FIRST-EVER ANIME POP-UP MUSEUM LANDS IN S.F. FOR 2012 J-POP SUMMIT

San Francisco, CA, June 20, 2012 – NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, is proud to present the U.S. premiere of the EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM as part of the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival. This special time-limited special exhibit, to be staged inside the venue’s 3^rd Floor SUPERFROG Gallery, launches on Saturday, August 25^th and is co-produced by Nippon Television and NEW PEOPLE.

The 2012 J-POP Summit Festival commences with the theme of “Cyberpop Overload!,” and will be held across San Francisco’s Japantown, in association with the Japantown Merchant Association, on Saturday, August 25^th and Sunday, August 26^th. General admission to The EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM is $5 with re-entry stamp, but will only run for the duration of the J-POP Summit Festival. Tickets will be available at NEW PEOPLE’s 3^rd Floor SUPERFROG Gallery on the day of the event. More information about the Festival is available at J-POP.com.

The EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM at NEW PEOPLE will offer an extensive collection of original concept and production art, character drawings and other key artifacts from the famed Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone and Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance film series. Anime/Manga and sci-fi fans are invited to enjoy this unique exhibit and catch a rare inside glimpse at how original drawings, computer graphics and animation for these films were created. A variety of rare and valuableEvangelion books, toys and collectables, and other items will also be on display.

“Evangelion is one of the most successful anime properties ever produced and its massive international popularity approaches an almost religious following among fans,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the President/CEO of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. and Chairman of the J-Pop Summit Festival Committee. “We are extremely honored to offer J-POP Summit attendees this special opportunity to enjoy a wide range of captivating artwork and other rare artifacts from the show that have never been exhibited before outside Japan.”

In the Evangelion: 1.0 and 2.0 films, fourteen year old Shinji Ikari is called to Tokyo-3 by his father who he hasn’t seen in more than eight years. His father reveals to him a gigantic humanoid weapons system that the special governmental agency has secretly developed to fight alien invaders called Angels. He enlists Shinji to pilot the giant artificial human Evangelion Unit One. In an explosive new storyline full of brutal action and primal emotion, a group of young pilots maneuver their towering, cyborg Eva Units into combat against a deadly and disturbing enemy.  The third film of the series, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, is set for release in Japan this fall.

A variety of other pop-inspired attractions including fashion shows, theatrical film premieres,  live art performances, celebrity appearances, and mini-concerts by some of Japan’s hottest bands are planned for the 2012 J-POP Summit both inside the NEW PEOPLE complex, and outdoors at the adjacent Peace Plaza. Innovative artists from Japan will join a variety of product merchants and food vendors from the Bay Area to offer an array of pop-inspired products and delicacies for sale in open air displays on both sides of Post Street, the main Japantown thoroughfare.

NEW PEOPLE opened in 2009 and has become a unique must-see attraction of San Francisco’s cultural landscape. The20,000 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.