SciFi Japan » Events http://www.scifijapan.com/articles Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:49:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 NEW PEOPLE Expands 2010 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL With a Week of Events http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/09/01/new-people-expands-2010-j-pop-summit-festival-with-a-week-of-events/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/09/01/new-people-expands-2010-j-pop-summit-festival-with-a-week-of-events/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:49:34 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16498 NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco has announced a week of festivities leading up to their 2010 J-Pop Summit Festival. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 VIZ Media Japanese Film, Fashion, Music and Art Celebrated in a Week of Activities Leading Up to All-Day Event Showcasing the Best in Modern Asian Popular Culture Source: VIZ Pictures, MediaLab press releases Official Site: J-Pop.com Special Thanks to Erik Jansen
More than 33,000 people attended the 2009 J-Pop Summit Festival which marked the grand opening of NEW PEOPLE. Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2010 VIZ Media
NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, will expand its upcoming 2010 J-Pop Summit Festival, happening on Saturday, September 18th in San Francisco’s Japantown, with a special series of events taking place at the venue each night during the week leading up to the Festival. Beginning on Monday, September 13th and continuing every evening through Friday, September 17th, different aspects of Japanese and Asian film, anime, fashion design, music and other forms of pop culture will be celebrated in a series of unique screenings, interactive discussions, multimedia presentations and live performances. Special gift bags containing a variety of fun premiums will be given to all ticket holders each night. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/09/01/new-people-expands-2010-j-pop-summit-festival-with-a-week-of-events/feed/ 0 Haruo Nakajima Attends Publishing Party for Autobiography Kaiju Jinsei http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/haruo-nakajima-attends-publishing-party-for-autobiography-kaiju-jinsei/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/haruo-nakajima-attends-publishing-party-for-autobiography-kaiju-jinsei/#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:08:33 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16927 Haruo Nakajima sucker punches Gaira (the monster he played in WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS) during the publishing party for his autobiography Kaiju Jinsei. Photo courtesy of Daisuke Ishizuka. Godzilla Suit Actor Celebrates Launch of New Book Author: Daisuke Ishizuka Source: Yosensha Co., Ltd.
Cover art for Kaiju Jinsei, courtesy of Yosensha Co. © 2010 Yosensha Co., Ltd.

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Today a publishing party was held for the autobiography Kaiju Jinsei (Kaiju Life) by Mr. Haruo Nakajima. Mr. Haruo Nakajima is a pioneer of monster suit acting who is well known as the suit actor who played Godzilla and various Toho monsters. He has often been invited to conventions in America; Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, etc. and he is familiar with Tokusatsu fans in the U.S. I attended the G-Fest convention in Hollywood in 2000 and it was my first time to see him. I had chance to hear about his career at that time. In 2010, we now have a chance to know about him more deeply because his autobiography was published in July by Yosensha Co., Ltd. In Kaiju Jinsei, Mr. Nakajima details his life, from his youth to the present day. Needles to say, he focuses on his career as suit actor. In addition, he talks about Mr. Eiji Tsuburaya as well as the filmmakers and his friend and co-workers at Toho. The book is valuable resource for Tokusatsu fans. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/haruo-nakajima-attends-publishing-party-for-autobiography-kaiju-jinsei/feed/ 0 EUREKA SEVEN: THE MOVIE to Screen at London’s Barbican Center http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/eureka-seven-the-movie-to-screen-at-londons-barbican-center/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/eureka-seven-the-movie-to-screen-at-londons-barbican-center/#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:13:56 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16213 Barbican Centre, Sarah Harvey Publicity press release Special Thanks to Helene Muron
Japanese poster art for EUREKA SEVEN: THE MOVIE. © 2009 Bones/ Project Eureka Movie
The Barbican Centre in London continues their JAPANIMATION event series in September with EUREKA SEVEN: THE MOVIE. The screening will once again be introduced by anime expert and author Helen McCarthy (The Anime! Movie Guide, Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation, and founder of the magazine AnimeFX). JAPANIMATION Friday 24 September, 8.30pm EUREKA SEVEN: THE MOVIE (Kokyoshihen Eureka Sebun: Poketto ga Niji de Ippai, 2009) Director: Tomoki Kyoda Running Time: 115 min Certification: 12A* In Japanese with English Subtitles EUREKA SEVEN: THE MOVIE is a complete re-imagining of the popular TV series, an emotional tale of love and survival amid spectacular aerial maneuvers. When Renton is cruelly separated from his childhood playmate Eureka, a girl who cannot survive in sunlight, he vows to rescue her. Years later Renton, a mecha pilot on the airship Gekko, is finally reunited with the girl he loves, only to discover her true nature and dark fate. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/28/eureka-seven-the-movie-to-screen-at-londons-barbican-center/feed/ 0 Ban Daisuke Meets Fans in Little Tokyo http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/26/ban-daisuke-meets-fans-in-little-tokyo/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/26/ban-daisuke-meets-fans-in-little-tokyo/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:15:55 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16817 Ban Daisuke and Kikaida take part in the Nisei Week Parade in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo on August 15th. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri. Kikaida © 1972 Ishinomori Production Inc. and Toei Co., Ltd. KIKAIDA star appears at Los Angeles Nisei Week events Author: Richard Pusateri Official Sites: Anime Jungle, Generation Kikaida, www.bandaisuke.com Special thanks: Joanne Ninomiya, Tetsu Shiota, August Ragone Ban Daisuke's recent visit to Los Angeles, hosted by Anime Jungle, demonstrated that the appeal of KIKAIDA is not limited to markets where the Japanese TV program aired in the United States. After much success at personal appearances in Hawaii, San Francisco and at San Diego Comic Con in years past, Mr. Ban met his enthusiastic Los Angeles fans August 14 and 15 during Little Tokyo's Nisei Week celebration. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/26/ban-daisuke-meets-fans-in-little-tokyo/feed/ 0 Anime Expo 2010: A Look Back http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/17/anime-expo-2010-a-look-back/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/17/anime-expo-2010-a-look-back/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:59:19 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16508 More than 100,000 fans flocked to last month's Anime Expo in Los Angeles. Photos from America's Largest Anime and Manga Convention Authors: Chris Taylor and Daisy Evans, Not Interested Entertainment Official Site: anime-expo.org Anime Expo was held again this year at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles, California. The event was, as always, attended by many thousands of fans from across the country (more than 100,000 people attended according to official statements from the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation). Many of these fans were wearing everything from simple to stunningly elaborate costume creations from a wide range of sources including anime, manga, Japanese culture (such as many Morning Musume and various visual kei bands), as well as those dressed in the style of Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL). Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/17/anime-expo-2010-a-look-back/feed/ 0 VIZ Pictures to Release First Blu-Ray: DEATH NOTE COLLECTION http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/12/viz-pictures-to-release-first-blu-ray-death-note-collection/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/12/viz-pictures-to-release-first-blu-ray-death-note-collection/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:17:43 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16418 Ryuk the Shinigami and Light Yagami (Tatsuya Fujiwara) check out the new Blu-ray DEATH NOTE COLLECTION. Photo courtesy of VIZ Pictures. © 2006 [Death Note] Film Partners Highly Anticipated Double-Feature Includes DEATH NOTE, DEATH NOTE II: THE LAST NAME and Bonus Disc Source: VIZ Pictures, MediaLab press releases Official Movie Site: Death-Note-Movie (Japan), Death Note Films (US) Special Thanks to Erik Jansen
Ad for the DEATH NOTE COLLECTION. Photo courtesy of VIZ Pictures. © 2006 [Death Note] Film Partners
VIZ Pictures will debut the Blu-ray DEATH NOTE COLLECTION on August 24th, 2010. The 3-disc set includes 2 feature films – DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE II: THE LAST NAME – as well as a bonus disc containing more than two hours of all new behind-the-scenes footage. Both films feature Japanese audio with English subtitles as well as an English dubbed dialogue track. MSRP for the DEATH NOTE COLLECTION is $39.98 U.S. / $57.99 CAN. To celebrate the new release, VIZ Pictures will hold a special screening of both films at VIZ Cinema, located inside NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco’s Japantown (1746 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115) on Saturday, September 4th. As a special offer to U.S. and Canadian DEATH NOTE fans, VIZ Pictures will award three lucky winners posters for DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE II along with an autograph from one of the three lead actors – Tatsuya Fujiwara (who played Light Yagami), Erika Toda (Misa Amane) and Kenichi Matusyama (L/Ryuzaki). Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/12/viz-pictures-to-release-first-blu-ray-death-note-collection/feed/ 0 Akira Takarada Narrates Musical FREDDIE THE LEAF in New York http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/12/akira-takarada-narrates-musical-freddie-the-leaf-in-new-york/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/12/akira-takarada-narrates-musical-freddie-the-leaf-in-new-york/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:00:48 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16442 Akira Takarada, star of GODZILLA and several sequels, takes to the stage in New York this weekend for the Japanese musical FREDDIE THE LEAF. © Freddie Company U.S. Premiere Opens August 13, 2010 Source: TKO Entertainment press release Official Site: freddie.co.jp (Japanese)
Japanese advertisement for FREDDIE THE LEAF. © Freddie Company
FREDDIE THE LEAF An all ages Japanese musical about the importance of every life, narrated by legendary Godzilla film actor Akira Takarada. Fri 8/13 at 7pm, Sat 8/14 at 2pm and 7pm, Sun 8/15 at 2pm New York, NY – Freddie Company in association with TKO Entertainment proudly presents the U.S. Premiere of the Japanese musical FREDDIE THE LEAF, written and directed by Takashi Inuishi, conceived by Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, with music and lyrics by Shoichi Tama and starring popular Japanese film actor, Akira Takarada, and a cast of 21 Japanese teens and children. FREDDIE THE LEAF runs from August 13 – 15, 2010 in a limited engagement at John Jay College’s Gerald W. Lynch Theater, located at 899 Tenth Avenue, between 58 and 59 Streets, in NYC. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/12/akira-takarada-narrates-musical-freddie-the-leaf-in-new-york/feed/ 0 Win Autographed KIKAIDA BROTHERS Posters! http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/11/win-autographed-kikaida-brothers-posters/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/11/win-autographed-kikaida-brothers-posters/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:30:38 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16387 Anime Jungle is giving SciFi Japan readers a chance to win KIKAIDA BROTHERS posters personally signed by the shows' stars Ban Daisuke and the late Shunsuke Ikeda. Photo courtesy of Anime Jungle. © Ishinomori Production Inc. and Toei Co., Ltd. Posters Signed by Lead Actors Ban Daisuke and Shunsuke Ikeda, courtesy of Anime Jungle Source: Anime Jungle Special Thanks to Tetsu Shiota and Yoichi Kakuma
A look at the complete poster. Photo courtesy of Anime Jungle. © Ishinomori Production Inc. and Toei Co., Ltd.
Ban Daisuke, star of KIKAIDA (Jinzo Ningen Kikaida, 1972), KIKAIDA 01 (1973), and INAZUMAN (1973) will visit Los Angeles this upcoming weekend for Japantown's annual Nisei Week Festival. Sponsored by the popular collector's shop Anime Jungle, Ban Daisuke will take part in autograph sessions, the Nisei Week Parade, and a special dinner and talk show on the weekend August 14-15. In celebration of the Nisei Week events, Anime Jungle is giving SciFi Japan readers in the United States a chance to win a free KIKAIDA BROTHERS Poster, signed by both Ban Daisuke and the late KIKAIDA-01 star Shunsuke Ikeda (who sadly passed away June 11, 2010). Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/08/11/win-autographed-kikaida-brothers-posters/feed/ 0 Anime Jungle Welcomes KIKAIDA Star Ban Daisuke to Los Angeles http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/07/22/anime-jungle-welcomes-kikaida-star-ban-daisuke-to-los-angeles/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/07/22/anime-jungle-welcomes-kikaida-star-ban-daisuke-to-los-angeles/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:39:18 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=15993 Ban Daisuke, star of KIKAIDA, KIKAIDA-01, and INAZUMAN, will make a special appearance at Anime Jungle in Los Angeles next month. Photo courtesy of Generation Kikaida. © 1972 Ishinomori Production Inc. and Toei Co., Ltd. Autograph Sessions, Parade, Dinner, and More During Nisei Week Festival, August 14-15 Source: Anime Jungle, JN Productions and Generation Kikaida Special Thanks to Tetsu Shiota, Yoichi K, and Joanne Ninomiya
Advertisement for the event. Photo courtesy of Anime Jungle. © 1971 Ishinomori Production Inc. and Toei Co., Ltd.
Anime Jungle, purveyors of everything anime in Japantown is proud to present an autograph session with Mr. Ban Daisuke, star of KIKAIDA (Jinzo Ningen Kikaida, 1972), KIKAIDA 01 (1973), and INAZUMAN (1973) at the upcoming Nisei Week Festival in Los Angeles. KIKAIDA took the Hawaiian Islands by storm over 35 years ago, and still going strong in Hawaii and the mainland due to the successful English-subtitled version of the DVD Box Sets. KIKAIDA, based on an original story by manga artist and writer Shotaro Ishinomori (Kamen Rider), was produced as a tokusatsu (live action) by Toei Movie Company for television in the mid-seventies. A classic good-versus evil tale, the show pitted a guitar-playing, denim-clad young biker named Jiro, played by actor Ban Daisuke, against the evil DARK, a shadowy criminal organization bent on wreaking havoc upon Japan and the world. Continued...
]]> http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/07/22/anime-jungle-welcomes-kikaida-star-ban-daisuke-to-los-angeles/feed/ 0 KAI-KI World Premiere a Hit in Los Angeles http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/07/20/kai-ki-world-premiere-a-hit-in-los-angeles/ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2010/07/20/kai-ki-world-premiere-a-hit-in-los-angeles/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:19:20 +0000 Keith Aiken http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/?p=16053 KAI-KI: TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO premiere coverage on the Japanese news program MEZAMASHI TV. Clip courtesy of Japan Film Society. © 2010 Fuji TV. J-Pop Idol Erina Mano Wows Fans at Premiere Screening of Her Feature Film Debut Source: Japan Film Society Additional Material: Kai Saari Official Site: Facebook.com/TalesofTerror (US), shinmimi.net (Japan) Official Twitter Profile: Twitter.com/ShinMimi
After the screening, Erina Mano serenaded fans with the film's theme song. Photo courtesy of Japan Film Society. © 2010 BS-i, King Records
On July 1st, J-Pop’s #1 idol and Hello! Project singing sensation Erina Mano attended the world premiere of her feature film debut, KAI-KI: TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO (怪談新耳袋-怪奇), at the world famous Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California. KAI-KI is the latest in series of films based on the hit Japanese TV franchise TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO AND ALL OVER JAPAN (怪談新耳袋*, Shin Mimi-Bukuro), which adapts actual urban legends collected from across the country by writer Kihara Hirokatsu. Club Nokia hosted two screenings of KAI-KI: TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO. A mini-concert followed each showing in which Erina Mano sang the film's them song "Returning Home" as well as "Sekai wa Summer Party", a happy pop song that from her first tour album. Both Miss Mano and Tales of Terror creator Kihara Hirokatsu took part in an autograph signing. In addition, there was also a Q&A featuring Erina Mano, J-Idol producer Tamon Andrew Niwa and representatives from the Toyota Creative Lounge who financed the project. Toyota Creative Lounge reps included the prominent designers Agga B., Anna Fong, Melissa Serpico Kamhout (Serpico), and Lidia Wachowska (evil kitty); all of whom designed exclusive outfits for Mano-san to wear during her stay in Los Angeles. Continued...
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