Tango, that intimate dance of sorrow and passion that has swept the world since it was first developed in Argentina around 130 years ago, has proved increasingly attractive to "social dancers" in Japan in recent years.
As evidence of this, the 6th Tango Dance World Championship in Asia was held in Tokyo on July 4 and 5 — as all five previous Asian championships have been since the city was first selected as host in 2004 by the championship organizers, Buenos Aires City Government of Culture Secretary and Tokyo-based Latina Co.
In all, 84 couples competed in the contest, and 2,000 people went to watch them battle it out in fluid, rhythmic action spanning two categories: "salon tango" and "stage tango."