- 30-Year Star Wars Stars at Celebration Japan
- Costume Contests at Celebration Japan
- New Star Wars Collecting Panels Announced
- Picture Yourself "Inside" the Star Wars Saga
30-Year Star Wars Stars at Celebration Japan
Star Wars Celebration Japan will feature a galaxy of stars from all the movies of the Saga, many of whom fans can meet in the Official Pix Autograph Hall, and see onstage for live, entertaining interviews.
These three Celebration Japan stars have been a part of the Star Wars Saga for more than 30 years, ever since the 1977 premiere of Star Wars (A New Hope), which first appeared in Japanese theaters in 1978. Read about Carrie Fisher coming to Celebration Japan, and check back here for more announcements of more stars, coming soon.
David Prowse (Darth Vader)
British performer David Prowse donned the costume of Darth Vader for the original Star Wars trilogy. He appearances outside the Star Wars realm include a role in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and as Britain's Green Cross Code man. Meet Prowse in the Celebration Japan Autograph Hall.
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
Peter Mayhew brought Han Solo's co-pilot Chewbacca to life on the screen in all three original Star Wars movies, and also in Revenge of the Sith. Well-loved by fans, the performer travels widely to meet them the world over. Come to the Celebration Japan Autograph Hall and get some Wookiee.
Anthony Forrest (Fixer and Stormtrooper)
Anthony Forrest recently began his Star Wars autograph career with Celebration IV in Los Angeles, in 2007. Known for portraying the "move along" stormtrooper in a Mos Eisley scene with Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Forrester also played Skywalker's friend Fixer. Meet him in the Celebration Japan Autograph Hall.
The Celebration Japan Autograph Hall, run by Official Pix, the official licensee of Star Wars photographs and autographs, will be located in the main exhibit hall at Celebration Japan. Hours for the hall are 10:00 AM -- 6:00 PM, Saturday through Monday, July 19-21.
Star Wars Celebration Japan will honor the rich costuming tradition among Japanese Star Wars fans with a spectacular costume contest planned for each day of the three-day event. Costumers wearing Star Wars costumes from any of the movies, comics, novels, or the television shows are invited to register to compete and to show off their creations on stage.
Fans who enjoy creating and wearing Star Wars costumes could have up to three opportunities to display their talent on stage at Celebration Japan this July 19-21 at the Makuhari-Messe Convention Center near Tokyo. The tremendous response for the costume contests at previous official Celebrations, coupled with the enthusiasm for costuming in Japan, have caused Lucasfilm Ltd. and their Celebration Japan licensee, Lewis Daniel to offer three contests at Celebration Japan.
The Costume Contests will be held on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, July 19, 20, and 21. Each contest will be approximately 2 hours long, and will be open to up to 75 contestants. Click here for complete Costume Contest guidelines, and for the registration form.
All entries must represent a character or element in the Star Wars universe. Entrants may choose which day's Contest they would like to participate in. If a selected Contest is filled, entrants will be offered a spot in one of the other Contests if space permits.
The Costume Contests will be judged solely on the quality of the costume. Solo contestants will enter the stage, pivot, pause, and exit while the emcee reads the entrant's own description of the costume. No speaking or individualized music will be allowed. Star Wars themed music will play throughout the Contest. These events are free to spectators!
Get working! Applicants will be selected as space in each show permits. Please click here to download the registration form, and to see a complete list of rules for the Celebration Japan costume contests.
Star Wars Celebration Japan is the first official Lucasfilm Star Wars Celebration in Asia. Don't miss this landmark Star Wars fan event! Tickets for Celebration Japan are on sale now at http://www.celebrationjapan.com.
Star Wars Collecting at Celebration Japan
Those who love the host of toys and pop culture treasures inspired by the Star Wars Saga will love the fascinating Star Wars collecting shows coming this July 19-21 at Celebration Japan.
Gus Lopez, who has coordinated Star Wars collecting panels for Celebrations in the U.S. and London, is once again inviting some of the most knowledgeable and entertaining Star Wars collectors to talk about their passion. Among the speakers are notable Japanese collectors, who will talk about the exceptionally rich world of Japanese Star Wars toys and collectibles. Here are the first four of twelve great panels to be announced.
Star Wars Collectibles Road Show
Japanese Collector Eimei Takeda leads our panel of expert collectors
Have an item you can't identify, or the value of which you can't find in a price guide? Bring it to the Celebration Japan Collectibles Road Show and have the item appraised by our panel of experts. Learn about the item's history, collector demand, scarcity, and value. Collectors participating in the Road Show will get more information about their items, and also have the opportunity to share their treasures with fellow collectors.
What to bring? Any item you think is extraordinary and about which you can't find good information from other sources. If it's unlisted in price guides, or the guides provide little information or no pictures, our panelists can likely help you find out what you need to know. Try to stump the experts if you think you can!
What not to bring? If your item shows up in an online auction search on any given day, you can probably get the information you need online. A note on packaging errors: while items in the wrong package or with other minor errors are of interest to some collectors, generally these items garner a minor premium at best and are often worth less. For modern (post-1990) items, the few exceptions that have additional value are well-documented in price guides.
Plush Star Wars
Andy Loney
It all started with an R2-D2 with a squeaking sound and a two-foot-tall Chewbacca with a bandolier strap. Plush Star Wars toys were produced when Star Wars began, and they are still as popular today as ever. From Ewoks to Jawas, vintage to modern, prototypes to un-produced, and Disney Park exclusives to claw machine toys in Japan, there are many varied and interesting areas to explore in the world of plush Star Wars toys. Grab your stuffed Wicket the Ewok and learn more about this soft and cuddly collecting arena.
Coca Cola Collectibles
Japanese Collector Tomihiko Amanuma
Forty years ago, Coca Cola ran a massive Star Wars campaign in Japan that promoted product nation-wide starting in summer 1978. The bottle cap crowns were as popular with fans in 1978 as they are with collectors today. Collectors continue to try to complete their sets in the signature floppy collector trays, but that's just the beginning. Come learn about the varied and obscure Star Wars Coca Cola collectibles that were part of Japan's first-ever Star Wars food promotion.
Humorous Star Wars Items
Duncan Jenkins
Star Wars fans might own the action figures and trade the trading cards. They might wear the T-shirts and play the video games. They even frequent whatever eating establishment has the latest Star Wars "kids" meal toys. So, for many, the concept of a humorous collectible is not readily obvious. But some of the best attention-grabbing collectibles are the ones that make collectors smile, laugh, or think "I can't believe they made that!" From Jabba the Hutt on a Peach Melba Yogurt Cup to six-foot Ewoks On Ice Skates, the Star Wars collectibles universe has had some very humorous licensed items. For a look at some of the funniest Star Wars inspired collectibles, check out Humorous Star Wars Items with Duncan Jenkins, and don't forget to wear your Boba Fett Underoos.
Collecting panels at Celebration Japan are scheduled to start each day at 2:00 pm, and will feature sessions for serious collectors, as well as entertainment and fun for those who love popular culture and Star Wars.
What's more, fans attending the shows will have the chance to take home rare, two-inch pewter medallions commemorating classic Star Wars toys released in Japan in 1978. These medallions, twelve different designs in all, were designed by Mattias Rendahl and Jeff Correll especially for the fans at Celebration Japan. They will be given away for free at random times during the Celebration Japan collecting panels.
Picture Yourself "Inside" the Star Wars Saga
Fans at Star Wars Celebration Japan can feel like they are part of the action of their favorite movie saga, thanks to props built by their fellow Star Wars fans. Throughout the 3-day festival, scheduled for July 19-21 in the Makuhari-Messe near Tokyo, those attending the event can pose for pictures with replicas that look like they came right from the movie sets.
Sit on a speeder bike that looks like it recently was on Endor in Return of the Jedi, or a snowspeeder that could have come from The Empire Strikes Back. Imagine you're playing chess with Chewbacca in the lounge of the Millennium Falcon. Or wear your Slave Leia costume and lounge with Jabba the Hutt.
Stefan Cembolista and a crew of builders from Belgium will be accompanying their exceptional set replicas to the show. The group also brought replicas to Star Wars Celebration Europe in London in 2007. Each replica vehicle and set was carefully constructed to look just like it came from the movies.
"It will be awesome to participate in this very special event," says Cembolista. "As we did in Celebration Europe, we will do our very best to amaze the Celebration public. Only this time we'll double our efforts."
Star Wars Celebration Japan is the first official Lucasfilm Star Wars Celebration in Asia. Don't miss this landmark Star Wars fan event! Tickets for Celebration Japan are on sale now at http://www.celebrationjapan.com.
