Azix, Inc. is pleased announce the inaugural edition of Waku Waku +NYC, a festival rooted in Japanese pop culture that celebrates creativity and collaboration and seeks to break down the boundaries that divide different fields and cultures. Waku Waku +NYC will take place across Brooklyn’s Greenpoint area at locations including the brand-new Brooklyn Expo Center, Brooklyn Bowl, and Verboten.
For this first edition, top talent and industry veterans from Japan in fields as diverse as anime, video games, fine art, fashion, cosplay, food, music, sports, and education are working together with emerging artists and performers from the New York area. Waku Waku +NYC launches with the aim to bring together fresh perspectives and foster pop culture experimentation and discovery.
Chikako Ichihara, founder of Waku Waku +NYC and CEO of Azix. Inc, developed Waku Waku +NYC as a space where guests and attendees alike can feel waku waku, a Japanese term that means “dream-like excitement.” By bringing together top artists and crossing both industry and national divides within a euphoric environment of endless possibilities, Ichihara wants to introduce a new and exciting cultural event that goes “beyond anime,” the likes of which New York has never seen.
- ANIME – Takao Koyama (Dragon Ball Z) and Makoto Koyama (Dragon Ball Super) are not only experienced Japanese animation screenwriters but also father and son. This family is making their joint American debut at Waku Waku +NYC, sharing their industry insights and watching classic anime films side-by-side with attendees as they explain the true story behind the creation of the Dragon Ball anime.
- GAMES – Mighty No. 9 is the first video game to earn over $4 million on Kickstarter, and its creator, celebrated game designer Keiji Inafune, is personally attending Waku Waku +NYC. Fans can meet him in person and have a hands-on experience with the game months before launch.
- ART – Kawaii culture ambassador and artist Sebastian Masuda will be giving a public viewing of his latest interactive work, “Time After Time Capsule” at Brooklyn’s Transmitter Park. Attendees can place their own personal creations in the time capsule, which will be showcased in Tokyo and eventually opened at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
- FASHION – Two of Japan’s hottest Lolita fashion brands—Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and PUTUMAYO—will debut their new collections weeks before New York Fashion Week. Models from all across the New York area have been specially chosen to showcase these designs in two different fashion shows.
- COSPLAY – Waku Waku +NYC will be hosting a cosplay contest featuring categories such as science fiction/fantasy, anime, and pop culture, with 1st place winning a free trip to Japan courtesy of Delta Air Lines.
- FOOD – Premiere restaurants from both Japan and NYC such as Ippudo NY, Totto Ramen, Teriyaki Boy, KATSU-HAMA, Dotonbori Kukuru, and T.I.C. Group Restaurants will be serving a variety of Japanese cuisine in an outdoor food pavilion. “Savory Square” will have Japanese food both traditional and new, including ramen, takoyaki octopus balls, matcha green tea, cream puffs, kawaii curry bento, Hokkaido chocolate, Japanese iced coffee, rice burgers, and even sake. Savory Square is free admission and open to the public all day.
- MUSIC – Two of Brooklyn’s hottest venues, Verboten and Brooklyn Bowl, will feature artists from both New York and Japan. Bringing together DJ Taku Takahashi (m-flo), BELLA GAIA Live, fan-turned-professional singer Yun*chi, and more, these concerts will bring together elements such as Hip Hop, anime, NASA imagery, and even a collaborative performance between Taku and Kendama World Champion Wyatt Bray.
- COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL ARTISTS – Phillicia Deanell, Derwin Robinson, Rikayo Horimizu, and Diana Ng are four local New York artists who have created designs based on Azix’s resident dog and mascot Tucker. These pieces will be featured prominently on Waku Waku +NYC memorabilia, including badges, signs, and T-shirts, as a way to share their creativity and excitement.
- EDUCATION – Working alongside John Ericsson Middle School 126 in Brooklyn, children of all ages will have the opportunity to attend workshops by Sebastian Masuda and learn expression through art. Anime News Network, the internet’s leading source for anime news, will also be hosting panels where top experts in the field of Japanese pop culture will share their perspectives in open forum discussions.
For more information on guests, events, and more, visit the official Waku Waku +NYC website at http://wakuwakunyc.com.
ABOUT AZIX, INC:
Azix, Inc., is a Japanese events and marketing company with offices in New York and Tokyo. Azix has produced tourism exhibitions, culinary demonstrations, street fairs, and product launches for over 10 years. Azix is a well-known, hands-on creative-idea agency that produced the largest tourist event ever mounted: Japan Week (japanweek.us) earlier this year attracted over 400,000 attendees. Participating brands included Delta Air Lines, SEIKO, NHK WORLD, ITO EN, Beard Papa’s, and Moshi Moshi Nippon, as well as other local businesses, multi-national brands, and Japanese governmental agencies. Azix’s events have attracted local, national, and international media, generated millions of impressions, and—perhaps most impressively—sold over 1,000 bento boxes in a single hour! (www.azix.net)
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