Asakusa Samba Carnival

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Dancer at the 26th Asakusa Samba Carnival 2006

The Asakusa Samba Carnival ( Japanese. 浅 草 サ ン バ カ ー ニ バ ル , Asakusa samba kānibaru , port. Carnaval de Asakusa ) is an annual street festival in the Asakusa district of Tokyo since 1981 . On the last Saturday in August, costumed dancers and floats parade through Asakusa, with different samba schools competing in a competition similar to the carnival in Rio .

history

Asakusa, located in the old core of Tokyo in today's Taitō district, was long known as a traditional entertainment district, but was in decline in the post-war period. The Samba Carnival was initiated in 1981 by a group of local business owners and the actor Junzaburō Ban , who grew up on the stages of Asakusa, and organized in collaboration with the Taitō municipal administration under the then Mayor Eiichi Uchiyama to create a new attraction in the district . From the beginning, samba schools competed in a competition like the Carnival in Rio, in which some cash prizes are given out. Although Japan had a poorly developed samba tradition at the time, more professional schools developed over the years - a development favored by immigrant Brazilians (some of whom were of Japanese origin). Today there are annual Samba Carnavales in Shizuoka and Saitama, both centers of Brazilian-Japanese culture.

The first Asakusa Samba Carnival already attracted around 300,000 spectators. In 2010, around half a million people lined the path of the 4,500 moving participants.

competition

The samba schools compete in two leagues. At the 30th Samba Carnival 2010 there were ten groups in the higher class S1 and six in S2. The escolas choose their own theme and choose the music, instruments of the accompanying groups ( baterias ), costumes, choreography and design of the floats accordingly. A jury then evaluates the schools in both leagues in five categories and based on the overall presentation. The mayor of Taitō and various sponsors award further special prizes, in addition there is an audience award in S1 and S2, which is awarded after a vote by mobile phone. The cash prizes only cover a fraction of the preparation costs.

Web links

Commons : Asakusa Samba Carnival  - Collection of images, videos and audio files