ASAKUSA Underground > Asakusa Samba Carnival
To the visitors from abroad as well as most of the Japanese, Asakusa is something old and traditional; the reminiscence of by-gone days.
It is never something hot and tropical like Samba.
Every summer, on the last Saturday of August, they have a Samba Carnival in Asakusa, and it attracts not only spectators, but also many groups of dance competitors.
It started in 1981, has nearly survived for three decades, and is now thriving.
Then, one wonders why Asakusa needs a Samba Carnival.
In early '60s, Asakusa had to go through the westward expansion of Tokyo and the inevitable change of its economic epicentre.
Asakusa had enjoyed the status of Tokyo's most fashionable area before and after World War II.
After Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro took it over, the sales of the shops in Asakusa went down visibly.
The catastrophe of its economic deforestation was to be seen.
They needed any measures to stimulate the local business.
Their answer was Samba.
It is interesting to know that, decades ago, Asakusa had to experience the hardship that many provincial cities are going through now.
Due to the openings of automobile-friendly shopping molls in the suburb areas, they have lost their clients and are struggling.
There is a Japanese expression describing this economic donut effect:
シャッター通り商店街 [Shattah doori shohtengai]
(Shutter Street Shopping District; once it was a flourishing shopping district, but they don't open the shutters of their shops any more because they went out of business. Now you can see only shutters)
Japan has so many theme parks such as a Spanish Village, a Dutch Village, a German Village, or a village of any country.
These are their own "Brazilian Sambas"; the desperate attempts to attract people and money.
They used to receive a lot of subsidy from the government.
That is the reason why you see some European men and women disguised in their pseudo-national costumes of the Middle age or something in a deserted theme park in the middle of nowhere.
Once the subsidy runs out, they cannot keep dancing their folkloric dance any more and will go home with a little yen in their purse.
It is not the case of the Samba in Asakusa.
It attracts many people, especially amateur photographers who want to shoot the girls in bikinis.
On the Carnival day, you can see many zoom lenses sticking out in the crowds.
They don't miss any moment when they can shoot a close-up of the particular part of a dancer’s body.
Asakusa was one of the forerunners who brought a foreign folklore to Japan.
The difference between their successful attempt and other miserable failures was semi-nudity.
Well, it is better than nothing.
Japan also had its own carnival.
It was called matsuri.
In the old days, it was an opportunity that a man and a woman got together.
While dancing, they found a partner and then disappeared in the forest nearby.
Like the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, ten months later than the matsuri, we used to have babies.
Now it is not the same.
The local educational authorities control a matsuri, and the acts of love are not permitted in the open-air.
[Reference in Japanese]
http://www.asakusa-samba.jp/about.htm
<Notice>
If you have some idea on which you can work with a city / village / district or a small business in Japan in order to stimulate your / their local economy, we are very happy to help you find a partner. Please contact us.
Asakusa Samba Carnival
To the visitors from abroad as well as most of the Japanese, Asakusa is something old and traditional; the reminiscence of by-gone days.
It is never something hot and tropical like Samba.
Every summer, on the last Saturday of August, they have a Samba Carnival in Asakusa, and it attracts not only spectators, but also many groups of dance competitors.
It started in 1981, has nearly survived for three decades, and is now thriving.
Then, one wonders why Asakusa needs a Samba Carnival.
In early '60s, Asakusa had to go through the westward expansion of Tokyo and the inevitable change of its economic epicentre.
Asakusa had enjoyed the status of Tokyo's most fashionable area before and after World War II.
After Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro took it over, the sales of the shops in Asakusa went down visibly.
The catastrophe of its economic deforestation was to be seen.
They needed any measures to stimulate the local business.
Their answer was Samba.
It is interesting to know that, decades ago, Asakusa had to experience the hardship that many provincial cities are going through now.
Due to the openings of automobile-friendly shopping molls in the suburb areas, they have lost their clients and are struggling.
There is a Japanese expression describing this economic donut effect:
シャッター通り商店街 [Shattah doori shohtengai]
(Shutter Street Shopping District; once it was a flourishing shopping district, but they don't open the shutters of their shops any more because they went out of business. Now you can see only shutters)
Japan has so many theme parks such as a Spanish Village, a Dutch Village, a German Village, or a village of any country.
These are their own "Brazilian Sambas"; the desperate attempts to attract people and money.
They used to receive a lot of subsidy from the government.
That is the reason why you see some European men and women disguised in their pseudo-national costumes of the Middle age or something in a deserted theme park in the middle of nowhere.
Once the subsidy runs out, they cannot keep dancing their folkloric dance any more and will go home with a little yen in their purse.
It is not the case of the Samba in Asakusa.It attracts many people, especially amateur photographers who want to shoot the girls in bikinis.
On the Carnival day, you can see many zoom lenses sticking out in the crowds.
They don't miss any moment when they can shoot a close-up of the particular part of a dancer’s body.
Asakusa was one of the forerunners who brought a foreign folklore to Japan.
The difference between their successful attempt and other miserable failures was semi-nudity.
Well, it is better than nothing.
Japan also had its own carnival.
It was called matsuri.
In the old days, it was an opportunity that a man and a woman got together.
While dancing, they found a partner and then disappeared in the forest nearby.
Like the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, ten months later than the matsuri, we used to have babies.
Now it is not the same.
The local educational authorities control a matsuri, and the acts of love are not permitted in the open-air.
[Reference in Japanese]
http://www.asakusa-samba.jp/about.htm
<Notice>
If you have some idea on which you can work with a city / village / district or a small business in Japan in order to stimulate your / their local economy, we are very happy to help you find a partner. Please contact us.