jpop summit festival Archives

A Samurai Spirit: Rome Kanda

Posted on Aug 31, 2012 in Featured, Muses | 0 comments

Chatting with Japanese actor and comedian Rome Kanda at J-Pop Summit Festival 2012 was one of those random opportunities that I can’t help feeling truly blessed and humbled. I was passing through in front of New People building trying to get something to eat in between one event to the next when the opportunity to interview Rome Kanda arrived.

And having watched “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” on Hulu.com (Kanda-san is the host of the game show “Majide!?” in that Reality TV series) several weeks prior to the announcement of J-Pop Summit Festival 2012 program, I’m very grateful for the opportunity to talk to him in person. Thank you J-Pop Summit Festival 2012′s Erik Jansen for making it happen!

J-Pop Summit 2011: a Reflection

Posted on Sep 23, 2011 in Japan Fashion, Muses, San Francisco Bay Area fashion, Thoughts | 2 comments

“I’m sorry for asking such a complicated question, but one does not get this kind of chance very often…”

This was uttered by one audience member during Q&A session with Kyoto designer Takeshi Wakabayashi (pictured left) of Sou Sou Lecture at New People 3F Frog Gallery, Japan Town, San Francisco at J-Pop Summit Festival on Saturday, August 27.

And from that moment, I completely realized that I was blessed to be at the right place at the right time. And I vowed to myself right there and then, that I will make a reflection piece about my experience in J-Pop Summit Festival 2011 at San Francisco (thank you for being such an awesome company, Cynthia from StyleWylde!) no matter how “late” it might be. Because just like the audience member said, one does not get this kind of chance of being humbly inspired very often.

SF J-Pop Summit Festival 2011 Baby The Stars Shine Bright Competition Review

Posted on Sep 6, 2011 in Fashion Reviews, Japan Fashion, San Francisco Bay Area fashion | 0 comments

Thanks to San Francisco’s yearly J-Pop Summit Festival, I have seen several lolita dress competitions over the past few years. But to sit down amongst the crowd, observe the dresses and how each girls come up with their own take of lolita outfit, and cheer on my favorites alongside Style Wylde‘s own Cynthia Anderson on August 27 were absolutely a wonderful experience :)

The competition was filled with pure honest entertainment that sometimes went to amusing, weird, nerdy, or even just plain silly. But all in all, it was an absolute fun times. In the past, I would simply brush off these kinds of things because on a first glance, these girls look like they tried to be something they’re not. I understand the whole concept of gothic lolita is HUGE in Japan sub-cultures (among other things – Harajuku, visual kei, ganguro, etc), but in the United States, I felt that it was pushing it too far. It was a weird feeling for me, trying to digest something I didn’t understand. And not to mention that I actually was into the whole gothic thing myself during my first two years of college (strutting down the campus hall with knee high black patent boots, black mini skirt, black spider web tights, purple top, black floor-length coat, and dramatic makeup). A bit hypocritical, eh? Even now, I still dutifully wear my DIY gothic-flavored wrist corsage and gothic hair clips. So I’ll always have that gothic part inside of me :)