Japan – 2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival

The Asakusa Samba Carnival is made up of almost 20 different groups of performers. With local groups from Japan and also groups from Brazil. Some of the bigger groups had several hundred people in them made up of marching bands, dancers, singers, other performers and usually also a parade float. Each of the groups had a different theme that everyone in that group was coordinated to. Many of the themes seemed pretty normal, but as the parade when on, the themes seemed to get stranger and stranger, with themes like Egypt, Mexico, Food, Space, The Zodiac, and some that were so strange that I wasn’t sure what the theme was other then to maybe see how strange they could be.

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy Costume Strange Festival

Hairy chested men in dresses is always a bit strange

Egyptian Theme. This guy was really getting into his role.

This group had a food theme

Food

If you can't tell, he's a squid with soy sauce

This guy's not happy. He only joined the samba group because he thought it would be a good way to meet sexy chicks, but instead he's parading down the street in front of a hundred thousand people dressed as a bowl of rice with natto (rotten soy beans) on it.

I have no idea

He's actually part of a samba group and hadn't just wandered out into the parade route.

Space Theme

Space Theme. Rocket powered bicycles.

Space Theme. It turns out that space can be sexy.

Space Theme

A Boob Theme?

Heart Theme. This was one of the stranger groups. The giant heart was made out of some kind of soft plastic and was actually beating in time with the drums.