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| Kyohei Sakaguchi |
JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO TEAMS
WITH 2013 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL TO WELCOME
“ZERO YEN” ARCHITECT/AUTHOR/ARTIST KYOHEI SAKAGUCHI
AS A SPECIAL GUEST OF HONOR
Innovative Artist Introduces His New Documentary
“How To Build A Mobile House”
About Living A Self-Sustainable Green Lifestyle
At NEW PEOPLE Cinema And Will Construct
An Ingenious Mobile Garden House
During
2013 J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL
The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco, the first fully-dedicated annual Japanese film celebration for the S.F. Bay Area, partners with the upcoming 2013 J-POP Summit Festival and MUJI USA to welcome famous "Zero Yen" architect, author, and artist, Kyohei Sakaguchi, as a special Guest of Honor for a series of personal appearances at both events taking place at the NEW PEOPLE Japanese pop culture complex located in the city’s historic Japantown.
Supported by the popular Japanese retailer, MUJI USA, Kyohei Sakaguchi will appear on Saturday, July 27th at 1:30pm at NEW PEOPLE Cinema to introduce the U.S. premiere of the documentary , How to Build a Mobile House (directed by Takayoshi Honda), as part of the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco and the 2013 J-POP Summit. In the film, Sakaguchi's embarks on a personal journey to meet an array of people living thought-provoking and self-sustainable lifestyles amidst the massive urban sprawl of Tokyo. An insightful audience Q&A will immediately follow the screening.
Tickets are $13.00. NEW PEOPLE Cinema is located at 1746 Post St. (Cross street is Webster St.) The week-long Japan Film Festival of San Francisco takes place at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema beginning Saturday, July 27th through Sunday August 4th. A complete schedule and advance ticket information is available at www.jffsf.org.
Screening attendees are further invited to a free workshop taking place just outside the NEW PEOPLE venue on Sunday, July 28th from 11:00am - 6:00pm, during the 2013 J-POP Summit Festival. Festival goers can join (or just watch) Sakaguchi as he constructs an ingenious mobile garden house with workshop attendees that will be exhibited at the MUJI San Francisco retail store, MUJI SOMA, located at 540 9th Street, until the end of August when it will be auctioned. Proceeds will go to local organizations contributing to form a sustainable and green environment in the Bay Area.
Kyohei Sakaguchi will also be the focus of a special discussion session on his artistic and social philosophies at U.C. Berkeley on Monday, July 29th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. It will be moderated by Dana Buntrock, Professor of Architecture, U.C. Berkeley. Admission to this discussion is free.
HOW TO BUILD A MOBILE HOUSE
U.S. PREMIERE!!!
Saturday, July 27th, 1:30pm
Complemented with live appearance of the famous "Zero Yen" architect, Kyohei Sakaguchi, the documentary, How to Build a Mobile House (directed by Takayoshi Honda), makes its U.S. premiere in his favorite city, San Francisco! This documentary is based on Sakaguchi’s book, Tokyo Zero Yen House, Zero Yen Life that examined the exuberant creativity of the city’s street dwellers. The film explores the roots of dwelling, and living, through the unique activities of this architect who "does not build." Follow the artist as he designs a nest-like abode that fits the size of the human body and apprentices himself to a Tama River Robinson Crusoe who actually lives alongside a Tokyo riverbed. The film also depicts the completion of a functional mobile house for only $260.00 in materials.
“Kyohei Sakaguchi is known for his dynamic ‘Zero Yen’ dwellings, ingeniously constructed from found and recycled materials inspired by the wisdom of street dwellers in Tokyo, and we look forward to welcoming him for a very special appearance at the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco to premiere his new documentary.” says Manami Iiboshi, Executive Director of Japan Film Festival of San Francisco. “The artist architect dramatically reinterprets what a dwelling can be to its resident and what it represents to larger society, and we look forward to J-POP Summit visitors joining us during the upcoming festival to witness his live on-site construction of a mobile garden house!”
Kyohei Sakaguchi was born 1978 and studied architecture and graduated from Waseda University. While still a student, he began to question the ways of modern architecture and researched buildings and gardens created by amateur non-architects. In 2004, his graduating thesis on the temporary structures of homeless people was later published as a photography book, Zero Yen House. In 2008, he published Tokyo Zero Yen House Zero Yen Life, portraying the life of an extraordinary man living alongside the Sumida River. He has also published several books, including, How to Create a Self-Supported Nation (Kodansha Ltd), which sold over 50 thousand copies and become a national bestseller in Japan. In 2012 he gained further public attention for the Kyohei Sakaguchi New Administration Exhibit at the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo’s Aoyama district.
The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is presented in conjunction with the 2013 J-POP Summit, which will take place Saturday July 27th and Sunday July 28th across the city’s historic Japantown district to celebrate the phenomenon of Japanese pop culture with a colorful array of live bands and artists, panel discussions, film premieres, edgy fashion shows and DJ dance events, celebrity appearances and more. The J-POP Summit Festival is hosted and organized by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2012, the two-day event attracted nearly 65,000 attendees. More information is available at www.J-POP.com.
NEW PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and entertaining events. More information is available at www.newpeoplecinema.com.
About J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL
The J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion and DJ dance events, and celebrity appearances. The Festival is hosted by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2012, the two-day event attracted 65,000 attendees.
