asakusa samba festival '09 浅草サンバカーニバル第29回

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 3 September 2009 in People & Portrait.

Held annually during the last weekend in August, the Asakusa Samba Carnival (浅草サンバカーニバル) (also known as the Samba Festival or Samba Matsuri, サンバ祭り) was the brainchild of Japanese actor-comedian Junzaburo Ban, a man in love with Rio de Janeiro's Carnival. After some persuasion, the mayor of Taito Ward, Eiichi Uchiyama, was finally convinced of the economic benefit that such a festival could bring to the city- -and of the ties that could be fostered with Brazil.

The inaugural Asakusa Carnival, held in 1981, was a huge hit: the winning team of Rio's Carnival was invited to perform, and local groups and civic organizations made their own floats and costumes and paraded down the streets of Asakusa.

In the years since then, over 50 million visitors of all ages and nationalities have enjoyed the hip-swinging, foot-tapping, bare-bummed bonanza. Samba carnival 2009 saw over 40 teams with dancers and alegoria floats (from Japan and Brazil alike).

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