The 2014 J-POP Summit Festival has announced a unique and very special Guest of Honor: KEI, the official artist illustrator who designed the world’s first virtual pop star, Hatsune Miku. KEI will be available for a rare autograph session at the Kinokuniya USA booth beginning at 1pm on both Saturday, July 19th and Sunday, July 20th. Kinokuniya USA and SEGA, whose Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F2nd will have a special live demo at the festival.
For more details, check out the press release after the jump.
2014 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL TEAMS WITH KINOKUNIYA USA AND SEGA OF AMERICA TO PRESENT HATSUNE MIKU CHARACTER DESIGNER KEI AND A SPECIAL LIVE DEMO OF NEW HATSUNE MIKU PROJECT DIVA F 2nd VIDEO GAME
Official Artist Illustrator That Designed The World’s First Virtual Pop Star Welcomed For A Rare Autograph Session; J-POP SUMMIT Attendees Invited To Browse A Wide Range Of Hatsune Miku Products And Play The New SEGA Rhythm Music Video Game Set For Fall Release
San Francisco, CA, June 11, 2014 – The 2014 J-POP SUMMIT, San Francisco’s premiere annual celebration of Japanese pop culture, music, fashion and film, is proud to team with Kinokuniya Book Stores of America and SEGA® of America to present very special Guest of Honor – KEI – the official character illustrator who designed Hatsune Miku, the wildly popular Vocaloid icon and world’s first virtual pop star.
The 2014 J-POP SUMMIT is set to take place across this city’s Japantown district Saturday and Sunday, July 19th and 20th. Additional information about the 2014 J-POP SUMMIT is available at: J-POP.com.
Retail bookseller Kinokuniya USA and video game developer SEGA of America will be located in two adjoining booths stationed in the heart of the Festival action on Post St. in Japantown. J-POP SUMMIT attendees will be able to meet KEI in person for a series of autograph sessions and browse a wide range of unique Hatsune Miku products and books presented by Kinokuniya.
SEGA of America will showcase Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F 2nd, the highly anticipated new rhythm music game title for the PS3 and PS® VITA platforms that is scheduled to launch in the U.S. this Fall. Attendees are invited to try the game in an exclusive West Coast live demo session happening throughout the weekend in the SEGA booth.
Character designer KEI will appear in-person in the Kinokuniya booth beginning at 1:00pm on both Saturday, July 19th and Sunday, July 20th to have special autograph session for the fans who purchase his illustrated art books, Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F or Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F 2nd On both days, the first 100 people to purchase either title also will have the opportunity to autograph by KEI. Fans will also receive a free Hatsune Miku poster as a special gift with purchase.
SEGA’s Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F 2nd game title premieres the world’s most famous virtual pop singer in an exciting rhythm video game that features new and classic music tracks. Players can tap, hold, and flick to the beat as they play through 40 addicting songs and four expansive difficulty settings. The game features 20 all-new songs as well as 20 classic Miku tracks, including World Is Mine and DECORATOR. Miku’s friends Rin, Len, Luka, Meiko, and Kaito also join the party and each appears with their own songs to play. Players can fully customize every video with over 100 costumes and 150 accessories for favorite performers. A robust internal editing system also lets players construct custom videos and share them online via PSN. Players can even share creations with friends between the PS3 and the PS VITA.
In addition to the rhythm game, join Miku and friends in the DIVA Room to interact, play mini-games, view special cut-scenes, and relax as players enjoy a slice of the life of a virtual DIVA. Kinokuniya will be accepting pre-orders for Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F 2nd on-site throughout J-POP SUMMIT. After it is released, purchasers may pick up the game at the Kinokuniya San Francisco store, or request to have it delivered.
KEI is a Japanese illustrator and cartoonist. His watercolor-like “Moe” style caught the attention of publisher Dengeki Bunko and KEI made his artistic debut for the novel Kiseki no Hyougen. In 2007, Crypton retained him to create an illustration for their first Character Vocaloid product, Hatsune Miku. KEI’s illustration supported the sale of the groundbreaking software and helped to spark the Vocaloid trend. His fame also led to the creation of other virtual characters such as Kagamine Len/Rin, Megurine Luka and more.
Hatsune Miku, whose name means, “first sound of the future,” is a digital female avatar and the most popular of the Vocaloid Character Series software originally created by Crypton Future Media using Yamaha’s Vocaloid 2 engine to create synthesized vocal tracks. In Japan, Hatsune Miku is a major national phenomenon where she appears in many popular video games and music videos.
The J-POP SUMMIT was the very first event in North America to showcase Hatsune Miku, when it screened her live concert film in the NEW PEOPLE Cinema in 2010. Her fame and worldwide popularity has become a global phenomenon. Hatsune Miku is currently the opening performer for Lady Gaga’s new Artpop Ball U.S. Tour.
Stay tuned for additional J-POP SUMMIT Guest of Honor, programming and event announcements!
About Kinokuniya USA:
Kinokuniya bookstore was founded in January 1927 in Tokyo, Japan. The company now has over 80 stores and 35 sales offices worldwide. Each store offers a wide range of books in Japanese and English, as well as CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, toys and high quality stationary.
Kinokuniya USA`s Web site is located at www.kinokuniya.com/us/
About SEGA® of America, Inc.:
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA® of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com
About J-POP SUMMIT Festival
Launched in 2009, J-POP SUMMIT Festival is an annual street fair held in San Francisco, CA that celebrates Japanese popular culture. By introducing the latest in Japanese music, film, art, fashion, gaming, anime, food, as well as niche subcultures, the festival has become a prominent platform to showcase the latest pop trends and creative innovations from Japan.
The 5th annual J-POP SUMMIT held in July 2013 welcomed more than 80,000 attendees, making it one of the largest Japanese festivals in the United States. In addition to the original Festival held in Japantown, new attractions include the J-POP LIVE AT UNION SQUARE concert in downtown San Francisco, the Bay Area’s premier dedicated Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, and sake-tasting and fine foods events at the POP GOURMET Food Festival, which have each further enriched the experience. Additional information about J-POP SUMMIT Festival is available at: J-POP.com.