HATSUNE MIKU Announces North American Headlining Tour Spring 2016

Hatsune Miku is coming back to North America Spring 2016, this time bigger than ever!

Two years after her successful Fall 2014 live concerts in Los Angeles and New York, virtual singer Hatsune Miku prepares to return to the North-American continent in Spring 2016 for "HATSUNE MIKU EXPO 2016 North America", her longest and largest overseas tour to this date.

The HATSUNE MIKU EXPO world tour is a series of live concert events starring Hatsune Miku, the first-of-her-kind virtual artist, performing on stage through synthesized voice and CG animation. The first edition took place in Jakarta, Indonesia in May 2014, followed by Los Angeles and New York in October the same year, and Shanghai, China in June 2015. The 2016 edition of HATSUNE MIKU EXPO will begin with a series of concerts in five cities in Japan, before crossing the Pacific Ocean to perform in six more cities across North America: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto, New York.

[HATSUNE MIKU EXPO 2016 North America Tour]

April 23rd (Sat) in Seattle, WaMu Theater
April 30th (Sat) in San Francisco, The Warfield
May 6th (Sat) in Los Angeles, Microsoft Theater
May 14th (Sat) in Dallas, The Bomb Factory
May 20th (Fri) in Toronto, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
May 28th (Sat) in New York, Hammerstein Ballroom

HATSUNE MIKU EXPO Tickets will go on sale Friday, Nov 20th at 9am PST/ 12noon EST

Official Website: http://mikuexpo.com/na2016

Official Twitter: http://twitter.com/mikuexpo

http://twitter.com/mikuexpo 

Hatsune Miku Releases Special "Hatsune Miku Project Mirai Complete"

Japanese music sensation and virtual pop star Hatsune Miku has announced the release on October 26th of her latest limited edition box set collection, Hatsune Miku Project Mirai Complete.

The new set features 5 CDs and 1 Blu-ray disc that includes: 100 VOCALOID Tracks, Opening Movies,Official Theme Songs, Music Videos (up to Project Mirai DX/Deluxe), one Nendoroid Petite Mikudayo with Exclusive Background Boards (past limited merchandise), 6 Disc Stickers, one Confidential Application Ticket, and one Special Brochure “Monthly Mikudayo.” Hatsune Miku Project Mirai Complete is available now for purchase for $75.00 from the online Japanese pop culture entertainment website KawaiiKakkoiiSugoi.com.

 Fans can visit KawaiiKakkoiiSugoi.BigCartel.com to purchase Hatsune Miku Project Mirai Complete.

Hatsune Miku Project Mirai Complete is a complete collection of all soundtracks and videos from the 3DS Game “Project Mirai” series. 5 CDs in the box feature tracks from popular game soundtracks to newly released room BGM tracks arranged by a renowned array of VOCALOID producers. Contained in the Blu-ray disk are opening movies of Project Mirai series, music videos of theme songs, a digital art gallery, as well as a special video that catches a crazy side of Hatsune Miku.

The box set edition also comes with a number of exclusive bonus items that Hatsune Miku fans will definitely want to add to their collections:

Nendoroid Petite Mikudayo (Complete Version): Nendoroid Petite Mikudayo (Complete Version) comes with 3 new attachable parts and 5 background boards (only available at Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi Shop in the U.S. and U/M/A/A STORE in Japan). With 4 worldwide famous landscapes printed on the boards, Miku “visits” Osaka Castle in Japan, Arc de Triumph in Paris, Statue of Liberty in New York and even the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt. Fans can compose with their own lines for Mikudayo’s speech bubbles on the fifth board!

·         Special Brochure “Monthly Mikudayo”: Separate from the CD booklet, a brochure called, “Monthly Mikudayo,” covers everything Hatsune Miku, from gravure photos and interviews, to Mikudayo manga and street snapshots.

·         6 Sets of Vocaloid Characters Stickers: Stickers of 6 VOCALOID characters are enveloped as CD and Blu-ray disk covers.

·         Confidential Applications Ticket: The box comes with a confidential application ticket which enables Hatsune Miku fans to be chosen for a special secret event!

Hatsune Miku Expo Song Contest

Crypton Future Media is excited to announce the “Hatsune Miku Expo Song Contest,” an opportunity for musicians around the world to have their music performed for an international audience! For the first time ever, Crypton is taking submissions for a song to be directly incorporated into Miku’s setlist; not only will the winners receive prizes for their songs, the entry that wins the Grand Prize of the Hatsune Miku Expo Song Contest will be part of a future Hatsune Miku Expo concert.

In conjunction with the song contest, Crypton is releasing the free trial version of Hatsune Miku V3 English. If you have never tried your hand at making a song with Miku’s vocals, now is your chance!

Hatsune Miku’s concerts have consistently sold out immediately upon their announcements in Japan, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore; she has performed in front of an estimated total of 85,000 people during her previous tour. Thanks to her success, she has realized many different collaborations: music festival performances, an Isao Tomita-composed symphony with a full orchestra, a futuristic opera that traveled to Paris, and opening for Lady Gaga’s North American ARTPOP tour. Miku’s Internet buzz peaked in 2014 when she made her American network TV debut with a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman.

For contest rules and details please see the official contest page: http://mikuexpo.com/contest

5 Great Songs from Supercar

Supercar is one of my favorite J-Pop bands. Like many otakus I usually hear about a band through anime. I was first introduce to Supercar when they did a song "Storywriter" for Eureka Seven. After listening to that song I was hooked. I decided to give you guys and gals my favorite top five songs from Supercar. You can check out the player below and here is a brief history on Supercar.

Hailing from Aomori Prefecture, Supercar was formed in 1995 when bassist Miki Furukawa placed an advertisement in a local magazine seeking fellow musicians. Junji Ishiwatari responded and convinced childhood friend Kōji Nakamura to join as well. Junji and Kōji soon recruited drummer Kōdai Tazawa, an acquaintance from middle school. After writing songs and recording demo tapes, they received a record contract. In 1997 they released their debut album, Three Out Change, and their second album, Jump Up, in 1999. This album was followed by Ooyeah and Ookeah, both also released in 1999. With the 2000 album Futurama, electronic experimentation took a larger role that would characterize the band's sound for the rest of their career. The 2002 release Highvision continued the electronic development, and the single Strobolights did not even contain a guitar. They released their last album, Answer in 2004. Perhaps their most experimental album,Answer contained balance of both rock and electronica.

They are famous for their 2005 song featured in the anime Eureka Seven, "Storywriter".

In 2005, Supercar broke up following a final concert, released under DVD as Last Live. Following the breakup, Furukawa and Nakamura have pursued successful solo careers.

Despite the break-up, Supercar released two remix albums named RE:SUPERCAR 1 and RE:SUPERCAR 2 in 2011. The albums are redesigned version of some of their tracks throughout their career together with never before heard songs. The limited edition of these albums sported a different CD jacket and bonus CD containing some of their untitled tracks and demos.

J-Pop Summit Festival 2014

Last weekend on July 19th to July 20th 2014 I had the pleasure of attending the J-Pop Summit 2014 in San Francisco. The festival was packed with J-Pop stars such as Tokyo Girls Style, Tomomi Itano and many more.I had a blast watching the dance contest, touring the Japan Center and meeting artist in artist alley. Check out the pics below and video of my walk-through to see more. 

J-Pop Summit was a blast and I definitely will be going again next year. The festival offered some really cool events and stars that signed autographs. I will say this if you wanted ramen you better be there early. The ramen line was long the wait was two to three hours. One thing is for sure ramen is very popular at the J-Pop Summit.  I will say one of the major highlights, was the performance from Tokyo Girls Show and autograph session with Kei illustrator of Hatsune Miku. I even got some gaming done at the festival. J-Pop Summit wasn't all music, cosplayers and stars. The Japan Film Festival was also taking place at the New People Building. I didn't get a chance to see a film this time around but I will next year. Overall the event was great, minus that ramen line. I don't know, it seem like everyone in San Francisco wanted ramen that weekend. If you want a J-Pop experience without going fully to Japan, try going to the summit it's worth the trip.

One of the stages at the J-Pop Summit Festival

Shopping at J-Pop Festival

Camera Shy Black Diamond?

Black Diamond Booth

Friendly Cosplayer

Inside The Japan Center. The Legendary Bruce Lee

Artist Alley

Artist http://yuumei.deviantart.com/

2014 J-Pop Summit Program Overview

The 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival, San Francisco’s premiere celebration of Japanese pop culture, music, fashion and film, commences next weekend – Saturday & Sunday, July 19th and 20th – and will be open from 11:00am - 6:00pm on both days across the city’s entire Japantown District. A special FREE live concert – J-POP LIVE at UNION SQUARE – also will take place in the S.F.’s notable downtown district on the evening of Saturday July 19th. Full Festival details are available at: www.J-POP.com.

Guests of Honor
The J-POP SUMMIT is proud to welcome several special Guests of Honor for 2014 including pop stars Tomomi Itano (former AKB48), Tokyo Girls’ Style, and May’n, Harajuku fashion models/designers Ayumi Seto, Una, Misa Kimura and Akira, the amazing beat boxer DAICHI, along with artist KEI, who created the iconic character design for the world’s first virtual pop singer Hatsune Miku. The J-POP SUMMIT also joins with the 2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco to present Japanese actor Yûki Furukawa (“Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo”) and film director Mitsutoshi Tanaka (“Ask This of Rikyu”) as special Guests of Honor. Fans and attendees can look forward to appearances by all of the Guests of Honor across a variety of events throughout the weekend. Additionally, several will participate in special meet & greet opportunities as well as audience Q&As, exclusive signings and photograph opportunities. More information at: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/category/guests.

Live Music
J-POP SUMMIT attendees are invited to catch some of the hottest Japanese pop and rock acts in a series of FREE afternoon concert sets on the Pagoda Main Stage in Japantown’s Peace Plaza as well as at a special FREE open-air live concert, “J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE,” in city’s downtown Union Square on the evening of Saturday, July 19th beginning at 6:30pm. Music headliners scheduled to perform this year include the U.S. concert debut of famed pop music superstar Tomomi Itano, as well as the popular idol group Tokyo Girls’ Style, which also makes its first-ever U.S. appearance at J-POP SUMMIT. Others set to perform include the amazing beat box vocal skills of DAICHI, a special musical performance by Harajuku fashion model/singer Una, Japanese pop singer Kylee, the U.S. debut of the kimono cosplay idol duo YANAKIKU, and the hard rocking sounds of J-rock bands Pinky Doodle Poodle, and the all-girl punk rock trio, The Akabane Vulgars on Strong Bypass. Full details on the J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE concert are available at: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/j-pop-live-at-union-square. Also catch May’n at Slims for a special solo show on Sunday as the closing event of the Festival, on Sunday, July 20th. Details at: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/mayn-at-slims.

Fashion Programming
Festival-goers and fashionistas will not want to miss the return of a variety of “KAWAii!!” themed fashion shows, contests and live performances showcasing edgy new sides of Japanese pop style along with autograph and meet-and-greet opportunities with several of the J-Pop fashion world’s fastest rising stars. This year’s KAWAii!! events are supported by Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco and presented as the first collaboration with MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON, a new initiative developed by ASOBISYSTEM, a prominent entertainment company based in Harajuku, Tokyo, to promote a wider range of Japanese pop culture on an even bigger, more global level. Fashion Programming highlights appearances by several of Harajuku’s iconic models and designers including Ayumi Seto, Misa Kimura, Una and Akira. Several of these models will join others from Bay Area to showcase a colorful debut summer collection from Ayumi Seto’s fashion line, “Aymmy in the batty girls.” Many of the same outfits featured in the show will be available to purchase at KAWAii!! Pop-Up Store located inside the NEW PEOPLE building. The action carries over the Pagoda Main Stage in Peace Plaza where fans are invited to catch solo live sets from Akira, a popular model and singer, as well as Una is a charismatic plenty of danceable groove to J-POP SUMMIT for special concert performances not to be missed! More fashion programming information at: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/harajuku-kawaii.

Film Premieres & Events
J-POP SUMMIT film programs are presented in conjunction with the 2014 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF), the first and only fully-dedicated Japanese film celebration for the S.F. Bay Area which opens on Saturday, July 19th and runs thru Sunday, July 27th. Screenings take place at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, located inside the NEW PEOPLE building at 1746 Post St. J-POP SUMMIT Festival film premieres include the inspiring anime omnibus SHORT PEACE, and J-POP Splash! 2014, a music video collection presented by the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, featuring the hottest J-Pop artists, along with TOKYO SHORT SHORTS: A New Generation Of 5 Short Films which takes place in Tokyo and other parts of Japan and was directed by a innovative new generation of young filmmakers. J-Pop fans and film-goers will also not want to miss the very special U.S. theatrical premiere of COUNT FIVE TO DREAM OF YOU and KOTODAMA: SPIRITUAL CURSE. Both films star the members of Tokyo Girls’ Style in leading roles. The group will host a special audience Q&A immediately following the film screenings. Also don’t miss special in-person appearances by JFFSF Guests of Honor actor Yuki Furukawa, who will help mark the U.S. theatrical premiere of his new short film, "wo ai ni" in TOKYO, and director Mitsutoshi Tanaka who appears to celebrate the Bay Area premiere of his newest work, Ask This of Rikyu. Both films will screen at NEW PEOPLE Cinema during J-POP SUMMIT. Tickets and additional information at: www.JFFSF.org.

POP Gourmet Food, RAMEN STREET & Sake Tasting Attractions
The POP GOURMET Food Festival returns for its second consecutive year to present new expanded attractions including Sake Tasting, RAMEN Street, and a Japanese Beverage and Bites & Snacks Area, along with an array of the Bay Area’s most unique mobile eateries and food trucks. RAMEN Street is a brand new attraction presented for the very first time at J-POP SUMMIT and will give attendees an appetizing look at Japan’s favorite food. RAMEN Street is organized and co-presented in cooperation with the Ramen Yokocho Association. Those of legal age are also invited to sample an assortment of some of the world’s preeminent sake brands in a special Sake Tasting Area. Festival sponsor Takara Sake USA will offer a variety of sake and anchor a prominent “J POP” booth in Beverage Area promote its popular sparkling cocktail Takara Can Chu-hi “J POP” as well as present Takara’s Official “J POP” Ambassador, the amazing 23-year-old Japanese human beat-box, DAICHI, in a series of special in-booth performances.

Tomomi Itano To Perform First U.S. Performance At 2014 J-Pop Summit

J-Pop music superstar Tomomi Itano will perform her first-ever U.S. performance at 2014 J-Pop Summit in San Francisco . Tomomi Itano performs in support of her brand new full-length release, “SxWxAxG,” which was released on July 2nd. Tomomi Itano will perform at a special FREE J-POP Live at Union Square concert on the evening of Saturday, July 19th at 7:50pm in the city’s downtown Union Square stage, and is also set to perform on the Pagoda Main Stage in Japantown on Sunday, July 20th at 11:00am. 50 VIP guests will be invited to join a special Meet & Greet with Tomomi Itano and each will be given an autographed poster. These lucky guests will be selected at random from fans that purchase VIP PASS A or B by Friday July 11th at 5pm PST (http://www.j-pop.com/2014/vip/). Those selected to join the Meet & Greet will be notified by email. Additional information about Tomomi Itano and her J-POP SUMMIT performances as well as the Meet & Greet are now available at www.j-pop.com/2014/tomomi-itano. You can check out some of Tomomi music videos below.

About Tomomi Itano: Born in Kanagawa, Japan in 1991, Tomomi Itano rocketed to fame as a founding member of the Japanese all-girl pop idol super group, AKB48. The group was founded in 2005 and pioneered the concept of a new breed of J-Pop stars with distinct personalities and kinetic live shows. In 2011, while continuing activities as a core member of AKB48, Itano released her first solo single, “Dear J,” followed six months later by her second single, “Fuini,” which topped the Japanese Oricon pop music charts. Since then, she released additional chart topping singles such as, “10nen-go no Kimi e,” “1%,” and “little.” In 2013, Itano officially graduated from AKB48 to focus on her solo career. 

Additional Tomomi Itano information is available at: 

Official Website: 
TomomiItano.jp 

Official Community Site: 
http://teamtomo.com/ 

Facebook: 
http://www.facebook.com/tomomiitano 

Twitter: 
https://twitter.com/tomo_coco73
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J-Pop Teen Idol Group Tokyo Girls Launches Crowdfunding Project

Here is news from the J-Pop  Summit 2014.

In conjunction with their upcoming appearance at the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival and J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE concert appearance, the Japanese teen pop idol group – Tokyo Girls’ Style – has launched a crowd-funding project dubbed “Let’s All Join Hands to Make Sunflowers Bloom Girls’ Style in San Francisco.”

The fundraiser’s proceeds will help finance a special Tokyo Girls’ Style TV documentary, co-produced with SPACE SHOWER TV Plus, which will document the group’s monumental first-ever U.S. concert with full of Sunflowers at Union Square in San Francisco downtown, as well as present interviews and other special J-POP SUMMIT Festival appearances.

Tokyo Girls’ Style will appear as Guests of Honor for a series of live performances and special personal appearances at the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival, one of the nation’s largest celebrations of Japanese pop culture, music, fashion and film. The 5-member all-girl dance and vocal group will perform live in concert along with other top pop artists from Japan on the evening of Saturday, July 19th as part of the “J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE,” taking place in city’s downtown Union Square area, and also will perform live on the Pagoda Main Stage in Japantown on the afternoon of Sunday, July 20th. Full J-POP SUMMIT Festival details and updates are available at: www.j-pop.com.

Replica sunflowers will be distributed to concertgoers attending the special J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE Saturday evening performance and Tokyo Girls’ Style will ask the audience to wave them in unison when they sing an English version of their hit song "Himawari to Hoshikuzu" (Sunflowers and Stardust), enveloping the entire area in a sea of sunflowers and summer color. The performance will be captured for a live music video for the documentary.
Pledge “Seeds” start at only $19.00 and Tokyo Girls’ Style will personally thank contributors with a variety of premium items including exclusive behind the scenes performance and backstage photographs, DVDs of the San Francisco concert, and an array of personally autographed items and more. Fans can visit the official J-POP SUMMIT Media Sponsor – Tokyo Girls Update – at: http://tokyogirlsupdate.com/crowd/en/single.php?project_id=286 for additional information on the Tokyo Girls’ Style Sunflower crowd-funding project.

“Tokyo Girls’ Style is one of the hottest pop idol Kawaii groups in Japan and their upbeat songs and dance-driven live show will add an exciting component to the line-up of amazing pop artists we will present this year,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the President/CEO of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. and Chairman of the J-POP SUMMIT Festival Committee. “Music, fashion and film are among the most popular aspects of Japanese pop culture and Tokyo Girls’ Style will exemplify all three throughout the J-POP SUMMIT Festival. We are honored to present the group’s U.S. debut and look forward to fans of all ages giving them a warm welcome on-stage for the concert, on the big-screen for their film premieres and also in-person at the special artist meet-and-greet!”
 
The smash hit group Tokyo Girls’ Style formed in 2010 and has become a major new force in the bustling Japanese pop music scene. Consisting of 5 teenagers - Ayano Konishi, Miyu Yamabe, Hitomi Arai, Yuri Nakae and Mei Shoji – the group, whose member’s average age was only 15 when they formed, was signed to Avex and released four debut singles within their first year. Tokyo Girls’ Style has gone on to captivate millions of avid fans across Japan with a hook-driven funk and disco sound that is infused with a glossy urban appeal. As of 2012, the group was the youngest female acts to ever headline a concert at Tokyo’s most famous Budokan live hall, has released several hit records in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and also performed live shows in Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Additional information on Tokyo Girls’ Style is available at: http://tokyogirlsstyle.jp/tokyogirlsstyle_en. Fans can also catch their music videos on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TokyoGirlsStyle.

New Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Album Coming In July

The fashion monster Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be releasing her third solo album in addition to her tour. The album is entitled "Pika Pika Fantajin" and it will be on July 9th 2014. The album will feature her latest singles such as "Family Party" and "Mottai Night Land." Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is currently on NANDA COLLECTION WORLD TOUR 2014 which will end on June 28th.

2014 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FIRST GUEST OF HONOR & PREVIEWS PROGRAMMIN​G

The 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival, San Francisco’s annual celebration of Japanese pop culture, music, fashion and film, returns over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, July 19th and 20th with a unique mix of colorful pop-inspired fun. This year’s exciting program leads off with the announcement of world renowned Japanese rock singer – May’n – as an official Guest of Honor.

Additional top tier J-Pop/J-Rock/Kawaii artists, events and other programming will be detailed in coming weeks. An exciting roster is being finalized that promises to be the most extensive and diverse the J-POP SUMMIT Festival has ever presented. Details on the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival are continually updated at: www.J-POP.com.

The annual J-POP SUMMIT is FREE to attend (although certain activities require a modest admission fee) and has become one of the largest events in the United States dedicated to showcasing the many sides of Japanese pop culture and fandom. Attendance in 2013 exceeded 80,000 people. The 2014 J-POP SUMMIT takes place from 11:00am to 6:00pm throughout San Francisco’s entire Japantown district on July 19th and 20th and also will present a special free J-Pop/J-Rock concert in the city’s downtown Union Square on the evening of Saturday, July 19th.

Japanese pop/rock/anime star May’n (pronounced “Main”) is known as the singing voice of Diva of the Galaxy Sheryl Nome from the blockbuster anime film, Macross Frontier, and also performed theme songs for numerous popular series such as, Accel World, Aria: The Scarlet Ammo, Shangri-La, Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha, Blood Lad, Btooom and M3: Sono Kuroki Hagane. Her powerful rock and pop vocal style has drawn critical acclaim and legions of fans. May’n sold-out Tokyo’s legendary Budokan in a single day and first performed in San Francisco for her “May’n Rock Your Beats” World Tour in 2012. She returns to the Bay Area for her very special J-POP SUMMIT live appearance as part of her 10th Anniversary "Dots and Lines" World Tour.
In addition to her special appearance on the J-POP SUMMIT main stage, the J-POP SUMMIT Festival 2014 proudly presents a May’n Special Live Concert at the famous SF live venue, Slim’s (333 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103) on Sunday, July 20th, at 8:00pm. Advance tickets are available along with special VIP show packages that include an exclusive artist meet-and-greet. Details on the Slim’s show are available now at: http://www.j-pop.com/2014/mayn-live-concert-at-slims

May’n debuted with a pair of singles in 2008 that instantly became smash hits, each placing in the Top 3 on the Japanese Oricon weekly music charts during their debut week. In January 2009, her debut mini album, May’n＊Street, was released and reached #2 on the Oricon chart during its first week. All of May’n's subsequent singles have entered the top music sales charts in Japan and as her international fame continues to grow, she epitomizes the must-see New Generation Japanese Female Rock Vocalist. Official May’n Website: http://mayn.jp/en/; Official May’n YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MaynOfficial.

“Each year we strive to present a compelling mix of the hottest entertainment trends happening in Japan right NOW, and the J-POP SUMMIT has become a wonderful and unique composite of pop and rock music, edgy Kawaii-inspired fashion, modern graphic art, and film and anime content,” says Seiji Horibuchi, Chairman of the J-POP SUMMIT Festival. “This year’s event promises to be another important milestone for the evolution of J-Pop culture and its fan base in the U.S. We look forward to announcing more news throughout the coming weeks and to people of all ages and walks of life joining us in July for the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival!”

The 2014 J-POP SUMMIT Festival will deliver a wide array of Japan’s hottest live bands and artists, theatrical film premieres, Harajuku Kawaii-themed fashion events, a special sake-tasting and fine foods attraction at the POP Gourmet Food Festival, in addition to dance and singing contests, interactive gaming, and a host of celebrity appearances. The Festival also presents a FREE Union Square Live concert in downtown San Francisco and celebrates the launch of 2nd annual Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, which takes place July 19th-27th at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema. The week-long film festival will be highlighted by red carpet events featuring appearances by additional Guests of Honor and daily theatrical premieres of many first-run anime as well as Japanese live-action movies across a variety of genres. Additional information will be updated in coming weeks on the official website: www.jffsf.org.