Friday, August 31, 2018

Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival (匹茲堡龍舟節), September 30 at North Park.



The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans will present the Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival on September 30.
Join us at the Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival on September 30, 2018 for a day of fun at North Park Lake! Watch exciting races or form your own dragon boat and compete against other community teams for medals and awards. Cultural demonstrations, food, marketplace and other activities will be available, so bring the whole family to this FREE event!
The event starts at 8:30 am and runs until 5:00 pm, with cultural demonstrations running from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. It will be held at and around the Boathouse at North Park Lake in the North Hills (map) and is free and open to the public.

Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ~2人の英雄) will play at Hollywood Theater, too, in September.



Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ~2人の英雄), already scheduled to play at the Southside Works Cinema next month, will play at the Hollywood Theater, too.

Haikyuu!!: The Movie will play there on the 19th, 22nd, and 23rd, and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes will play on the 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th, and October 2nd. Tickets for those are available online at the Hollywood Theater's website. The new incarnation of the Hollywood Theater, which for many years was about the only place in Pittsburgh to see new Japanese animated movies, is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Free performance by Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe, September 28 at Carlow University.



The Troupe of Acrobats at National Taiwan College of Performing Art will give a free performance, titled Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe: A Cultural Celebration, on September 28 at Carlow University.
The inspiration of the performance is founded on Taiwan's diverse heritage. Integrating elements of modern performance, the show will also incorporate folk dance, juggling, martial arts, and Taiwanese opera to showcase various expressions of Taiwanese lifestyle. The audience can look forward to this interactive performance!
The show runs from 7:30 to 9:00 pm at the Rosemary Heyle Theater in Antonian Hall at Carlow University in Oakland (map). The performance is free but advanced registration is required and can be completed online.

Seminal Japanese pop punk band Shonen Knife back in Pittsburgh, September 4.



The Japanese pop punk band Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ) will return to Pittsburgh on September 4 as part of their 2018 US tour. According to a press release:
Boasting a nearly 40 year career, these three luminaries of rock & roll have wielded fun and food-centered bops that earned them the love and respect of music goliaths like Nirvana andSonic Youth. They’ve made their way from their home of Osaka, Japan to the United States many times, but this year they’re putting their personal affection for each and every city on display. Following the release of their tenacious live DVD/CD ALIVE! In Osaka (Released onRobby Takac of THE GOO GOO DOLLS’ Good Charamel Records), Shonen Knife have prepared to deliver that same hometown energy from Buffalo on August 28th to Brooklyn on August 31st, Chicago on September 9th, Los Angeles on October 5th, and so much more. Each city will have its own personalized and limited edition artwork available at the show, because for Shonen Knife, home is where the fans are.

Shonen Knife frontwoman Naoko comments, “Our first live album Live in Osaka was released in 2006, and was recorded at the same venue as this new one. After the first live album, we toured, released music constantly, grew as a band and improved. This year we would like to bring the fever from ALIVE! in Osaka on our US tour. Not only will we play songs from the record, but we are also preparing special rarely played songs from earlier albums to the present. Let’s have a fun time together!”
Tickets for the 21-and-over show at Spirit Hall in Lawrenceville are available online, at Dave's Music Mine in the South Side, Jerry's Records in Squirrel Hill, and Juke Records in Bloomfield. The band played in Pittsburgh previously in 2016 and 2011. Spirit is located at 242 51st St. in Lawrenceville (map).

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

2018 animated film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう) returns to Pittsburgh (this time dubbed in English), September 23.



An English-dubbed version of the 2018 Japanese animated film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう) will play at Southside Works Cinema on September 23. The Anime News Network provides a summary:
Maquia is from a clan where all the members stop aging in their mid teens. She has no parents and, although her days are peaceful, she feels lonely. Their peace is shattered when an army invades, seeking the secret to her people's immortality. Leilia, the most beautiful girl in her clan, is taken away, and the boy Maquia has secret feelings for disappears. Maquia is able to escape, but she loses her friends and her home. Wandering alone in the forest, she finds Erial, a baby boy who has lost his parents. The story follows the changing relationship between the two as Erial grows up and Maquia does not.
The movie first played in Pittsburgh in July, premiered in Japan on February 24, and was the fifth-highest-grossing movie there its opening weekend.

Tickets for the 7:00 pm show are now available online. The theater is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

"Night at the Movies" with Mori, the Artist's Habitat (モリのいる場所) and shakuhachi performance, September 23 at Pitt.



The Japanese Nationality Room is sponsoring an event to coincide with a screening of the 2018 film Mori, the Artist's Habitat (モリのいる場所) on September 23 as part of this year's Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival. From the Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh's mailing list:
The Japanese Nationality Room is sponsoring “Night at the Japanese Movie" on Sunday, September 23. This special evening will also include Japanese Shakuhachi and Koto performances. We hope you enjoy a wonderful evening of Japanese culture with your family and friends.

Place: Auditorium on the 7thFloor of Alumni Hall at University of Pittsburgh

(Alumni Hall is across the 5thAvenue from Cathedral of Learning)

https://www.tour.pitt.edu/tour/alumni-hall

Time: 4:00 pm. The Theater and Ticket desk Opens.

4:15 pm. Shakuhachi and Koto Performance and Talk on “This Summer Experiences in Japan” by the Shakuhachi musician.

5:00 pm. Screening of a Japanese Movie: Mori, the Artist’s Habitat

The screening of this Japanese movie is a part of the 2018 Silk Screen Summer Festival, and will cost $10 per person for the general audience, but the Japanese Nationality Room is offering a special discount of $5 per person for the first 50 people who reserve seats through the JNR. Please order directly by emailing Sono Takano sonohayes@gmail.com and specify your full name and the number of tickets you will need. We will maintain a list of reserved tickets and you may pay at the ticket table at the Auditorium on Sunday, 9/23.

Pitt hiring student worker for "Japan support, website development" for Tale of the Heike (平家物語 ) site.

The University of Pittsburgh's University Center for International Studies is hiring a student worker to help build a website in support of a class on the epic Japanese text Tale of the Heike (平家物語).
The University of Pittsburgh is seeking a student worker to help with website development. Specifically, developing a website resource for reading and teaching Tale of the Heike.

Job Requirements
Develop the website, proofread content for the class website.
The pay is $12 per hour and those interested should apply through Pittsource.

Monday, August 27, 2018

"New Voices from Japan: Engagement and Dialogue with Emerging Policy Experts from Japan," September 7 at Pitt.



The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host "Voices from Japan: Engagement and Dialogue with Emerging Policy Experts from Japan" on September 7. This annual panel discussion will bring the following scholars and topics to Pitt this year:
  • Saya Kiba, "Japan's Engagement in Meeting Security Needs in Southeast Asia."
  • Takemasa Sekine, "Japan's Leadership in International Trade Rule-Making."
  • Akai Ohi, "'The Politics of Reform': A Guide to Understanding Contemporary Japanese Political Confrontation."
The talk starts at 12:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Parts 1 and 2 of Laughing Under the Clouds Gaiden (曇天に笑う外伝) trilogy at Row House Cinema, August 31 and September 2.



The Row House Cinema will screen parts 1 and 2 of the Laughing Under the Clouds Gaiden trilogy on August 31 and September 2. Anime News Network provides a synopsis:
The manga includes stories not told in the original manga, including some from the past and some from the future. The original manga's story takes place in the 11th year of the Meiji era, when the number of people in Japan who feel dissatisfaction toward the government are increasing due to the increasing speed of Westernization and the ban on samurai. In order to curb the increased rate of crime, the government opens a new prison. The three brothers of the Kumo family are entrusted with the duty of transporting these criminals to the new prison, but adventures await them on the way.
The trilogy's third installment opens in Japan on September 1. The movies will play for two shows only, and tickets are available online (August 31, September 2). The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Friday, August 24, 2018

Marlina The Murder in Four Acts (Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak) at Parkway Theater, from August 24.



The 2018 movie Marlina The Murder in Four Acts (Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak) will play at the Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks from August 24. A June New York Times review writes:
An unwavering slow burn, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” goes down exactly as announced. Marlina, a young widow living in remote Indonesia, spills blood in a story that plays out in four discrete acts. Each of the titled acts telegraphs some impending event (“The Robbery,” “The Birth”) and is clearly meant to create a mild sense of anticipation, much like the movie’s own explanatory title. Mostly, these are self-aware art-film touches ornamenting a blunt rape-revenge story that leans heavily and sometimes effectively on its sweeping landscapes, aesthetic violence, nods to Sergio Leone and what comes across as an overt debt to Jia Zhang-ke’s “Touch of Sin.”
The movie plays on August 24 (7:00 pm and 9:00 pm), August 25 (5:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 9:00 pm), August 28 (7:00 pm), August 29 (7:00 pm, 9:00 pm), and August 30 (7:00 pm). The theater is located at 644 Broadway Ave. in McKees Rocks (map). The movie will also play throughout Pittsburgh in September as part of the Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Selections from September's Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival free for Pitt students, faculty, and staff.



The University of Pittsburgh's campus will host several screenings of next month's Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival, and these selections will be free to those students, faculty, and staff with valid Pitt ID cards. These screenings include:
  • Alifu the Prince/ss (阿莉芙; Taiwan, 2017) - September 28, 125 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium at 8:30
  • Dynamite Graffiti (素敵なダイナマイトスキャンダル; Japan, 2018) - September 29, 125 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium at 9:00
  • Marlina The Murder in Four Acts (Marlina Si Pembunuh dalam Empat Babak; Indonesia+Malaysia+Thailand, 2018) - September 23, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium at 7:30
  • Missing Johnny (強尼.凱克; Taiwan, 2017) - September 28, Alumni Hall at 7:30
  • Mori, the Artist's Habitat (モリのいる場所; Japan, 2018) - September 23, Alumni Hall at 5:00 pm; September 29, 125 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium at 3:00
  • The Return (Denmark+South Korea, 2018) - September 23, 125 Frick Fine Arts Auditorium at 5:30

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Take advantage of free Chinese, Japanese, Korean classes in Pittsburgh this semester.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is an invaluable source of free and enriching programming for people of all ages. Most relevant to this site are the free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean courses at an increasing number of branches. The start of a new school year is an excellent time to revisit this list of free courses available for children, complete novices, high-beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced speakers.

Monday, August 20, 2018

SAP Ariba hiring for bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Operations Specialist positions in Pittsburgh.



SAP Ariba, "the world’s business commerce network," is again hiring for overnight bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Operations Specialist positions in Pittsburgh. The job posting, via a staffing agency:
Description:
Mandarin/English language skills Sun-TH 8PM-5 AM -18.27

Job Description Overview

The Procurement Operations Specialist is the face and voice of Company to our customers, building relationships in each interaction. Specialists help our customers maximize the benefits of Ariba solutions to facilitate a global exchange of goods and services in the world's largest business to business trading community. They use their expertise and collaborate with team members and customers across the globe to provide detailed solutions that exceed expectations.

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, August 21.

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on August 21 at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty.
Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese for children and their parents or caregivers. For children age birth – 5 and their caregivers.
It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Pitt professor hiring bilingual Chinese-English research assistant.

A professor in the University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is looking to hire a bilingual Chinese-English Pitt student for a temporary research assistant position.
This is a temporary position. Research assistant is being sought to assist a research professor to transcribe and code audio recordings of English and Chinese speeches of students in educational setting. Must have native-like proficiency in both languages, good computing skills, and some experience or interest in language learning research. This temporary position involves working (on a computer, in a place of the assistant’s own convenience) for a total of 20 to 30 hours, which can span over 2 to 4 weeks.

Job Requirements
The ideal candidate should:
- Possess excellent typing skills and preferably some experience with audio transcription;
- Have native-like proficiency in both Chinese and English;
- Be responsible and interested in language research;
- Have access to a computer, the Internet, Pitt BOX, and can work independently in a place of his/her own convenience;
- Be able to meet the Principle Investigator (research professor) for a few times to discuss the project;
- Be able to completes the work (around 30 hours) in 2-4 weeks.

2018 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival schedule just released; includes films from China, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan.



Tickets went on sale today for the 2018 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival, and this year's iteration includes films from. The festival runs from September 21 through September 30 at several theaters in the Pittsburgh areas, and films include:

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Masaaki Yuasa's The Night is Short, Walk On Girl (夜は短し歩けよ乙女) in Pittsburgh, August 21 and 22.



Masaaki Yuasa's The Night is Short, Walk On Girl (夜は短し歩けよ乙女) will play in the Pittsburgh area on August 21 and 22. A summary from the distributor:
Acclaimed anime director Masaaki Yuasa, took a decade off directing feature animation only to return with two remarkable features in the same year – both selections in the festival, alongside his midnight classic Mind Game.

Night is Short, Walk on Girl takes place over the course of one strange night as a nameless young woman, known only as “the girl with black hair,” walks the streets of Kyoto and experiences a series of surreal encounters and odd characters, drinking middle-aged salarymen under the table, exploring an all-night used bookstore with a bird goblin, helping a guerilla theater company express their feelings… all the while unaware of the romantic longings of Senpai, a fellow student who has been creating increasingly fantastic and contrived reasons to run into her, in an effort to win her heart. The perfect “I guess it’s romantic?” comedy for the modern age, Night is Short is a celebration of the unconventional, confusing routes that love and life can take.
The movie will play at the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson, and tickets are available online. The movie will play in Japanese with English subtitles.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

CitySpade hiring Chinese-speaking Real Estate Sales Associate in Pittsburgh.

CitySpade has just announced openings for Chinese-speaking real estate sales associates in Pittsburgh.
CitySpade is a real estate brokerage firm founded in 2014 by three alumni from NYU. Based in New York City, CitySpade now expands all over the US, with offices in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Shanghai, Texas and California. The Company consists of a group of energetic young professionals who share the same passion for improving people's urban living. As the professional housing consultant, the Company strives to provide up-to-date rental listings and quality household services. With comprehensive knowledge of the local rental market and exceptional one-on-one client services, the Company empowers its clients to find their dream homes. To better assist our clients, the Company also provides a package service including real-time online consultation, worry-free roommate matching, sight unseen services, and various household services throughout the year.

OPT/CPT E-Verify H1B Sponsor

WholeRen Education hiring Chinese-speaking Video Editor.



Oakland-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced an opening for a Chinese-speaking video editor.
美国厚仁教育集团 WholeRen, LLC 成立于2010年,现有5家子公司,全美各地8个分部分别坐落于匹兹堡,纽约,西雅图,波士顿,洛杉矶,旧金山,DC,东兰辛。厚仁旨在提供基于美国的全面教育与发展,为学生制定全方位的留学服务,包括美国初/高中留学申请和转学、美国本科/研究生申请和转学、学术紧急应对学术辅导、美国寄宿家庭服务、微留学、背景提升和职业规划等。厚仁教育是全美首家获得美国国际招生协会AIRC权威认证的留学服务机构,曾接受CCTV、纽约时报、华尔街日报等主流媒体特约专访,是最了解美中教育差异的专家,是指导留美学生成功的导师。

职位描述:

1. 协助拍摄公司需要的视频材料

2. 独立完成视频剪辑工作

3. 独立完成主管安排的其他与视频剪辑相关的工作

GlobalPittsburgh Happy Hour with visiting Yasuda Women's University students, September 6.


Interior of Pitt's Cathedral of Learning, from the 2019 Yasuda Women's University promotional catalog.

GlobalPittsburgh's next First Thursdays Happy Hour on September 6 will welcome students from Yasuda Women's University (安田女子大学) in Hiroshima.
Meet globally-minded people from Pittsburgh and all over the world to make new friends and learn more about different cultures at our GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays monthly happy hour. Bring your friends, family, and colleagues or come alone - we are a very friendly group!

In September, our guests will be a group of female students from Yasuda University in Japan. They will be coming to Pittsburgh to study English at the University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute.
A cohort of undergraduates has studied each fall at the University of Pittsburgh's English Language Institute since 2016.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Roland's Seafood Grill in the Strip District (map), and tickets are available online.

WholeRen Education hiring Chinese-speaking Marketing Specialist.



Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced an opening for a Chinese-speaking Marketing Specialist.
公司简介:

美国厚仁教育集团 WholeRen, LLC 成立于2010年,现有5家子公司,全美各地8个分部分别坐落于匹兹堡,纽约,西雅图,波士顿,洛杉矶,旧金山,DC,东兰辛。厚仁旨在提供基于美国的全面教育与发展,为学生制定全方位的留学服务,包括美国初/高中留学申请和转学、美国本科/研究生申请和转学、学术紧急应对学术辅导、美国寄宿家庭服务、微留学、背景提升和职业规划等。厚仁教育是全美首家获得美国国际招生协会AIRC权威认证的留学服务机构,曾接受CCTV、纽约时报、华尔街日报等主流媒体特约专访,是最了解美中教育差异的专家,是指导留美学生成功的导师。

工作职责:

1. 撰写产品简介,宣传文案;

2. 拓展市场,制定宣传策略;

3.开发本地新市场,发展潜在客户;

4. 进行线上线下市场宣传。

Monday, August 13, 2018

Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing at Maridon Museum's August book club meeting, August 30.



This month's book club meeting at the Maridon Museum focuses on Marie Kondo's best-selling The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing . Her official site summarizes the author and organizer:
Enchanted with organizing since her childhood, Marie Kondo began her tidying consultant business as a 19-year-old university student in Tokyo. Today, Marie is a renowned tidying expert helping people around the world to transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration. Her KonMari Method™, introduced in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (a global phenomenon that has sold more than ten million copies in over forty countries), is a way of life inspired by a single question: Does this item spark joy? The answer points the way to a life filled only with the items we truly cherish.
The meeting starts at 4:00 pm on August 30 and is free and open to the public. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP to 724-282-0123. The Maridon, an Asian art museum, is located at 322 North McKean St. in downtown Butler (map), roughly 40 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Friday, August 10, 2018

Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー) in Pittsburgh, September 6 and 10.



The 1997 film Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー) will play in the Pittsburgh area on September 6 and 10, followed by a run at the Row House Cinema later in the month. A 1999 Variety review summarizes:
Forsaking the usual anime fantasy terrain for a straight suspense plot that might easily have been executed in live-action form, director Satoshi Kon’s debut pic, “Perfect Blue,” is a psychological thriller that intrigues without quite hitting the bull’s-eye. Animated feature is currently getting limited U.S. release in an English-dubbed version.
The movie will play at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters in Greensburg, Monroeville, and Robinson on September 6 (Japanese with English subtitles) and September 10 (dubbed in English). Tickets are available online. It will also play at the Row House Cinema from September 21 through 27 as part of an Anime film series.

Tickets now available for US premiere of Yabin Wang Dance's "Moon Opera," November 3 at Byham Theater.


Photo by Wang Ning, via Yabin Wang's Behance page.

Yabin Wang's "Moon Opera" will make its US premiere in Pittsburgh on November 3, and tickets went on sale today.
Yabin Wang is China’s superstar. One of the most promising and pioneering choreographers in contemporary dance in China, her work was commissioned by English National Ballet and was performed by the company at Sadler’s Wells for their prestigious She Said series. Westerns know her best for her incredible dance in the film House of Flying Daggers.

In her newest work, Moon Opera, she has collaborated with a multi-disciplinary team of award-winning designers and composers to unveil a dramatic modern-day story of an artist. Through the lens of Chinese culture, contemporary dance tells the story of a Peking Opera performer struggling between her dreams of artistic stardom and the harsh realities of maintaining her traditional role as a woman in society.
The Byham Theater is located at 101 6th Street in downtown's Cultural District (map).

2001's Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉) at Southside Works, August 15 and 16.



Funimation Films announced today that Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉) will play in Pittsburgh on August 15 and 16.
Caught up in a world of dreams, lost in the cruelty of reality.

What should have been an easy bounty turns into biological war after a terrorist gets ahold of a deadly virus. Drawn in by the pretty price on the mastermind’s head, Spike and the Bebop crew are ready to collect a much-needed reward. Unfortunately, the gang’s about to find themselves in more trouble than money when the terrorist threatens to unleash the virus on Halloween—effectively killing everyone on Mars. With little time and leads that seem more dreamy than helpful, they’ll have to use their own bag of tricks to stop a dangerous plot.
The August 15 show will be in Japanese with English subtitles, and the August 16 show will be dubbed in English. Tickets are not yet available for purchase at the time of this post. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Pittsburgh Chinese School hiring Chinese teachers for upcoming school year.

The Pittsburgh Chinese School, which meets on Sundays at Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill, is hiring teachers for the upcoming school year.
The Pittsburgh Chinese School invites people who have the love and responsibility, have teaching experience, and have a work permit to join the teaching team.

Job Requirements:
1. Love Chinese culture and have a passion to spread Chinese culture.
2, like children, have love, patience, responsibility, and affinity.
3. The pronunciation standard of Mandarin is clear and the language expression ability is strong.
4. Have basic English communication skills.
5, have Chinese teaching experience, especially those with primary and secondary school teaching experience is preferred.
6. Education or Chinese-related qualifications are preferred.
7. The literary and art teacher has relevant academic qualifications or work experience is preferred .

Tomoko Omura’s Post Bop Gypsies, August 14 at City of Asylum.


via @tomokoomura

The City of Asylum will host Tomoko Omura’s Post Bop Gypsies, a jazz trio out of New York City fronted by violinist Tomoko Omura, on August 14.
Tomoko Omura’s Post Bop Gypsies are a modern take on the classic, violin, guitar and bass instrumentation.

The New York City based trio also features Alex Goodman on guitar and George DeLancey on bass. The band is on the road celebrating their self titled 2017 debut release (Inner Circle Music 2017).
The show runs from 8:00 to 10:00 pm; it's free, but online RSVP is required. The City of Asylum's Alphabet City is located at 40 N. West Ave. on the North Side (map).

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Sichuan Gourmet voted Best Chinese by readers of Pittsburgh City-Paper this year.


via @sichuangourmet

Sichuan Gourmet was voted Best Chinese by readers of the Pittsburgh City-Paper in its 2018 readers' poll, unseating perennial winner Sesame Inn. Unfortunately, Nakama was still voted Best Japanese and Best Sushi by Pittsburghers who don't know anything about Japanese food and sushi.

Last Teen Kpop event of the summer in Shaler, August 11.



The final meeting of a monthly Teen Kpop group at the Shaler North Hills Library will be August 11.
Learn dances, watch music videos, play variety show games, and more!

Grades 7 and up.
It runs from 1:00 to 2:00 at the library, located at located at 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd. (map). Those interested in participating should RSVP online.

Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓) in Pittsburgh, August 12, 13, and 15.



The 1988 Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓) will play in the Pittsburgh area on August 12, 13, and 15 as part of this year's GKIDS Ghibli Fest. Afour-star Roger Ebert review calls the film "an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation," and the distributor provides a summary:
As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares. Beautiful, yet at times brutal and horrifying. Based on the retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Isao Takahata (co-founder, with Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli,) Grave Of The Fireflies has been universally hailed as an artistic and emotional tour de force. Now digitally remastered and restored, it is one of the rare films that truly deserves to be called a masterpiece.
The film will play at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The August 12 and 15 screenings are dubbed in English, while the August 13 screening is in Japanese with English subtitles.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Library Orientation for new Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students at Pitt, from August 21.


via @匹茲堡大學.

Incoming University of Pittsburgh students from Japan, Korea, and Chinese-speaking countries are invited to attend Library Orientations in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, starting August 21.
Would you like to know...
  • A librarian who speaks your native language?
  • The difference between academic libraries in the U.S. and libraries in your home country?
  • The many wonderful services that the library offers to help your area of study and research at Pitt?
  • If so, please come to attend one of the library orientation sessions.

Library Orientation for New Chinese Students is scheduled for:

Library Orientation for New Japanese Students is scheduled for:

And Library Orientation for New Korean Students is scheduled for:

All sessions will be held in G-74 of the Hillman Library (map). The information sessions are free, but registration is required and can be completed at the links above.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

2015's Tokyo Tribe (トウキョウ トライブ トゥー) at Row House Cinema, August 11, for midnight screening.



The 2015 film Tokyo Tribe (トウキョウ トライブ トゥー) will play at the Row House Cinema at midnight on August 11.. An A.V. Club review of the "demented rap musical" offers a final take:
With its over-the-top violence, cast of bizarre bit characters (a beat-boxing henchwoman, a DJ granny, etc.), and a compulsion to interject phallic imagery that borders on coprographia, Tokyo Tribe throws so much at the viewer that it’s easy to get swept up in its deranged energy and overlook the fact that the movie doesn’t have a flicker of a brain cell, being not much more than a celebration of aggressive stupidity. Sometimes, that’s fine.
Tickets for this 11:59 pm "Midnight Edition" showing are now available. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Friday, August 3, 2018

Jessica Yu's 2007 movie Ping Pong Playa at Cinema in the Park, August 8 and 11.



The 2007 movie Ping Pong Playa will play outdoors in two Pittsburgh parks this month as part of this summer's Cinema in the Park series. Rotten Tomatoes provides a summary:
Christopher "C-dub" Wang is a suburban guy who sports an urban swagger, waxes political on all things Asian American, and clings to pipe dreams of a career as a pro basketball player. Blaming genetics for his failure to make the NBA, C-dub lives at home, works a dead-end job, and squirms in the shadow of his older brother, Michael, a doctor and ping pong champion. When the Wang family livelihood is threatened by a rival ping pong player's attempts to lure the kids away, C-dub begins to take things more seriously. With the National Golden Cock Tournament coming up and an injured Michael unable to defend his title, C-dub must become the player he pretends to be and defend his family's ping pong dynasty.
The movie will play at Schenley Park's Flagstaff Hill on August 8 and at Observatory Hill's Riverview Park on August 11. Movies start at dusk and are free and open to the public.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ~2人の英雄) in Pittsburgh, from September 25.



The 2018 anime My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ~2人の英雄) will play at the Southside Works Cinema from September 25. The distributor provides a summary:
The anime smash hit that’s swept the world now makes its debut on the big screen! Our favorite young hero-in-training is in for a wild ride when villains threaten the artificial moving city, I-Island.

Deku and All Might receive an invitation to I-Expo, the world’s leading exhibition of Quirk abilities and hero item innovations!Amid the excitement, sponsors, and pros from all over, Deku meets Melissa, a girl who is Quirkless just like he once was. Suddenly, I-Expo’s top-of-the-line security system gets hacked by villains, and a sinister plan is set in motion. It’s a serious threat to hero society, and one man holds the key to it all—the symbol of peace, All Might.
The movie will play in Pittsburgh on September 25, 26, 29, and October 2. Tickets are available online. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) in Pittsburgh, September 19 and 22.



The movie Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) will play at Southside Works Cinema on September 19 and 22.
Based on the 3rd season of the popular TV anime series Haikyuu!!, the compilation film focuses on the Karasuno High Boys volleyball team preparing for their final face off to represent the prefecture in the volleyball national championship.

Despite being known as "The Fallen Champions", Karasuno High boys volleyball team is highly determined to take down the powerhouse, Shiratorizawa High boys volleyball team. As Hinata comes closer to fulfilling his promise of defeating Ushijima's team, will the "Flightless Crows" finally find their wings and soar above the best school in the prefecture?
The movie will play in Japanese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Pittsburgh prepares for its first arrivals from direct Pittsburgh-Shanghai flight.


Via Pittsburgh International Airport

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today shares some of the preparations going into making the first arrivals from Shanghai feel welcome, ahead of the first direct flight from Shanghai to Pittsburgh International Airport on August 3.
There will be festivities at the airport, with volunteers available to help them navigate customs and any language barriers. All 300-plus passengers from the flight will be offered a welcome dinner at the Carnegie Science Center.

As part of their tour package, some travelers also will spend time in Pittsburgh riding the incline, taking in the sights from Mount Washington, and visiting the Carnegie museums in Oakland and the University of Pittsburgh nationality rooms before leaving for other cities.

Local officials are hoping that the visitors’ first impressions of the Steel City will be positive and that they will take to the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to spread the news.

Pitt's East Asian Library hiring student with Chinese proficiency.



The East Asian Library at the University of Pittsburgh is again hiring a student with Chinese proficiency to work as an assistant on a Chinese studies related project for the 2018-2019 school year.
The University of Pittsburgh’s East Asian Library is looking for a reliable, detail-oriented student to work 20 hours per week. The student assistant will help to carry on a Chinese studies related project. Primary responsibilities include data extracting, input, sorting and testing.

*This position is for Fall and Spring Term FY19 only.
The job is 20 hours per week at $8.15 per hour.

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