FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL EAST COAST TO WEST COAST ROAD TOUR FOR SHONEN JUMPâ„¢ NARUTOâ„¢

Fans Are Invited To Visit Select WAL-MART Locations To Take Part In Exciting and Fun Activities Related To Best Selling Manga And Anime Series

San Francisco, CA, May 2, 2007 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced a special road show to highlight SHONEN JUMPâ„¢ NARUTOâ„¢ to fans across the country. The tour kicks off on May 26 in Secaucus, NJ with subsequent stops scheduled for Baltimore, MD; Belleville, IN; Bentonville, AR; and Pleasanton, CA. The event will be free to attend. Updated information is available at www.naruto.viz.com.

At each stop, a special event staging area will immerse young and older fans alike into the captivating and action-filled worlds of the popular NARUTO manga and anime series. The event will feature multiple activity stations including a Ninja Academy, where visitors can learn special moves and techniques with an instructor, the Chakra Challenge, sponsored by Mattel, sneak peeks of upcoming anime episodes on a large main screen, a Bandai collectible card game area, several video game kiosks where fans can play the latest NARUTO video games from Tomy/D3P and NAMCO/BANDAI, a manga drawing area, and a green screen activity where fans can have their picture taken with a variety of backgrounds featured in the anime series. Upon entering, each visitor will be given a special NARUTO passport that will guide them to the various activities and after collecting passport stamps, each fan will receive an exclusive SHONEN JUMP NARUTO goodie bag filled with collectable premiums.

Dates for the SHONEN JUMP NARUTO Road Tour Include:

Saturday, May 26, 2007: WAL-MART

400 Park Place, Secaucus, NJ

Event Hours:  11AM to 5PM

Saturday, June 9, 2007: WAL-MART

6410 Petrie Way, Baltimore, MD

Event Hours: 11AM to 5PM

Saturday, June 16, 2007: WAL-MART

120 Carlyle Plaza Drive, Belleville, IL

Event Hours: 11AM to 5PM

Saturday, June 23, 2007: WAL-MART

406 South Walton Blvd, Bentonville, AR 

Event Hours: 11AM to 5PM

Saturday, June 30, 2007: WAL-MART

4501 Rosewood Drive, Pleasanton, CA

Event Hours: 11AM to 5PM

NARUTO is a ratings powerhouse on Cartoon Network, where it is featured as part of the network’s Toonami block of action programming and attracts millions of viewers each week. The NARUTO manga was recently awarded the coveted Quill Award for Best Graphic Novel for 2006. Several volumes of the manga series, published in North America by VIZ Media, have been ranked on USA Today’s Top 150 Best Seller List, with many in the top 50. The most recent volume, Volume 13, placed #25, the highest placement any manga title has ever achieved on the daily’s noted literary sales list, which compiles sales traction for fiction, non-fiction, hardcover as well as paperback titles. VIZ Media also distributes the NARUTO anime series on DVD and recently announced the upcoming movie, NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW. 

“We are pleased to announce this exciting road tour for SHONEN JUMP NARUTO,” states Liza Coppola, Sr. Vice President, Marketing, VIZ Media.  “This road tour will delight fans already familiar with both the SHONEN JUMP Magazine, which is the best selling manga anthology in North America, and the NARUTO manga, which is one of the best selling graphic novels on the market today. We invite people of all ages to come out and enjoy a great day of fun and free activities in the exciting world of SHONEN JUMP NARUTO!”

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages.