New People Adds a Bigger Dose of Japanese Pop Culture to the Summer As It Expands the 2011 J-Pop Summit Festival

Annual Bay Area Event Expands To 2-Days In August And Features Japanese Fashion Designers, Film & Anime Premieres, And The “Vocaloid” Phenomenon In A Special Weekend-Long Pop Culture Celebration In San Francisco's Japantown; Special Design Contest Also Announced San Francisco, CA, July 7, 2011 – NEW PEOPLE, San Francisco's dynamic entertainment destination showcasing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture, has announced the expansion of its annual J-Pop Summit Festival. The 2011 J-Pop Summit Festival will take place August 27th- 28th across the city's Japantown.

The weekend-long celebration brings back many popular attractions that have made the J-Pop Summit Festival a must-attend event for fashion, film, anime and music fans as well as hipsters, pop culture enthusiasts, Bay Area residents, and as tourists visiting the city. A dedicated web site is now available at J-pop.com and will feature regular updates.

“The expansion of the J-Pop Summit Festival is a result of the overwhelming support from our partners and sponsors and strong attendance by a wide array of people from all backgrounds and interests,” says Seiji Horibuchi, president of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. “From rock music to fashion shows, film premieres, interactive video game displays, and a special focus this year on the ‘Vocaloid’ music phenomenon, there will be something for everyone at this year's event! We look forward to announcing more details and additional participants and sponsors in coming weeks.”

“Vocaloid” music has become the latest pop phenomenon sweeping Japan and the trend is spreading fast to the U.S. with the advent of personalities like Hatsune Miku, who has become the world's first true virtual pop star. The J-Pop Summit, where made her first film concert debut last year, returns for 2011 with even more exciting projects featuring Hatsune Miku. More details will be announced soon!

With the recent earthquake and tsunami tragedies in Japan still fresh in everyone's minds, the J-Pop Summit Festival has incorporated multiple benefit events into the programming. New People and San Francisco Japantown merchants are partnering with Piapro.jp (run by Hatsune Miku's Crypton Future Media), to host two unique design competitions.

The first is for a banner design, carrying the theme of “Hope for Japan's Recovery,” to be displayed on Post Street, the main Japantown thoroughfare where the J-Pop Summit Festival will take place. The banner should feature at least one (or more) of the following Volcaloid characters: Hatsune Miku, Rin Kagamine, Len Kagamine, Luka Megurine, MEIKO or KAITO. Special charity goods with the winning design will be available at the J-Pop Summit to benefit Japan's ongoing relief efforts. Grand Prize will be a roundtrip trip to San Francisco (flexible travel dates) from anywhere in the United States, furnished by NEW PEOPLE and the Japantown Merchants Association. For complete entry details, please visit J-pop.com.

The second competition will be to develop a new character design for “Hatsune Miku U.S. Version” and also will award the winner with a special Grand Prize roundtrip trip to San Francisco (flexible travel dates) from anywhere in the United States, furnished by Crypton Future Media. For complete entry details, please visit J-pop.com.

NEW PEOPLE opened in 2009 and has become a unique must-see attraction of San Francisco's cultural landscape. The 20,000 square foot contemporary venue features the latest examples Japanese popular culture expressed though film, art, fashion, and a variety of specialty boutiques and ongoing monthly events. NEW PEOPLE is located at 1746 Post Street in the city's Japantown.

About NEW PEOPLE, Inc. Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. (www.newpeopleworld.com) 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 (www.newpeopleent.com), 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.