NEW PEOPLE TO HOST THE FIRST-EVER EVANGELION WORLDWIDE STAMP RALLY DURING THE 2012 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL

Unique Anime-Inspired Travel Game To 4 International Cities Will Be The Longest And Most Difficult In Stamp Rally History; Special Stamps To Be Given At The EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM Inside NEW PEOPLE

NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, brings the latest Japanese game phenomenon to the U.S. for the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival as it participates in the first-ever EVANGELION WOLRDWIDE STAMP-RALLY.

The 2012 J-POP Summit Festival takes place across San Francisco’s Japantown in cooperation with the Japantown Merchant Association on Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 26th. More information about the Festival is available at J-POP.com.

The EVANGELION WOLRDWIDE STAMP-RALLY is inspired by a popular summertime activity in Japan where players travel to different locations (usually train stations) to acquire special stamps, which are collected and often redeemed for prizes. The EVANGELION WOLRDWIDE STAMP-RALLY is a global event billed as the most difficult and longest distance stamp-rally in history. The RALLY will be entered into the 2012 Guinness Book of World Records and will require players to secure specially-made Evangelion stamps from venues in Tokyo, Beijing and Paris, in addition to NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco during the 2012 J-POP Summit Festival.

Players that secure stamps from all 4 international venues are eligible to win rare Evangelion collectables as prizes! Even for those who only collect stamps from Japan and one other country (France, USA, or China) can be eligible for a little special gift. More details about the prize collection will be announced in the near future.

Other participating cities/venues for the EVANGELION WOLRDWIDE STAMP-RALLY include:

Paris, France – 2012 Japan Expo, July 5th - 8th

Tokyo, Japan - Shiohaku 2012, NTV Tower Shiodome, July 25th - Aug. 26th

Beijing, China - ICAC: International Comic and Animation Convention, Nov. 3rd - 11th

The special Evangelion stamp station will be located at the U.S. Premiere of the EVANGELION POP-UP MUSEUM, to be installed for the duration of the J-POP Summit (8/25 & 8/26) inside NEW PEOPLE’s SUPERFROG Gallery. The accompanying stamp sheet will be given away at the same location (while supplies last). Even if you are unable to collect all four stamps, the stamp sheet with the San Francisco Evangelion design on it will become a wonderful collectable for fans.

NEW PEOPLE’s spacious 3rd floor exhibit space will be transformed for a limited time to showcase an extensive collection of original concept and production art, character drawings and other key artifacts from the famed Evangelion 1.0 and 2.0 feature films. A variety of rare and valuable Evangelion books, toys and collectables, and other items will also be on display.

In the Evangelion: 1.0 and 2.0 films, fourteen year old Shinji Ikari is called the futuristic 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.