Brazil Maru was a Japanese cargo ship requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II as a troop transport and prisoner of war (POW) transport ship.

The Japanese did not mark their prisoner transports, leading to numerous casualties from friendly fire attacks.

Although both ships had been hauling livestock, no attempt had been made to clean out the manure prior to the boarding of the prisoners, nor was any food for the prisoners loaded.

[3] They docked at Takao (now Kaohsiung) in Japanese Formosa on New Year's Day 1945.

An estimated 500 prisoners died aboard Brazil Maru during the voyage from Takao to Moji, although sources vary.