Sponsored by Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation and organized by USP´s Polytechnic School, on October  5th  to 7th, 2015, the 9th International Seminar of Port-City Universities League (PUL) was held with the theme:  "Sustainability of Port Cities: Environment, Quality of Life and Smart Logistics".
The PUL was established in 2006. It is an association of 15 universities from 12 countries. This Forum aims to promote the exchange between universities and societies of these countries to deepen the knowledge of ports and their respective cultures.

Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation supported a law seminar at USP on April 28th, 2015.
Two lectures were held at the seminar, inviting prominent Japanese professors.
1. Whistleblower Protection in Japan by Prof. Shozo Ota, University of Tokyo
2. Choice of Law in International Contracts by Prof. Yoko Nishitani, University of Kyoto.

In 2013 and 2014, Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation sponsored the implementation and maintenance of Atelier of NEOJIBA. The luthier for wind instrument is a strategic area for the future expansion of the program, ensuring not only the maintenance and repair of musical instruments, but also the professionalization of the youth. Young apprentices have an opportunity to broaden their knowledge and transform their relationship with music and their professional life.

On November 14, 2014, the Polytechnic School (Poli) and the Institute for Energy and Environment (IEE) of University of Sao Paulo organized the seminar of "Sustainable Energy - Policies and Technologies" with the sponsorship of Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation. The event was attended by about 60 participants, including students, businessmen and invited institutions.

On 29 August 2014, the Seminar on Labor Law took place at University of Sao Paulo (USP), inviting Prof. Oda from University of London. Prof. Oda is specialized in Japanese and Russian laws, but at this seminar he explained the evolution of Japanese labor market and highlighted distinct features of Japanese labor law.

On 13 and 14 March 2014, the KEIO-USP Symposium on International Law took place at University of Sao Paulo (USP) with the theme of Evolution of Law in the 21st Century. The Mitsui Foundation co-sponsored this Symposium which consisted of 6 panels, discussing on civil action suit, history of international laws, alternative dispute mechanism, civil law and consumer protection law.

The Symposium was co-organized by Keio University of Japan and invited 6 Japanese professors from the Department of Law of Keio University.

On 11 and 22 November 2013, the UTokyo Forum was hosted at University of Sao Paulo (USP) with the theme of Global Emergence of Frontier Knowledge. On this occasion, the Mitsui Foundation co-sponsored a workshop on Ship & Ocean Technology and Marine Fisheries, one of the 15 workshops held at the Forum. The workshop, organized by Prof. Nishimoto of USP and Prof. Takagi of of UTokyo, included more than 30 professors and researchers from both universities and Brazilian and Japanese companies such as Petrobras, Transpetro, IHI, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Since 2013 Japanese universities and research institutions have started accepting Brazilian scholarship students who are funded by Brazilian government’s Science without Borders Program. However, Japan is not attracting as many Brazilian scholarship students as US, Europe, China and South Korea. To promote Japanese technology to Brazilian students and encourage more to study in Japan, the Foundation decided to support the workshop in the science field this time. Particularly, the ship and ocean technology is an increasingly important field in Brazil as the country is embarking on the pre-salt oil development project which requires state-of-the-art technology in ship building and marine navigation.

The UTokyo Forum is held approximately every two years in close partnership with globally renowned academic institutions around the world, to promote academic and student exchange and introduce the latest research activities at University of Tokyo.

On 9 October, a workshop was organized by Mitsui&CO.,LTD at the city of Ogaki in Gifu prefecture in Japan to present activities of Kaeru Project for the audience including caretakers of Nikkei children (Brazilian kids of Japanese origin) and teachers of Brazilian schools in the region. Kaeru project is financially supported by the Mitsui Brazil Foundation and is currently supporting about 70 Brazilian kids in Sao Paulo who have returned to Brazil after living in Japan and are struggling to adjust to the new environment in Brazil. The workshop presented the difficulties and challenges faced by these Brazilian kids and explained the educational and mental support offered by the project.

According to the speaker and the representative of the project, Ms. Kyoko Nakagawa, many Brazilian kids who were born and/or raised in Japan face a language barrier after returning to Brazil. Some cannot speak Portuguese at all even though they are Brazilian by nationality. She saw cases where kids gave up learning Portuguese and stayed depressed, saying “I hate Brazil” or “I will go back to Japan once I turn 18 years old”. She pointed out that kids can start understanding the abstract concepts by acquiring the language and emphasized on the importance of language education.

The 16th edition of Japan Festival, the largest event on Japanese culture in Latin America, took place in Sao Paulo on 19, 20 and 21 July in 2013.

12 staff of Mitsui Brazil participated in the event as volunteers to assist the food stand of the “Projeto de Integração Pró-Autista (PIPA)”.

The PIPA is one of the projects to which the Mitsui Brazil Foundation provides financial support as part of corporate social responsibility, and has been offering a special education program for autistic children since 2006.

The 12 Mitsui volunteers cooked and sold popular Japanese food such as yakitori (chicken skewer), onigiri (rice ball), curry rice and gyudon (bowl of rice with beef).

All the fund raised by the food stand will be used to support the autistic children at the PIPA.

The 8th course sponsored by Mitsui was held at São Paulo University on August 20th. The course was divided in 3 sessions with separate subjects. The subject of the first session was "Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Japan", which was lectured by Mr. Yoshimitsu Aoyama (Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo). Mr. Aoyama gave an update on the diffusion of ADR in Japan highlighting the utilization in order to resolve the disputes caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. He ended the session by noting that it would be necessary for Japanese government to consider financial backing for ADR entities and training of the human resources in the area of ADR.

The subject of the second session was "Consumer protection laws in Japan", which was lectured by Mrs. Yukiko Hasebe (Professor of Faculty of Law, Gakushuin University). Mrs. Hasebe illustrated the characteristics of the class action of Brazil comparing with that of USA, and explained the movement for the introduction of class action legal system in Japan.

The subject of the last session was "Human rights of foreigners in Japan", which was lectured by Mr. Yasuo Hasebe (Professor of Faculty of Law, The University of Tokyo). Mr. Hasebe pointed out that human rights of foreigners are sometimes restricted, despite the doctrine that human rights should be universal. He introduced 2 theories regarding relation between nation and citizen to explain why this phenomenon happens.

All sessions were very interesting and the audience was listening to the lectures intently.

On December 3, 2011, a Christmas party was held at a Sao Paulo City elementary school by representatives of the Kaeru (Going Home) Project. Mitsui & Co. was represented at the party by Mitsui & Co. (Brasil) President Fujii and his wife.

Under the Kaeru Project, the Institute for Educational and Cultural Solidarity (a local non-profit organization) cooperates with the state and city educational authorities to support the smooth adaptation and return to Brazilian society and education of children returning to Brazil from Japan. Mitsui has endorsed the aims of the project and provided support since the project's establishment in 2008.

The party was attended by approximately 150 guests, including children who have been supported by the project and their parents. After a greeting from a representative of the NPO, a musical performance was given by the children. President Fujii and his wife had a very enjoyable time, and particularly enjoyed handing over Christmas presents to the children.

Mitsui will continue to support the project so that the smiles we saw on the faces of the children on the day of the party also appear on the faces of other children returning to Brazil in the future.

On April 26, 2011 the Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation welcomed Professor Masayuki Murayama from Meiji University's School of Law to address the University of São Paulo Law School for the 6th Mitsui-Sponsored Lecture.

The theme of the lecture was "New Developments in Japanese Research into Civil Disputes". During the lecture, Professor Murayama explained that Japanese research into civil disputes predates Western research and those changes in the national attitude to civil disputes and revisions to the legal system in Japan have meant a gradual move in methods of dispute resolution away from arbitration by a patriarchal figure and towards a legal basis for resolutions. As a result, changes can now be seen in the previously low number of lawsuits that was seen before as characteristic of Japan. Approximately 40 people listened attentively to the fascinating lecture.

Mitsui & Co. will continue to work on projects involving the Mitsui-Sponsored Lectures as a way of promoting exchange between the legal communities of Japan and Brazil and encouraging mutual understanding between both cultures.

On November 3, 2010, the Mitsui Bussan do Brasil Foundation invited the General Consul of Japan in São Paulo Obe to speak at the 5th Mitsui Lectures on the theme of "The Outlook for Japan-Brazilian Relations". General Consul Obe described the future relationship between the countries in terms of three characteristics (bi-directionality, partnerships in international society and multi-layers) and four directions (economy, partnerships in international society, strengthening of relationships at a social level and vitalization of cultural and personnel exchanges). Later, an announcement was made concerning a second donation by Mitsui & Co (Brasil) S.A. of Japanese law translations to the University of São Paulo Law School, and a speech was made by the School's Prof. Magalhaes expressing his thanks for the donation. A commemorative plaque was also revealed, which is to be displayed in the library where the books are planned to be kept.

Mitsui & Co. (Brasil) S.A. plans to continue sponsoring lectures and donating books as a way of contributing to the training of human resources capable of contributing to the development of relations between the two countries through the study of Japanese society and law.