2015 J-POP SUMMIT ANNOUNCES DAY 2 PROGRAMMING CONTINUING A UNIQUE WEEKEND OF LIVE MUSIC AT SAN FRANCISCO’S FORT MASON

S.F’.s Annual Japanese Pop Culture Fest Presents J-POP LIVE NIGHT II Concert Performances At Fort Mason By DJ KEN ISHII, ANAMANAGUCHI, YANAKIKU, LITTLE GLEE MONSTER And More!

San Francisco, CA, July 15, 2015 – The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT, the Japanese pop culture event held annually in San Francisco, has announced key live programming and artists that highlight DAY 2 of the colorful Festival.

The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT takes place Saturday and Sunday August 8^th & 9^th at the historic Fort Mason Center in San Francisco’s Marina district. Tickets and V.I.P Passes are available now at: www.J-POP.com.

Sunday, August 8^th will feature a second evening concert performance of J-POP LIVE NIGHT, presenting a captivating line-up of headlining artists including Japan’s legendary techno DJ, Ken Ishii, electronic chiptune/bitmap band, Anamanaguchi, the futuristic electro-pop mannequin duo, FEMM, and the kimono cosplay pop duo, Yanakiku.

Throughout the afternoon on Sunday, attendees also will be treated to encore live performances by other artists including the stylish female pop duo, Faint★Star, the laugh out loud hijinks of comedy duo, Jaru Jaru, and Little Glee Monster, the amazing 6-member Japanese female a cappella group, and FES★TIVE, a unique act built around the concept of Japanese “festivals” that has garnered a global following with their up-tempo, catchy sound..

The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT presents a colorful assortment of Japanese pop-influenced culture, fashion, pop art, live music, technology and travel, in addition to celebrity Guests of Honor, anime programming, cosplay and pop idol contests, and a wide assortment of vendors and other on-site attractions.

J-POP LIVE NIGHT II Artists

J-POP LIVE NIGHT II takes place Sunday August 9^th at 4:30pm on the J-POP SUMMIT Main Stage inside the Fort Mason Pavilion. Specific set times will be posted on www.J-POP.com.

KEN ISHII

Ken Ishii is a legendary techno DJ and producer who has composed music for many different media outlets. Rising from the club scene in the 90’s, Ishii’s work first became internationally recognized when his single, “Extra,” won a music video award at the MTV Music Awards in 1996. He is also known for composing the music for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony as well as various video game soundtracks, He has performed live internationally and enjoys a worldwide fan base in the electronic music scene. Official website at: http://kenishii.com/.

Anamanaguchi

Anamanaguchi is a 4-piece bitmap/chip tune group that creates, “Emotional dance music for the video game generation!” The group is composed of hackers and producers currently based in New York City and raised on the Internet. Anamanaguchi is part of a wave of young Internet romantics, influenced by Japanese pop culture and nostalgic for a future they know may never come, but they can see the seeds of it in the beauty that surrounds them. Official website: http://anamanaguchi.com/

FEMM

FEMM (Far East Mention Mannequins) is an extraordinary “mannequin” dance duo from Tokyo comprised of RiRi and LuLa, which are programed and controlled by their “agents” Honey-B (RiRi) and W-Trouble (Lula). The pair is known for their unique concept and story and mesmerizing live shows that performed in English with a dynamic mix of Japanese subcultures. After the influential entertainment blogger Perez Hilton (6 million Twitter followers) and popular YouTuber Miles Jai introduced FEMM’s twerkin’ & provocative lyric music video "Fxxk Boyz Get Money" as the new girls anthem, the single has gone on to be a smash hit among the teenage girls from the US and throughout Europe. Official Website: https://femm.jp/; Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FEMMWorld

Yanakiku

Yanakiku is a unique Japanese kimono cosplay duo consisting of members Yana and Kiku. In 2013, they performed for international audiences at Hyper Japan (London) and TIFFCOM (Japan) and have garnered a massive following for their costume and dance performances. YANAKIKU made their U.S. debut at the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT and became a favorite with festivalgoers. The duo returns this year for live performances and also to serve as the cultural ambassadors of the Ryokan Pavilion inside the J-POP SUMMIT POP TRAVEL Area. Official Website: https://yanakiku.jp.

DAY 2 Daytime Live Performances

FES★TIVE

The 8-piece Japanese idol group, “FES★TIVE,” is a unique act that builds on the concept of “festivals” and focuses on performing at festivals in Japan and all over the world. FES★TIVE made its major label debut through Tokuma Japan in May, and throughout 2015, they will continue to showcase their “FESTIVAL FROM JAPAN” theme to intentional audiences. With their up-tempo and catchy sound, FES★TIVE is a rapidly growing force in the international music scene. Official website: http://festive.rizepro.net/

FAINT★STAR

Faint★Star is a Japanese pop-duo consisting of Hina (formerly of Tomato’n Pine) and Yuria that debuted in 2014. The duo gained international popularity after a Tokyo Girls Update article on their 1^st music video became the most viewed article on the site. Faint★Star is produced by the music agency, “Agehasprings,” and are known for their live performances that integrate advanced visual technology. Official website: www.faintstar-tokyo.jp/

JARU JARU

Jaru Jaru is a Japanese comedy duo made up of Shusuke Fukutoku and Junpei Goto, and managed by the Yoshimoto Creative Agency. The pair is one of the most successful and popular comedy acts in Japan with their brand of Manzai – a traditional style of Japanese comedy consisting a fool and a long-suffering companion. In the twelve years that they have been active, the duo has received countless awards, made many TV appearances, and even starred in several movies. Official Website: http://jarujaruconte.com/

LITTLE GLEE MONSTER

This 6-member group composed of teenage girls has gained wide acclaim for their exceptional vocal skills and harmonies. Little Glee Monster was formed in Tokyo in 2013 by winners of a “Best Young Female Singer Audition” contest. The music video for the group’s first single, Houkago High Five, featured on their major label debut for Sony Music has been viewed more than 500 million times!  Little Glee Monster’s “Gao Gao All-Star” was selected as the ending theme song for the Pokemon XY anime series and their music also will be featured in the upcoming anime feature, Pokemon XY The Movie: The Archdjinni of Rings. Official Website: www.littlegleemonster.com; Official YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LittleGleeMonsterYT.

Additional J-POP SUMMIT related events will take place around San Francisco throughout the weekend of August 8^th and 9^th and will include San Francisco’s first-ever SAKE SUMMIT, a festival to celebrate Japan’s national spirit that takes place in the city’s downtown Union Square Park on both Saturday & Sunday, August 8^th and 9^th, and the 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF), the Bay Area’s first and only fully-dedicated Japanese film celebration, which runs August 7^th-16^th at NEW PEOPLE Cinema in Japantown.

The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT and Japan Film Festival kick off with a special Opening Night event on Friday, August 7^th at the Castro Theatre that will screen director Sogo Ishii’s rollicking comic-book style action film, Electric Dragon 80000V, starring actor Tadanobu Asano, who will attend the screening and also introduce the film. The Opening Night event will culminate with DJ set by Ken Ishii in a special collaboration with Japan’s top anime director Koji Morimoto. Advance tickets to the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT/JFFSF Opening Night Event at the Castro Theatre are available now from: http://jpop2015.brownpapertickets.com.  

About J-POP SUMMIT

The J-POP SUMMIT is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration held in San Francisco, CA that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion shows and events, food and spirits, art, and celebrity appearances. In 2014, the two-day event attracted 125,000 attendees. Details on J-POP SUMMIT are available at www.J-POP.com.

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Little Glee Monster

FEMM

Yanakiku

DARK HORSE COMICS DEBUTS NEW ‘HELLBOY’ AND ‘USAGI YOJIMBO’ EMOJI KEYBOARD FROM SWYFT MEDIA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics has joined forces with Swyft Media, the company driving the “emojification” of brand marketing, to release a multitude of digital stickers, photo filters, and phone themes with characters from the Hellboy, Itty Bitty Hellboy, and Usagi Yojimbo comics across various apps and marketplaces, including BBM, Photofy, PicsArt, CocoPPa, and Xbox Live Marketplace. Additionally the company has launched three standalone branded Swyft emoji keyboards in the Apple® iTunes® App Store for iOS and the Google™ Play Store for Android. Now, anyone can share their favorite Dark Horse Comics characters across a wide variety of mobile-messaging and social-media applications. “We are excited to be working with Swyft Media to bring iconic Dark Horse characters to Xbox and mobile devices everywhere. These products present a whole new way for fans to support and engage with their favorite Dark Horse characters, and we have high expectations for the program. Speaking personally as a superfan of both Usagi Yojimbo and Hellboy, I’m particularly thrilled that they are the first two brands to be launched,” said Dark Horse’s director of digital publishing, Mark Bernardi. Today’s announcement signals the beginning of a new line of digital consumer products featuring various characters published by Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse Comics emoji keyboards by Swyft Media are designed to work on any iOS or Android device and are compatible with virtually any mobile-messaging app or social network, including Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Viber, LINE, Skype, WhatsApp, and more, giving mobile users the ability to send fun stickers and emoji of their favorite characters from Hellboy, Itty Bitty Hellboy, and Usagi Yojimbo to their friends and family. “Dark Horse Comics is home to some truly remarkable heroes, with an extremely dedicated fan base, and younger consumers love being able to access and share their favorite characters with their friends,” said Evan Wray, cofounder and general manager of Swyft Media. “Swyft Media’s network offers the opportunity to reach millions of consumers across the world, providing them with fun, engaging, and personalized content to share with their friends. Brands love this approach because it allows them to create an emotional connection with consumers while helping to drive brand awareness, loyalty, and stickiness in the places young consumers spend a lot of their time today: social media and messaging apps.” With the Swyft Media emoji keyboards and digital sticker packs, Dark Horse Comics fans can customize their Xbox Live avatars with T-shirts, costumes, and accessories from the Hellboy comics, personalize their smartphone’s home-screen wallpaper and icons with their favorite characters from the Itty Bitty Hellboy universe using the CocoPPa app for Android, and enhance their photos with filters and clip art of their favorite Dark Horse Comics characters on the Photofy and PicsArt apps. BBM users can also download Dark Horse Comics sticker packs to send stickers and emoji from Hellboy, Itty Bitty Hellboy, and Usagi Yojimbo to their friends and contacts. ###

Hero Initiative Announces

Baltimore Comic-Con 2015 Line-Up

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - July 15, 2015 - The Hero Initiative, the charity that supports comic creators in medical and financial need, will hit the Baltimore Comic-Con September 25-27, 2015 at the Baltimore Convention Center, with fan favorite creators -- VIP and General Admission tickets are now on sale! Come ready with your books, as the Hero Initiative booth will be a popular stop on the Baltimore Convention Center floor (please check the Hero Initiative website closer to the date for booth number and scheduled times). This year, Hero Initiative is pleased to bring to Baltimore classic creators Bob Budiansky, Mike Grell, and Marv Wolfman.

Bob Budiansky spent years working for Marvel Comics as a writer, penciller, and editor. He is the writer responsible for the entire run of Marvel's Sleepwalker in the 1990s. He is also renowned for his contributions to the Transformers comics, where he created much of the original comics content, created some of the more popular characters in their continuity, and provided the "tech specs" that were packaged along with the Hasbro toys in the '80s. As an artist, Budiansky's pencils graced the pages and covers of titles like Ghost Rider, Captain America, and Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Budiansky spent 13 years working as an editor at Marvel Comics on titles like Captain America, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, and The Thing, plus Spider-Man titles including those during the famed Clone Saga story line.

Mike Grell began his storied career in comics working in comic strips, as an assistant on Brenda Starr. After moving to New York City in the 1970s, Grell took over art duties on DC Comics' Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. He later flexed his skills as a writer, creating The Warlord at DC. He launched Batman Family and worked on Green Lantern/Green Arrow as well. In the early 1980s, Grell returned to his comic strip roots, taking over writing and drawing roles on the syndicated Tarzan. Later, he went on to develop his creator-owned properties, Jon Sable Freelance at First Comics and Starslayer at Pacific Comics. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Grell took over writing and illustration duties on Green Arrow after his much-lauded take on the character in the Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters limited series. As he entered the 2000s, he worked on Marvel Comics' Iron Man and X-Men Forever, and returned to The Warlord at DC Comics. Recently, Grell serialized a Tarzan story for Dark Horse Presents, and contributed to DC's Arrow, from the TV adaptation of the comic.

Marv Wolfman got his start on the fandom side of comics, writing for and editing fanzines in the 1960s. His professional career began at DC Comics, where he wrote a story for Blackhawk and would go on to contribute to titles like Teen Titans, Showcase, and Weird Mystery Tales. Moving to Marvel Comics, he eventually ascended to the role of Editor-in-Chief, before stepping aside so he could concentrate on his writing. There, he had an extensive run on Tomb of Dracula, where he created Blade, the character that proved the viability of Marvel properties on the big screen. He was also the mind behind such Marvel characters as Nova, Terrax, Bullseye, and Black Cat. He also wrote the syndicated Howard the Duck comic strip. He later returned to DC to relaunch the acclaimed New Teen Titans. and worked on titles including Action Comics, Dial H for Hero, Green Lantern, and Night Force before the game-changing Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series. In the 1990s, Wolfman was an editor at and wrote for Disney Comics. In the 2000s, Wolfman returned to DC Comics, writing Nightwing, DC Special: Raven, and, more recently, Convergence: Adventures of Superman and Convergence: New Teen Titans. "We love the Hero Initiative," said Marc Nathan, promoter of the Baltimore Comic-Con. "Besides bringing spectacular, high-profile guests to Baltimore, they do amazing things for the comics creative community, and we can't emphasize enough the positive impact they have in people's lives."

TICKETS

General Admission and VIP Package tickets for Weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as the Harvey Awards, are now on sale! Visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com/tickets/ for more information and to purchase your advanced tickets now, and as always, kids 10 and under get into the show free with a paid adult General Admission! 

In addition to on-site CGC grading, this year's confirmed guests for the show include: Neal Adams (All-New Captain America); Scott Ambruson (Azteca: Ciudad Paradiso); Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl); Marty Baumann (Pixar artist); John Beatty (Secret Wars); Gregory Benton (Smoke); Christy Blanch (The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood); Mark Buckingham (Fables); Bob Budiansky (courtesy of Hero Initiative, Transformers); Talent Caldwell (Grimm Fairy Tales Presents White Queen: Age of Darkness); Chris Campana (Kantara); Richard Case (Doom Patrol); Christa Cassano (Ghetto Klown); Sean Chen (Secret Origins); Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman); Frank Cho (Jungle Girl); Amy Chu (Strange Sports Stories); Steve Conley (Bloop); Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn); Katie Cook (Gronk); Darwyn Cooke (Richard Stark's Parker); Vito Delsante (Stray); Todd Dezago (Perhapanauts); Joe Eisma (Morning Glories); Ramona Fradon (Spongebob Annual-Size Super-Giant Swimtacular); Francesco Francavilla (Secret Wars: Battleworld); John Gallagher (Buzzboy); Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Batman '66: The Lost Episode); Keron Grant (Father's Day); Mike Grell (courtesy of Hero Initiative, Action Comics); Laura Guzzo (Princeless: Short Stories for Warrior Women); Cully Hamner (Convergence: The Question); Scott Hanna (The New 52: Futures End); Dean Haspiel (The Fox); Russ Heath (G.I. Combat); Eric Henson (The Perhapanauts: Danger Down Under); h-eri (Ivory Dragon Studios); Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets); Ken Hunt (Talon); Jamal Igle (Molly Danger); Geof Isherwood (Suicide Squad); Klaus Janson (Superman); Dave Johnson (Inhumans: Attilan Rising); JG Jones (Strange Fruit); Chris Kemple (Red Vengeance); Denis Kitchen (The Best of Comix Book: When Marvel Went Underground); Barry Kitson (Empire: Uprising); Greg LaRocque (The Avengers); Dan Leister (Grimm Fairy Tales); Mike Lilly (Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Robyn Hood); Nate Lovett (Midnight Tiger); Kevin Maguire (Justice League); Mike Manley (Darkhawk); Mark Mariano (The Other Side of Hugless Hill); Laura Martin (Star Wars); Ron Marz (Convergence: Batman and Robin); Bob McLeod (Secret Wars); Pop Mhan (He-Man: The Eternity War); Terry Moore (Rachel Rising); Mark Morales (Convergence); Nen (The Memory Collectors); John Ostrander (Suicide Squad); Greg Pak (Storm); Tom Palmer (The Avengers); Jimmy Palmiotti (The Con Job); Dan Parent (Archie); Brent Peeples (Legenderry: Green Hornet); Andrew Pepoy (Afterlife with Archie); David Petersen (Mouse Guard); Brandon Peterson (Uncanny X-Men); Khoi Pham (X-Men Legacy); Andy Price (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic); Ron Randall (Convergence: Catwoman); Tom Raney (Avengers Vs.); Sara Richard (Jem and the Holograms); Rafer Roberts (Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream); David Rodriguez (Skylanders); Budd Root (Cavewoman); Don Rosa (Donald Duck); Craig Rousseau (Batman Beyond); Andy Runton (Owly); Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo); Matteo Scalera (Black Science); Jeff Shultz (Betty and Veronica); Bart Sears (Bloodshot); Louise Simonson (Convergence: Superman - The Man of Steel); Walter Simonson (Convergence: Superman - The Man of Steel); Matt Slay (The Sakai Project: Artists Celebrate Thirty Years of Usagi Yojimbo); Andy Smith (Earth 2); Matthew Dow Smith (X-Files Season 10); Scott Snyder (Batman Eternal); Charles Soule (Uncanny Inhumans); Mark Sparacio (Sgt. Rock); Jim Starlin (Thanos: The Infinity Relativity); Brian Stelfreeze (Day Men); Paul Storrie (Sheena, Queen of the Jungle); Joe St. Pierre (New Zodiax); Marcio Takara (Armor Wars); Eric Talbot (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); Ben Templesmith (Gotham by Midnight); Mark Texeira (Ghost Racers); Frank Tieri (Suicide Squad); Peter Tomasi (Green Lantern Corps); John Totleben (Swamp Thing); Jeremy Treece (King: Mandrake the Magician); Tim Truman (Hawkman); Billy Tucci (Shi); James Tynion (Constantine: The Hellblazer); Rick Veitch (Saga of the Swamp Thing); Charles Vess (Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream); Mark Waid (Daredevil); John Watson (Red Sonja); Matt Wieringo ('Ringo Scholarship Fund); Marv Wolfman (courtesy of Hero Initiative, Convergence: New Teen Titans); Rich Woodall (Kyrra); Brian Woodward (Baltimore Comic-Con 2015 Yearbook); Kelly Yates (Doctor Who); Thom Zahler (My Little Pony: Friends Forever); and Mike Zeck (Secret Wars). 

   

In the coming weeks, look for more announcements from the Baltimore Comic-Con. We are looking forward to highlighting our guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest developments can always be found on our website, Twitter, and Facebook pages.

AR-K: The Great Escape Available Now on Steam

La Coruña, Spain--June 14, 2015--AR-K: The Great Esacpe, the third chapter of AR-K launched today on Steam. The witty 3D point-and-click adventure, written by critically acclaimed comic book writer Greg Rucka, follows the adventures of Alicia, a former cop and current journalism student, as she investigates the origin of the strange Golden Sphere that has turned her life upside down. Get more information and view the trailer at http://store.steampowered.com/app/368890/

While Episode 3 may be enjoyed on its own without having experienced the previous chapters, players can get caught up on Alicia's story in the first two installments on PC, iOS or Android. The first two chapters are available on sale at http://store.steampowered.com/app/269890

AR-K is a classical point and click adventure with an updated twist. Alicia Van Volish is a former cop and current journalism student who awakens after a one-night stand with a terrible hangover and a lot of questions: How much did she drink? Did she really take that guy home with her? What was his name? And what, exactly, is the Golden Sphere, the mysterious object that seems the source of all Alicia's woes?

Development of AR-K was made possible via a highly successfully crowdfunding effort on Kickstarter, which raised over $100,000 for the project.

Alicia is brought to life through the voice talents of Ash Sroka, widely known for her role as Tali Zorah in the Mass Effect Trilogy. Episode 3 and the upcoming final installment of AR-K are written by Greg Rucka, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman, Detective Comics, Wolverine and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton. Greg's ability to write smart female characters makes him the perfect candidate to convey Alicia's caustic wit and edginess.

To find out more about AR-K, please visit http://gatosalvajestudio.com/, and stay up to date on all the news at https://www.facebook.com/arkthegame.

About Gato Salvaje 

Founded in 2010, Gato Salvaje is an independent video game development studio based in La Coruna, Spain. Experienced video game creators work together in the hopes of creating the video games they love; classic adventure games richly packed with suspenseful, witty, mysterious, and romantic stories. The studio's inaugural game, AR-K, was crowd-funded and originally released on PC in 2013. For more information, visit www.gatosalvajestudio.com.

2015 J-POP SUMMIT ANNOUNCES TECH-FOCUSED KEYNOTES, PANELS, PITCH EVENTS AND “IDEA-THONS” FOCUSING ON INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) AND THE GLOBAL MAKER MOVEMENT

S.F.’s Annual Japanese Pop Festival Adds A First-Of-Its-Kind Showcase Of Attractions That Showcase How Japanese Innovation Is Driving Creativity And Linking Technology And Culture

San Francisco, CA, July 14, 2015 – The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT, the Japanese pop culture event held annually in San Francisco, augments its just-announced “Interactive Pavilion,” with a special series of technology-focused keynotes, panel discussions, “idea-thons,” and pitch events focusing on the burgeoning “Maker Movement” and the evolving Internet of Things (IoT) to be led by several notable technology luminaries from San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and Japan.

The J-POP SUMMIT “Interactive Pavilion” is a first-of-its-kind showcase of cutting edge Japanese technology, consumer product design and innovation from a diverse range of large, as well as start-up companies, pushing the limits of Japanese technical innovation and development. The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT takes places Saturday and Sunday August 8^th & 9^th at the historic Fort Mason Center in San Francisco’s Marina district.

Throughout the weekend, J-POP SUMMIT attendees to Fort Mason can enjoy a colorful assortment of Japanese pop-influenced culture, fashion, pop art, live music, technology, and travel attractions that will be complemented by celebrity Guests of Honor, Panels, Music live concert, and a wide assortment of vendors and other programming. Tickets and V.I.P Passes are available now at: www.J-POP.com.

J-POP SUMMIT Interactive Pavilion Keynote & Panel Discussion

An Interactive Technologies Keynote will be delivered by one of the world's leading digital creators, Kaoru Sugano, on Sunday, August 9^th on the Fort Mason Main Stage. The Creative Director of Dentsu Inc. will speak on how pop culture and technology are driving the creation of digital content. Through case studies of past projects such as Sound of Honda - Ayrton Senna 1989, which won the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions Titanium and Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival. The film features legendary Formula One driver Ayrton Senna driving through a dazzling environment of digital light and sound. Mr. Sugano will show how he utilizes data that is undetectable to the naked eye to create revolutionary emotional productions with lasting emotional resonance. 

The Interactive Technologies Panel Discussion will take place on Sunday, August 9^th on the Fort Mason Main Stage and will focus on “Manufacturing That Links Tech & Culture -- The Future of the "Maker Movement." This panel will examine the transition from mass production to an age of individual manufacturing, and what that means for the tech world. With the emerging "Maker Culture" as a theme, the J-POP SUMMIT presents this session specially focused on the maker movement.

Panelists will include:

Allen Miner, Chairman and CEO, SunBridge Corporation, a professional group that focuses on Japanese-American cross border investments, joint venture businesses, and consulting with operations in Japan and the U.S.

Jim Newton, chairman & founder of TechShop (http://www.techshop.ws), a membership-based, do-it-yourself (DIY) workshop and fabrication studio providing access to a vibrant community of creative people and more than $1 million worth of high quality machines, tools and software.

Redg Snodgrass, CEO & co-founder of Wearable World (http://wearableworld.co), an organization dedicated to creating the social fabric for business around Wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem.

Panel Moderator: 

Tak Miyata, General Partner of Scrum Ventures (http://scrumventures.co), an early stage venture capitalist firm based in Silicon Valley.

J-POP SUMMIT Interactive Pavilion Technology Forum

The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT “Interactive Pavilion” also presents a special Interactive Technology Forum, to take place on Saturday and Sunday, August 8^th & 9^th at the Firehouse, located adjacent to the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion. As part of this event, a pair of “Idea-thons” and a technology “pitch event” will focus on the theme of the "Internet of Things” (IoT).

J-POP SUMMIT IoT Idea-thon Vol. 1: "Build-Up Smart Home with MESH!"

With the spread of Nest and Smartthings, there has been a surge of interest in smart homes being built around Silicon Valley. This Idea-thon will offer attendees a glimpse into a new type of IoT x DIY construction using MESH and a cardboard building kit to build a prototype design of a smart house.”

About MESH

MESH (Make, Experience, Share) is an intuitive DIY invention tool for making ideas real. It consists of wireless functional tags and visual coding canvas on a tablet. Make your own “smart projects” in just few minutes! http://meshprj.com

J-POP SUMMIT IoT Idea-thon Vol. 2: "Hack the Data with Yamaha Motor and more!"

With the growing popularity of activity tracking using technology like FitBit, Apple Watch and other devices that collect environmental data from sensors attached to homes and cars, a fast emerging topic is how to utilize all the acquired information. How will the world change when this data can be used to highlight areas of daily human life that were previously overlooked? This will be an IoT x Data Idea-thon debating the truel nature of IoT. 

                                                         

J-POP SUMMIT Interactive Pavilion Technology Pitch Contest

The 2015 J-POP SUMMIT “Interactive Pavilion” presents a Japanese-American start-up pitch contest “POP Tech Pitch / Innovation Weekend SF x Japan X” co-sponsored by SunBridge Global Ventures, Inc. and the Women's Startup Lab that will take place Saturday, August 8^th at the Firehouse.

Startups and entrepreneurs using premier technologies from Japan and America will gather to present a variety of innovative business plans. Judges will include a panel of technology investors and business accelerators active in various markets. The contest winner and runner-up will be awarded a trip to Japan and pitch at the ’Innovation Weekend Grand Finale’ in Tokyo at the end of the year along with other winners from all over the world!!

About SunBridge Global Ventures, Inc. 

SunBridge Global Ventures is an early-stage IT investor firm born as a spin-off of SunBridge with a vision of nurturing global ventures from Japan. SunBridge Global Ventures seamlessly supports world-class entrepreneurs venturing into the global marketplace. Additional information available at: http://en.sunbridge-gv.jp

About The Women's Startup Lab

The Women's Startup Lab is a tech startup accelerator that nurtures and supports female entrepreneurs. The founder, Ari Horie, is a Japanese native and was recognized as one of CNN's "10 Visionary Women" in 2014 and "40 over 40 women to Watch" in 2015. Additional information available at: www.womenstartuplab.com.

Emphasizing 3 distinct categories, the “Interactive Pavilion,” is presented with support and cooperation from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) San Francisco Office and presents a dynamic array of technology and interactive product exhibits from 21 companies highlighting a diverse range of large, as well as start-up companies, pushing the limits of Japanese technical innovation and development. "HOME,” focusing on individuals and families; "WORK,” focusing on the office lifestyle; "MOBILITY,” focusing on links between home-life and office-life.

About J-POP SUMMIT

The J-POP SUMMIT is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration held in San Francisco, CA that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion shows and events, food and spirits, art, and celebrity appearances. Details on J-POP SUMMIT are available at www.J-POP.com.