Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Music News

Music

Arch Enemy's Blood Dynasty Tour 2025 Has Begun

On April 16, Arch Enemy made their return to San Francisco in support of their newest album, Blood Dynasty.

Brian Lee - 18-04-2025

Music

DIR EN GREY Returns to America for Three Concerts in April 2025

Before last year, it had been a while since I saw DIR EN GREY. Pre-pandemic, actually, way back in December 2019. I figured, you know what, I'm going to Japan...

Brian Lee - 02-04-2025

Music

Aya Hirano Announces Solo Single “evolutions” Release May 10th

Aya Hirano is making her long-awaited return to solo music with the release of “evolutions,” her first new single in 11 years. Dropping digitally on May 10, 2025, the track...

Theodore Mak - 01-04-2025

Music

Lotus Juice Live Concert Coming to San Francisco in March

Anime and video game music fans are in for a treat as renowned vocalists Lotus Juice takes the stage at the Legends of Anime concert on Saturday, March 29, 2025...

Theodore Mak - 14-02-2025

Anime News

Anime News

BEYBLADE X at San Diego Padres Games

BEYBLADE X is going to San Diego, offering fans an opportunity to battle at Petco Park during two San Diego Padres home games. The event will take place on August...

Theodore Mak - 18-08-2024

Anime News

Shion Wakayama AVIOT Talk Show @ Anime Expo 2024

Anime Expo 2024 was brimming with excitement, and one of the standout moments was the talk session at the audio company AVIOT’s booth in the Entertainment Hall featuring the talented...

Administrator - 18-07-2024

Anime News

Warner Bros Anime Expo Panel - Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League and Suicide Squad Isekai

Warner Bros. Animation unveiled the Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League trailer at their recent panel at Anime Expo. This highly anticipated sequel to the 2018 film Batman Ninja gave fans a glimpse of what to look...

Salvador Mateos - 16-07-2024

Anime News

FAKKU Guest Spotlight Q&A: Karasu Chan

NOTE: This article is meant for those 18+. Discretion is advised. For this year, FAKKU's guest is none other than Karasu Chan, an artist from Taiwan. Karasu Chan is well known...

Brian Lee - 14-07-2024

Anime News

Studio Bones Gachiakuta Panel @ Anime Expo 2024 Report

Studio BONES held a panel on July 4th, 2024 at Anime Expo. Hosted by Joey Bizinger (aka The Anime Man), fans got to hear about the upcoming anime adaptation of...

Theodore Mak - 12-07-2024

Gaming News

Gaming News

Switch 2 Pre-Orders Begin in The U.S. on April 24

Just incase you missed it, Nintendo will be launching its new system, Switch 2 on June 5th with a wide variety of exclusive Nintendo only titles as well as some...

Ken Dubois - 18-04-2025

Gaming News

Goddess of Victory: Nikke 2.5 Year Anniversary Livestream Set For April 19

The ever popular hit mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke will be hosting a special anniversary livestream set for April 19 via the official Nikke youtube channel. 

Ken Dubois - 07-04-2025

Gaming News

Dying Light: The Beast Announced - Gamescom 2024

It's been some time since we have heard anything from masterminds over at Techland and what is in store for the Dying Light franchise. During Opening Night Live at Gamescom, Techland...

Ken Dubois - 20-08-2024

Gaming News

Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage Ai Furihata and Mayu Yoshioka Talk About Being Idols In a Game - Anime Expo 2024

I have always been obsessed with rhythm games and Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage has been at the top of my list. At this year's Anime Expo, Sega brought a playable...

Ken Dubois - 04-07-2024

First and foremost, this event is a festival which celebrates Japanese pop music, and the festival aspect did not disappoint. There were plenty of vendor stands in the street as well as great food trucks, so the atmosphere was very festive. Whenever Japantown gets taken over for a weekend by an event like this, San Franciscans have immediate access to a fun, enriching experience and a great excuse to enjoy Japanese culture. No matter what else is going on, when I can eat ramen and a desert crepe, buy art prints, check out vendor booths, rub shoulders with cosplayers, and enjoy live music, I'm going to have an excellent time.

What the summit also does very well is attract great vendors and guests. The Evangelion scavenger hunt was a fun addition to the festival, and motivated people to move around and complete a challenge. It was refreshing to see a booth provide visitors with an activity, rather than pushing the standard fliers and advertisements into everyone's hands. Of course the live music was great, and being able to enjoy a star like Kylee put on a small concert was a boon. Just like last year, the Jpop summit was a great way to get the experience of a day at a convention without straining through a press of bodies or worrying excessively about time constraints.

After all my window shopping was finished, I grouped up with the T-ONO crew and we headed to On the Bridge, a restaurant inside the Japantown mall. On the Bridge is a great restaurant that specializes in Japanese and Western noodle dishes and has a homey atmosphere: the back table is littered with toy statues, they're always playing anime and live action shows on the television, and most of the seating is on swivel chairs at the counter. I had eaten a big breakfast and decided to order a small plate of garlic fries, which was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. These garlic fries were 'Japanese style', which meant the fried potato slices were covered in a spread that tasted like garlic and wasabi had genetically merged to create the sensation of fire breathing bullet ants assaulting my tongue. I was able to down two whole slices, spread and all, but began scraping them just so I could eat fast, save my GSI from intense pain, and prevent my breath from smelling like I had stuffed a dead skunk in my mouth.

As we headed out of the mall, the new band in the plaza was playing Japanese music. When they had finished their song, the lead singer told the crowd that he was going to play something from one of his favorite parts of Japanese pop music: eighties Japanese metal. My first thought was, "how is metal pop music?" but soon forgot about my presumptions as the song kicked in. A few minutes later it was time to interview Kylee, a very talented and engaging young woman who has made a successful splash in the Japanese music industry. Kylee told us during the interview that she was born and raised in Arizona, one of her parents is Japanese and the other is Caucasian, and she spends her summers in Japan to produce music.

It was after our interview with Kylee that all the pieces came together for me: the Jpop summit actually does a great job of representing Jpop music. The summit reflects what Jpop means to Americans, which is very much a part of Jpop culture at large. When one nation's culture seeps into another, it inevitably morphs into something new yet still linked to the original. This summit is a celebration of Japan's musical influence in our own culture from helping inspire three American girls to play music to providing avenues for artists like Kylee to become stars. Just like the chef from On the Bridge put a Japanese spin on garlic fries, Americans receive and reflect Jpop in their own way, and in doing so add something new.

Whether you love music, Japanese culture, or festivals, the Jpop Summit was once again an event I would highly recommend checking out. I had a lot of fun and learned a few things. I look forward to seeing what next year's Summit brings, and here's to its continued success!

MORE STORIES

Apr.18

Music

Arch Enemy's Blood Dynasty Tour 2025 Has Begun

On April 16, Arch Enemy made their return to San Francisco in support of their newest album, Blood Dynasty.

Apr.18

Gaming News

Switch 2 Pre-Orders Begin in The U.S. on April 24

Just incase you missed it, Nintendo will be launching its new system, Switch 2 on June 5th with a wide variety of exclusive Nintendo only titles as well as some...

Apr.07

Gaming News

Goddess of Victory: Nikke 2.5 Year Anniversary Livestream Set For April 19

The ever popular hit mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke will be hosting a special anniversary livestream set for April 19 via the official Nikke youtube channel. 

Apr.02

Music

DIR EN GREY Returns to America for Three Concerts in April 2025

Before last year, it had been a while since I saw DIR EN GREY. Pre-pandemic, actually, way back in December 2019. I figured, you know what, I'm going to Japan...

Apr.01

Convention News

WonderCon 2025 Impression

This last weekend, I attended WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center in Orange County to check out the wide variety of activities the event had to offer. I was initially...

Apr.01

Music

Aya Hirano Announces Solo Single “evolutions” Release May 10th

Aya Hirano is making her long-awaited return to solo music with the release of “evolutions,” her first new single in 11 years. Dropping digitally on May 10, 2025, the track...

Feb.14

Music

Lotus Juice Live Concert Coming to San Francisco in March

Anime and video game music fans are in for a treat as renowned vocalists Lotus Juice takes the stage at the Legends of Anime concert on Saturday, March 29, 2025...

Feb.02

Music

Live Report: Phantom Siita Makes Their US Debut With the "Moth to a flame" World Tour

What can be said about Phantom Siita?  I had initially thought that the name was Phantom Theater but no, it is instead based upon the words "phantom,"  the scientific name...

Jan.05

Music

Hanabie. US 2025 Tour Announced!

Hanabie. will be making the rounds on another US tour for 2025. They've been going around the world at a frenetic pace, this time paired together with Kim Dracula as...

Dec.30

Music

Arch Enemy United States Tour 2025 Announced

The Arch Enemy Blood Dynasty Tour begins on April 14 in San Diego, CA, and winds its way north up the coast before traveling east and looping around towards the...

Dec.14

Interview

Fate/stay night 20th Anniversary - Interview with Ayako Kawasumi, Kana Ueda, and Noriko Shitaya!

The Fate/stay night 20th Anniversary Celebration brought fans from across the United States together for one momentous occasion. We had just finished with a talk show reminiscing about the past...

Dec.06

Convention News

Fan Expo San Francisco 2024 Impressions

Over Thanksgiving weekend, Fan Expo San Francisco returned to Moscone West Convention Center for its third year, reaffirming its place as a key event in the Bay Area's pop culture...

Nov.03

Music

Phantom Siita - Moth to a flame World Tour Announced

Phantom Siita is a relatively young idol group. Just a couple of years old, they will be embarking around the world. They are produced by the now legendary Ado, who...

Oct.15

Convention News

Bay Area Anime Impulse/K-Play! Fest/Collectors Expo 2024 Impressions

Returning for its second year in the San Francisco Bay Area, Anime Impulse arrived at the San Mateo County Event Center on October 12-13. If you're unfamiliar with Anime Impulse...

Oct.09

Music

Kenshi Yonezu Announces First-Ever Tour Across Europe, Asia, and the U.S.

Japanese singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu has announced his first-ever U.S., Asia, and European tour dates. His world tour kicks off with two performances in Shanghai on March 8 and 9, 2025...