Saturday, October 15, 2016

1994 Zhang Yimou film To Live (活着) at Maridon Museum, October 20.



The 1994 Zhang Yimou movie To Live (活着) will play at the Maridon Museum on October 20, the second installment of this fall's Chinese Film Series.

Friday, October 14, 2016

Japanese punk group Shonen Knife in Pittsburgh, November 3.



The Japanese punk group Shonen Knife will play at Cattivo on November 3. The band, formed in Osaka in 1981, has opened for Sonic Youth and Nirvana and describes their sound as "Ramones meets the Beatles brand of sticky-sweet punk-pop." The group was last in Pittsburgh in 2011.

Cattivo is located at 116 44th Street in Lawrenceville (map). The show starts at 8:00 pm and tickets for the 21-and-older concert are $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

Modern Slavery at MCG from October 17; Reception and Artist Talk with Xyza Cruz Bacani, December 14.



Photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani will be at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild on December 14 to open and discuss her exhibit Modern Slavery.

Yummyholic profile on 4 the 412.

Jasmine Cho of Yummyholic was profiled on 4 the 412 the other day, talking about her online bakery, custom cookies, her new commercial kitchen, and her future plans.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Documentary The Eagle Huntress in Pittsburgh, from November 25.



The Eagle Huntress, the 2016 documentary about a 13-year-old girl training to be an eagle hunter in Mongolia, will play at the Harris Theater from November 25 through December 8.

Japanese movie Sweet Bean (あん) at Northland Public Library, November 9.



Northland Public Library will show the 2015 Japanese movie Sweet Bean (あん) on November 9 as the next installment in its monthly Foreign Film Series.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Pittsburgh Taiko Beginner Session, October 15.



Pittsburgh Taiko will hold a beginner session in Shadyside on October 15 to introduce learners to traditional Japanese percussion (taiko / 太鼓).
Over the course of the workshop, you will learn basic movements and techniques used to play taiko.

Drumsticks will be provided, as will earplugs (although you’re welcome to bring your own if you have some).
The session runs from 3:00 to 5:30 pm at Winchester Thurston City Campus Lower School on Morewood Ave. in Shadyside (map). More information about the session, as well as some tips for Saturday---don't wear street shoes, for example---are available at the Pittsburgh Taiko website. Registration can be done on the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania website; the cost is $5 for JASP members, $10 for students, and $15 for everyone else. You can see and hear Pittsburgh Taiko on YouTube.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Takao Kawaguchi: About Kazuo Ohno at Warhol Museum, October 13.

Dancer Takao Kawaguchi will perform About Kazuo Ohno at the Warhol Museum on October 13. The Japan Society offers a description of the performance and Kawaguchi's seven-city tour this fall:
Takao Kawaguchi, one of Japan’s most sought-after dancers and former member of Dumb Type, challenged himself to literally "copy" the dances of the late butoh master and co-founder Kazuo Ohno, from archival recordings. What results is a hauntingly beautiful illusory duet between Kawaguchi and Ohno. Presented just weeks before what would have been Ohno’s 110th birthday, About Kazuo Ohno attempts to reconstruct Ohno’s timeless masterpieces, including Admiring La Argentina (1977) and My Mother (1981), phrase by phrase. This work offers the opportunity to explore and question the portrayal of gender, specifically femininity, that appears within Ohno’s repertoire.
Pittsburgh is the last stop on the US tour that included performances in New York and Los Angeles. The Warhol is located at 117 Sandusky St. on the Northside (map). Tickets are $12 for students and $15 for the general public, and are available online.

Paprika and Japanese Culture Society, October 14 at Row House Cinema.



The Anime Film Series opens at Lawrenceville's Row House Cinema on October 14, and the Pittsburgh Japanese Culture Society will be there during the initial screening of Paprika (パプリカ).
The Pittsburgh Japanese Culture Society will be hanging out at Row House this Friday, 10/14. Take the opportunity to chat with them about their organization, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming events (especially the 2017 Tekko convention)!
Showtimes and ticket information for all five films on all seven days is available on the theater's website. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Monday, October 10, 2016

Baozi and Books at Pitt, October 12.


Baozi, by Evgeni Zotov
(Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center will host Baozi and Books on Wednesday afternoon, October 12. From the Asian Studies Center newsletter:
Please join us for free books and Chinese baozi (steamed buns)! Through the generous donations from the Vietnamese Student Association and our center associate Dr. Katy Carlitz, we have acquired some fascinating books in Chinese, Japanese, and English that we'd like to share. Please drop by on Wednesday, October 12 between 3:45-4:30 in 4217 Posvar Hall to browse our collection and take home a few books. We also have a limited number of tickets for the Pittsburgh premier of the Taiwanese film 52Hz I Love You available.

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