The Winning Design and Charity Goods
The winning designer is artist Shiratama from Japan.

A message from Japantown: We are extremely grateful for artist Shiratama, who designed this Miku who tightly holds onto a heart with an expression of love, and all artists from Japan and from around the world who had sent in their designs. Please visit us here one of these days, and come meet the Miku that now graces the streets of Japantown.

Artist Shiratama’s Miku has gone up as banners in Japantown and charity goods with the same design will be for sale at NEW PEOPLE the Store to benefit Japan’s relief efforts during J-POP SUMMIT Festival 2011!

PIAPRO x San Francisco Japantown collaboration:
In conjunction with the 3rd annual J-POP SUMMIT Festival, Piapro.jp is collaborating with Japantown of San Francisco. The submissions for Japantown’s street pole banner design with the theme of “Hope for Japan’s Recovery” closed recently.

Creators For Japan
Creators For Japan’s mission is to raise money through art and crafts sale for relief efforts to assist the victims of Japan’s catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emissions. 100% of all net proceeds will be donated.

Estria Foundation
For two consecutive years Estria and his foundation has joined the festival. This year the foundation sends Mike “BAM!” Tyau as a representing artist to live paint at the festival. The artwork will be silent-auctioned on-site and the proceeds will be donated to help Japan.

The Estria Foundation shifts the social consciousness on critical human and environmental issues through education, art projects and community events around the globe.

PiNCH to PiNK exhibition by Hechi-ken Hamazaki

Turning troubled times into hope for future
On March 11 2011, there was a very tragic disaster in Japan, the Great East Japan Earthquake happened. We send our deepest condolences to the people who were lost and people who have lost loved ones. During this difficult time in Japan, we find ourselves feeling that it’s maybe selfish and pointless to work on art projects. However, artist Hechi-ken Hamazaki wanted to create something that can change “a pinch” into “a pink” (the bright future). His friends started up the program called “Hope for Japan”. We are not sure how much help it can be with our art activities, but we will work on our art as charity projects, and hope that it will get practical use through the “Hope For Japan” program.

PiNCH to PiNK exhibition will open at NEW PEOPLE the Store during J-POP SUMMIT Festival – charity goods available to support Japan.