Sway examines how Caribbean culture and carnival is celebrated, from Trinidad to Tokyo

By Simona Siad

People in Japan love sushi, fashion, anime and, yes, carnival. Every year, Tokyo’s Asakusa district, central to the capital’s traditional “shitamachi” (downtown) area, is filled with Brazilian rhythm for the Asakusa Samba Carnival.

The event, held annually since 1981 on the last Saturday of August, was launched to revitalize the town by an association of local stores that were modelling carnivals on Brazil’s.

The festival and parade draws more than 500,000 spectators every year. Japanese samba teams select their own themes and make their own costumes. In addition to the groups of dancers, there are also solo dancers called “passista,” who often wear vivid-coloured bikinis and feathers on their backs as they perform their dances.

A percussion band called a “bateria”, which is Portuguese for drums, provides the music.  Unlike more rambunctious carnivals, the crowds in Japan are said to be more disciplined and calm, with many people at the family-style event taking pictures and marveling at the exotic costumes.

Sway recognizes that it did not, and could not, cover all of the amazing carnivals that exist in the Caribbean and around the world. Please comment below and tell us which global carnival is your favourite and why.