Why do some Swiss dress up as Japanese during carnival?

There is a carnival group in Schwyz, central Switzerland, called the Japanesen (the Japanese), who sometimes seem a little strange – and not just to the Japanese. They perform open-air plays during the carnival season. The tradition is 170 years old, but it is struggling to survive. On January 6, Epiphany, a public holiday in Catholic-dominated canton Schwyz, the Japanesen held their "Empire Assembly" in a congress hall near the main square for the 169th time. It is the general assembly of the Schwyz carnival group Japanesengesellschaft (Japanese Society). "Are you in favour of us performing the 52nd Japanese carnival play in 2028?" asked the president of the society, Karl Schönbächler, known as "Hesonusode", and the hall erupted in loud, approving applause. In addition to the Japanesen in oriental costume, other carnival groups also welcomed the decision. In Schwyz, a carnival parade takes place every year on Ash Wednesday, the so-called Nüssler, where masked figures dance in ...