Tickets for Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, March 29 through April 11, now on sale.

Tickets for the fifth annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival at the Row House Cinema went on sale at 10:40 am this morning. The festival features 11 films so far and a number of special events, and runs from March 29's Ramen Fest through April 11.

Lauren Yee's play "Cambodian Rock Band," with music from Cambodian-American band Dengue Fever, in Pittsburgh from September 14 through October 6.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has news of the 2019-2020 City Theater season, and Lauren Yee's "Cambodian Rock Band" is among the offerings. Yee offers a summary:

Discover Cambodia’s lost surf rock scene through the eyes of a young Cambodian American woman and her father, a Khmer Rouge survivor who begrudgingly returns to his home country for the first time in thirty years. This thrilling story toggles back and forth in time, as father and daughter face the music of the past. An intimate rock epic about family secrets set against the dark chapter of Cambodian history. Featuring actor/musicians who perform the show’s mix of contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies.

There has been some interest in Cambodian surf rock music in recent years, with the 2014 documentary Don't Think I've Forgotten playing at the Row House Cinema, Hollywood Theater, and Melwood Screening Room in 2015 and 2016. Dengue Fever has played in Pittsburgh, too, most recently as an opening act in 2017.

Tickets are not yet available. The theater is located at 1300 Bingham St. in the South Side (map).

"Changing Relations Between Governments and Social Organizations in China," March 6 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs will host Yijia Jing and his talk "Changing Relations Between Governments and Social Organizations in China" on Wednesday, March 6. It starts at 2:00 pm in 3610 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

"Xu Bing and Dragonfly Eyes: A New Interpretation of Reality in the Digital Age," March 8 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host MA candidate Tianni Wang and her colloquium "Xu Bing and Dragonfly Eyes: A New Interpretation of Reality in the Digital Age" on March 8.

21 years of Korean Pirates.

Pitching prospect Byung-il Kim, (김병일) via 중앙일보.

Long before the Pittsburgh Pirates first started signing Asian prospects like Jung-ho Kang, Ji-hwan Bae, and Jin-de Jhang a few years ago, there have been some interesting intersections between the Pirates and Asian baseball. In 1965, the Pirates were set to tour Japan but the trip was cancelled that June, ostensibly due to the Pirates' "inferior drawing power" but in reality due to stalled contract negotiations with a Japanese baseball player. In 1975, the Pirates played, and lost to, the reigning Central League champion out of Nagoya, the Chunichi Dragons, who joined Pittsburgh in spring training that year. And, in the 1990s, the Pirates had a working agreement with one of the top pro teams in South Korea.

Japanese Pitt alumni to speak on "Careers in International Trade and Development," "Entrepreneurship in Japan" on March 5.

The University of Pittsburgh's International Business Center will host two talks on March 5 with Japanese alumni on the topics of international trade and entrepreneurship in Japan.

Forgot about Sumi's.

Photographs via @SumisCakery

How's the Tribune-Review going to write up "5 bakeries you may not have heard of but need to try" without mentioning Squirrel Hill's Sumi's Cakery? The only conclusion is that everyone knows Sumi's by now.



Sumi's Cakery is a Korean bakery located at 2118 Murray Ave. (map).

"Japanese Action Comic Punk band" Peelander-Z back in Pittsburgh, April 25.

Japanese punk band Peelander-Z will play in Pittsburgh on April 25. Wikipedia provides an overview of their live shows:

They perform on stage and appear in color-coordinated costumes, which they state are not costumes, but their skin. The costumes range from sentai style suits, to kimono, to rubber Playmobil style wigs. There is also a tiger costume and a giant squid/guitar costume to coincide with the song "Mad Tiger". Another aspect of their routine is their on-stage antics such as human bowling (diving head-first into bowling pins), pretending to hit each other with chairs in imitation of pro-wrestlers, and mid-performance piggyback rides. They often allow audience members on stage to join in on the fun, and often dive into the audience or hang from a balcony as part of their act.

They return to Pittsburgh for the first time since 2015, following a brief hiatus. The show is at the Hard Rock Cafe in Station Square (map) and tickets are on sale as of noon today; those under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Noble Asian Grocery opens on Saw Mill Run Blvd.

via @LiteracyPittsburgh

Noble Asian Grocery is among the new food-related establishments permitted to open in February by the Allegheny County Health Department. It is run by Burmese immigrant Ja Doi and is located at 2830 Saw Mill Run Blvd. in Whitehall (map). Writes Literacy Pittsburgh of its former student:

Ja Doi has lived in Pittsburgh for five years, and opening a small grocery store has been her goal for four of those years! We are so proud of her for working so hard to achieve her dream while raising her two young children.

Chinese calligraphy workshop downtown, March 16.

"Chinese calligrapher," by David Boté Estrada (Creative Commons).

The downtown branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host a Chinese calligraphy workshop on March 16.

A Chinese calligraphy expert will show us pictures of her home in China, give background on the art of calligraphy, and lead a Chinese calligraphy workshop for all ages! No registration is necessary for these sessions. Seating for all workshops is available to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll want to come early to be sure you MAKE it on time.

The event runs from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. The Downtown & Business branch is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).