officially established on 5 November 1895 with the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation signed in Paris.

In October 1868, Japan entered the Meiji period and began fostering diplomatic relations with several nations, after centuries of isolation.

[4] As a result, thousands of families of Japanese origin in Brazil were arrested or deported as potential spies or collaborators.

Many in the Japanese-Brazilian community were tortured, and were forced to step on an image of Emperor Hirohito, who was then considered divine in Japan.

[4] Brazil has been deeply influenced by Japan, on both an economic and humanitarian plateau, through various third parties such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Official Development Assistance (ODA) or the World Health Organization (WHO), and so on.

Japan plays a significant role in fostering friendly relations and improving the climate for diplomatic activities.

In 2014, the Brazilian president Rousseff stated that with this agreement, both countries will be able to expand high-level political and economic contacts.

[15] In the 2016 Japan-Brazil Summit Meeting, the Prime Minister stated that Japan attaches importance to its relationship with Brazil as an important partner with which it shares fundamental values such as liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and with which it also cooperates in international fora.

[16] The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) sets to support open innovation by providing financing to potential companies that contribute to the improvement of Brazil and promote sustainability.

[17] Apart from direct relations with Brazil, Japan is involved in organizations such as Basic Human Needs (BHN) which makes sure people have the necessities of life.

The Japanese work with the World Health Organization (WHO) in developing countries to educate people about the HIV virus and to help search for a cure.

In addition, to support the protection of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and combat illegal deforestation, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JICA) intends to begin phase two of the project that utilizes satellite images using artificial intelligence to predict where illegal deforestation may happen next.

Japan's main exports to Brazil include: automobiles, automotive parts, motors, metal working machinery.

[4] The two countries are negotiating a free trade agreement, with possible announcement until the end of 2019, following the opening of the South American market, Mercosur.

[21] Japan's foreign direct investment (FDI) in Brazil is increasing since last century and more than 450 Japanese companies are operating in the Brazilian market.

[19] Japanese cultural imports such as anime, video games, food, films, music (J-pop) have had a significant impact in Brazil.

BJJ eventually came to be its own defined combat sport through the innovations, practices, and adaptation of Gracie jiu-jitsu and judo, and has become one of the essential martial arts for modern MMA.

With regard to Japan's commitment to global issues, Brazilians recognized such areas as "environmental protection" (42%), "sustainable society" (32%) and "support for disaster prevention" (31%).