Tag: Festival


Japan – 2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival – Sexy

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I don’t normally think about Japan and a Brazilian Samba Carnival together, but that’s what happens every summer in Japan’s version of the Rio Carnival in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. Almost 5000 participants paraded through the streets of Asakusa in wild, sexy and sometimes strange costumes. This year was the 30th anniversary of the Asakusa Samba Carnival.

One of the reasons for a Japanese Samba Carnival is that Japan and Brazil have had a long connection, with Brazil having the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan because of the over 200,000 Japanese farmers who moved to Brazil to work on the coffee plantations in the early 1900′s.

When I think of Samba, the first thing that comes to mind is women is elaborate, sexy outfits that don’t hide a whole lot and the Asakusa Samba Carnival was no different. Here’s some of the sexier photos I shot.

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy

Her outfit really is not hiding much

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Japan – 2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival – Strange

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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

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy Costume Strange Festival

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy Costume Strange Festival

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

2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival Parade Japan Tokyo Sexy Costume Strange Festival

This group had a food theme

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Japan – 2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival – Fancy

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Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival, Parade

Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival, Parade

Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival, Parade

Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival, Parade Click to read the rest of this post


Japan – 2010 Asakusa Samba Carnival – Extra

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Here’s a few more photos from the Asakusa Samba Carnival that didn’t really fit into the other categories.

Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival

Sometimes you need to make adjustments.

Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival

One of the store owners along the parade route had a couple of step ladders set up in front of their store and were selling time on them.

Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival

It looks like she had a wardrobe malfunction.

Tokyo, Japan, Samba Festival

All of the Samba groups had people walking along side with coolers full of drinks. This poor girl looked like she was really overloaded.

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Japan – Awa Odori

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2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo.

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo.

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo.

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo

2010 Awa Odori Dance Festival in Koenji Tokyo


Japan – Tokyo Bay Fireworks

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Japan has some amazing summer fireworks festivals. When I first when to one I was shocked at the crazy huge crowds of people going to see them and how big the fireworks display was. In the US, most fireworks displays I’ve seen last less then half and hour. But in Japan an hour to two hours seems to be pretty normal.

One of the bigger festivals is the Tokyo Bay Fireworks. For this festival the fireworks are launched from barges floating in the middle of Tokyo Bay and people pack the edges of the bay and nearby building to watch.

Tokyo Bay Fireworks Festival seen from Odaiba

Tokyo Bay Fireworks Festival seen from Odaiba

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Japan – Fireworks

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Japan – Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus)

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Japan has many interesting and amazing things to see and do, some are even a bit strange…this is the strangest thing I’ve seen so far. This past weekend I went to the annual Shinto fertility festival held in Kawasaki called Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus).

The festival dates back to the Edo period (1603-1867) when prostitutes prayed for good business and protection from disease.

Somewhere behind all of the guys with cameras is a lady sitting on a giant wooden penis.

Unfortunately this is the best photo I have of someone riding the giant penis.

She’s feeling the power of a giant penis.

Yes, that’s a gianormous pink penis sticking up out of the crowd. What’s even stranger is that the pink penis’s name is Elizabeth.

This kid is going to need lots of consoling when he grows up. He’ll have strange nightmares about giant black penises and he won’t understand why.

The penises head out of the shrine for a parade around town.

The penis parade heading down the main street of town.

These guys were carving penises out of vegetables. The vegi-penises were later auctioned off to raise money for AIDS research.

These two are obviously impressed by the skilled carving.

This guy is just a little bit too weird.