Honored to Serve as a Judge at the 41st Asakusa Samba Carnival

It was a great honor to serve as Chair of the Judging Committee for the 41st Asakusa Samba Carnival.

This year, once again, each team brought its own unique theme and creative vision, delighting us with an incredible variety of expressions through music, costumes, dance, and spectacular allegorias.

The rain brought cooler temperatures, so thankfully there was no concern about heatstroke. But I have to say… the Asakusa Samba Carnival just feels right in the heat of summer!

As a judge, ranking the teams was truly a difficult task. I was also honored to present the Asahi Beer Special Award, selected by the Chair of the Judging Committee.

My heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all the participating teams for their wonderful performances, and to everyone on the Asakusa Samba Carnival Executive Committee for all their hard work in making this spectacular event possible.

Thank you for bringing such incredible samba energy and passion to Asakusa, even in the rain!