2012 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL in S.F. Next Weekend

Thousands Expected To Visit Japantown For 4th Annual Weekend-Long Event Celebrating Japanese Fashion, Film, Music, Anime, Technology And Pop Culture Source: MediaLab press release, NEWPEOPLEWORLD.com Official Site: j-pop.com Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

The NEW PEOPLE Building in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Inc. © NEW PEOPLE Inc.

The colorful sights, styles, sounds and flavors of Japanese pop culture returns to the Bay Area as the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival commences next weekend -- Saturday and Sunday, August 25th and 26th. The annual Festival, now in its fourth year, is organized by NEW PEOPLE, San Francisco’s dynamic Japanese pop culture entertainment venue, and presented in association with the Japantown Merchant Association. Complete details on participants and a comprehensive schedule of events at the 2012 J-POP Summit are available at j-pop.com. The theme for 2012 is “Cyberpop Overload!,” and the all-day, weekend-long celebration will offer many unique attractions that have made the J-POP Summit Festival a fun yearly gathering for the Bay Area’s pop culture savvy. In addition to two full days of music, film, fashion and other events, a contingent of 8 of the city’s premiere gourmet food trucks will offer delectable treats to complement approximately 100 local vendors and merchants. Adult attendees over 21 may also enjoy a new Tokyo-Style sparkling sho-chu cocktail as J-POP Summit sponsor, Takara Sake USA, will offer its Takara Can Chu-Hi JPOP, a refreshing carbonated alcohol beverage available in white peach and grapefruit. Valid ID is required. Takara Can Chu-Hi is a popular brand of summertime sparkling sho-chu cocktail in Japan. Attendees are also invited to stop by J-POP Summit Main Sponsor UNIQLO and its photo shooting booth, UNIQLOOKS, located in the heart of Japantown Peace Plaza. UNIQLOOKS is a fun social and global fashion community to share fashion style featuring UNIQLO clothing worn by individuals around the world. Attendees can show up in their best J-POP outfit and UNICLOOK’s professional styling team will take a great picture in coordination with UNICLO clothing on site.

Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE, Inc.

More fashion events are also scheduled including a Shibuya Girls Fashion Contest by Liz Lisa, GRAMM & FRILL fashion show by h.NAOTO, and a Lolita fashion contest by BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT. Details can be found at j-pop.com. At the festival’s main outdoor stage in Peace Plaza, join the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival’s lively MC Steve C, as he leads off this year’s extensive roster of events! A veteran San Francisco talk radio personality, Steve C is also a popular health and fitness radio show talk host with RadioSlot.com. Celebrating the Festival’s theme of “Cyberpop Overload,” will be a dynamic array of video game-inspired artists and DJs that will produce mesmerizing and danceable sets from Random Encounters, The Glowing Stars, SpacEKrafT, DJ Amaya, DJ REViSE and Vex Mode. Live rock and pop sets will also take place on the main stage of Japantown’s spacious Peace Plaza with FREE live sets for “J-Pop Lovers” by Kylee (Sony Music), The Akabane Vulgars, All Ages, Capital, and the Bay Area Girls. Band information and scheduled set times are available at www.j-pop.com. Anime fans can celebrate EVANGELION, one of Japan’s most successful and revered sci-fi properties, throughout the 2012 J-POP Summit with several attractions and events inspired by the venerable property. The Festival is proud to present the U.S. premiere of the EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM, a very special, time-limited exhibit, to be staged inside the venue’s 3rd Floor SUPERFROG Gallery for the duration of the Festival. General admission to The EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM is $5 with re-entry stamp. The EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM will offer an extensive collection of original concept and production art, character drawings and other key artifacts from the famed EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE and EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE film series. Both of these feature films will be also screened in the NEW PEOPLE Cinema on Sunday, August 25th. EVANGELION: 1.11 will play at 5:15pm; EVANGELION: 2.22 will screen at 7:30pm.

The EVANGELION-themed activities continue with REAL ESCAPE GAME x EVANGELION: ESCAPE FROM AN ANGEL, which takes a variety of cues and imagery from the smash hit sci-fi anime series. “The Real Escape Game,” is an inventive puzzle solving interactive game event, originally created in Japan, which requires players to cooperate and use their intuition and detective skills to solve multiple mysteries within a limited time. Multiple game sessions will be held throughout the weekend. Advance tickets are $25 if purchased 6 hours before event; Tickets at the door (subject to availability) are $30. Each game session lasts about 90 minutes. Advance tickets and complete game details and game times are available at RealEscapeGame.com. The technology-inspired dance and music events continue as Vocalekt Visions presents a special Vocaloid holographic live event, featuring virtual pop star Hatsune Miku. Vocalekt Visions is a unique concert troupe, which composes music using Vocaloid software and presents it as a “concert” using a unique HD projection system and special screen to give a smooth, lifelike holographic appearance to Vocaloid singers, as they would normally appear on stage. Also complementing the Vocalekt Visions concert with a live on-stage performance will be distinguished Vocaloid dancers from the Bay Area. Two shows will be held, inside the NEW PEOPLE Cinema on Saturday, August 25th, at 7:30pm and at 9:00pm; tickets are $15.00. Advance tickets and more information are available at j-pop.com/2012/vocalekt-visions.

About J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL

The J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion and DJ dance events, and celebrity appearances. The Festival is hosted by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2011, the two-day event attracted 55,000 attendees.

About NEW PEOPLE

Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE Inc. offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the "Kingdom of Pop" for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.

For more information on J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: