Monday, August 31, 2015

헐, T-ara's Hyomin to throw first pitch in Pittsburgh at September 13 Pirates game.


With Pittsburgh rookie infielder Jung-ho Kang, via 효민's Instagram on August 31.

Hyomin, the lead singer of the K-pop group T-ara, will throw out the first pitch at PNC Park on September 13, Korean outlets have reported today. The Pirates will play the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1:35 Sunday afternoon game.

2015 Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival, September 19 in Oakland.

Billboards have gone up recently for the first annual Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival, to be held in Oakland on September 19. A June letter from Dequan Jiao soliciting donors and participants provides a brief overview:
It is my great pleasure to share some important information about our first ever Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival. The inaugural 2015 Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival will be held on September 19th, in the heart of Oakland on Bigelow Blvd between Forbes Ave and Fifth Ave. This festival provides a chance for the Chinese community to showcase themselves, network and build new connections, positively present Chinese culture, and allow the Chinese community to make an affirmative contribution to the richness of Pittsburgh and the United States as a whole. Delicious Chinese and Asian foods, fantastic stage performance, all kinds of Chinese culture exhibitions, and fun kids zone, All in one day (09/19 Sat.) and one place (Bigelow Blvd between Forbes Ave and Fifth Ave) for you and your family!
The festival is scheduled from 11:00 to 6:00 pm on Bigelow Blvd., in the William Pitt Union, and in the Cathedral of Learning. A few more details available on the official site, with perhaps more to follow.

Talk on history of University of Pittsburgh's Japanese Nationality Room, September 6.



The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center shares news of a talk on the history of the University of Pittsburgh's Japanese Nationality Room on Sunday, September 6.
We would like to invite you to a talk on the history of the Japanese Nationality Room (JNR) at the University of Pittsburgh, followed by an informal gathering at the Croghan-Schenley Ball Room, Cathedral of Learning, Room156.

Time: 1:30-2:30 on Sunday, September 6
Place: Japanese Room, Cathedral of Learning Room 317
Speakers: Mr. Arimoto, Dr. Maeshiro, and Dr. Motoyama

Leading the talk will be three longstanding members of the JNR Committee, each with more than 20 years of involvement from the room's founding until the present day: Woodworker Mr. Arimoto and the two Emeritus Members of the JNR Committee, Dr. Maeshiro and Dr. Motoyama.

Friday, August 28, 2015

Row House Cinema adds Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー) to September's anime film series.



The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville recently added a fourth film, 1997's Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー) to a September anime film series that also includes Akira (アキラ), Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊), and When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー). A 1999 Village Voice review summarizes:
This storyboard-come-to-life animation tells a contemporary tale of a pop star who is the target of a stalker. Her life becomes a nightmare of multiple personalities and blurred media realities. She even has a home page that tracks her every move.

This is a knowing, adult view of what seems to be a young-teenage paradise, a cool world of ponytails, backpacks, laptops and videocams. These are the adulatory fans of pop star Mima, lead singer in a girl group, who announces she's giving it all up to go into acting.

"The pop idol image is suffocating me," she tells her mom in all seriousness.
Showtimes and ticket information will follow on the theater's website.

KBox gets liquor license, offers 20% off through September 27.



KBox emailed yesterday to say they recently received a liquor license and added drink specials to the menu. They are also offering a back-to-school special of 20% off room rates through September 27. Finally, they are also planning to add wireless microphones and LED tables to all rooms.

KBox is Pittsburgh's first Asian-style karaoke / ktv / 노래방---and only one, until the new Squirrel Hill one opens---that opened in September 2012 at 214 S. Craig St. in Oakland (map). More information, and song lists, are available at its website.



The difference between Asian-style places and carry okee night at the bar on Thursdays is that at an Asian place, in Asia, you rent a small room with your friends and sing privately, as opposed to singing to the whole dining room whether it wants to listen to you or not.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Saturday's Squirrel Hill Night Market draws inspiration from Asia.

Squirrel Hill will be holding its first Night Market on Saturday, August 29. Its inspiration from East Asia, organizer Alec Rieger of NextGen:Pgh tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The idea of a nighttime open bazaar was inspired by the night market scene in Asia. Mr. Rieger had his first taste of it in Thailand. “An entire street was transformed into a wonderful, wonderful night market where you could find jewelry, art, food,” he said. “The next morning it was all gone, and it went back to being a regular street.”
NextGen:Pgh also plans a Chinese New Year parade through Squirrel Hill in February 2016. The Night Market will be held from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, on a strip of Murray Ave. between Forbes Ave. and Bartlett St. that will be closed to vehicular traffic.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Korean Heritage Room at Pitt shaping up.


Via the Pitt News.

The Pitt News, the student newspaper at the University of Pittsburgh, has an article on the progress of the Korean Heritage Room, set to open in the Cathedral of Learning on November 15.
Minah Lee, the Architect-of-Record and designer of the room, said she and the other designers wanted the construction of the room to revolve around Korean pride, or “jajonsim.” She, Myounghee Song, Kim Bong-ryol, and Sang C. Park, the other designers of the facility, worked through the summer on the room, which is scheduled to open on Nov. 15.

The room will feature an 82-inch interactive Samsung LCD to display lessons. The inclusion of such technology is the first for any of the Nationality Rooms.
The decision to include technology was made to commemorate South Korea and its role in the electronic industry.

“We are so proud to have the LCD in the room,” Park said, adding that chalkboards and the like could be very messy and time consuming.
And as Pennsylvasia wrote in 2012:
That duality is a common theme in Korean national brand marketing, and this room will reflect both a traditional image of Korea (at least a traditional image of old Korean universities) and a modern one, given South Korea is an industry-leader in electronics (like the touchscreen monitors made by Samsung and LG, for instance).
Fundraising began in 2008, one year after room 304 on the third floor of the Cathedral was earmarked for the Korean room, and construction began in June.
Korean Heritage Room Pitt
One design by Arumjigi (아름지기)

Monday, August 24, 2015

Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル) at Row House Cinema, August 28 - September 3.



The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville will show the 2000 Japanese movie Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル) from Here's how imdb summarizes it:
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
And an excerpt of the Wikipedia summary of controversies:
The film was labeled "crude and tasteless" by members of Japanese parliament and other government officials after the film was screened for them before its general release. The film created a debate over government action on media violence. At one point, director Kinji Fukasaku allegedly gave a press statement directed at the age group of the film's characters, saying "you can sneak in, and I encourage you to do so." Many conservative politicians used the film to blame popular culture for a youth crime wave. Ilya Garger of TIME magazine said that Battle Royale received "free publicity" and received "box-office success usually reserved for cartoons and TV-drama spin-offs." The Japanese reaction to the film in the early 2000s has been compared to the British outrage over A Clockwork Orange in the early 1970s. Critics note the relation of Battle Royale to the increasingly extreme trend in Asian cinema and its similarity to reality television.

For eleven years, the film was never officially released in the United States or Canada, except for screenings at various film festivals. The film was screened to a test audience in the U.S. during the early 2000s, not long after the Columbine High School massacre, resulting in a negative reaction to the film's content.
The movie, released in 2000, didn't make it to Pittsburgh until April 2012. Showtimes and ticket information are available on the Row House Cinema website. The theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

Taiwanese movie Rebels of the Neon God (青少年哪吒) at Harris Theater, from August 28.



The 1992 Taiwanese movie Rebels of the Neon God (青少年哪吒) will play at the Harris Theater from August 28. The movie was released in the United States in April, 23 years after it premiered in Taiwan. A summary, from a July Philadelphia Inquirer review:
There's no better way to dive into [filmmaker Ming-liang] Tsai's world than with his stunning debut, Rebels of the Neon God (1992), which finally is getting its first theatrical release in America.

A breathtaking, disturbing look at urban angst and the emptiness of youth culture, the film introduces us to a character who haunts so many of Tsai's Taipei films: Hsiao-kang (played by the director's longtime collaborator, Lee Kang-sheng), a somber, surly, silent, often petulant youth who doesn't seem to feel at ease anywhere he goes.

When we first see him, Hsiao-kang seems an earnest, if frustrated, college student who works hard into the night. He shares a tidy flat with his taxi-driver father, who makes no attempt to understand - or even like - the youth. His overprotective mother seems never to tire of consulting augers and priests about her son's future.

Appearances can be deceptive. Hsiao-kang doesn't think he fits in at school, and early in the film, he drops out, pocketing a large tuition refund without telling his parents. He spends hours wandering the streets on foot or on his moped and seems incapable or unwilling to connect with others.
Showtimes have not yet been released. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in the downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District (map).

Friday, August 21, 2015

Japanese film series at Maridon Museum this fall.



The Maridon Museum announced the details today of its Japanese film series this fall, a collection originally forecast in its summer newsletter. The films are: 1983's The Makioka Sisters (細雪) on September 25, 1975's Tora-san Meets the Songstress Again (a.k.a., Tora-san's Rise and Fall, 男はつらいよ 寅次郎相合い傘) on October 1, 1964's Kwaidan (怪談) on October 23, and 2004's Nobody Knows (誰も知らない) on November 5. Showtimes and summaries to follow in future posts.

The Maridon, an Asian art museum, is located at 322 North McKean St. in downtown Butler (map), roughly 40 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Filipino movie The Love Affair at AMC Loews Waterfront from August 21.



The 2015 Filipino movie The Love Affair will play at AMC Loews Waterfront from Friday, August 21. A press release summarizes the film, which was released in the Philippines on August 12:
[T]he movie tells the story of Vince ([Richard] Gomez) and Tricia ([Dawn] Zulueta), a married couple undergoing problems after she seems to have cheated on her husband.

It becomes more complicated when Vince crosses paths with Adie ([Bea] Alonzo), a lawyer he meets while seeking to have his marriage with Tricia annulled.
Showtime and ticket information is available from the theater's website.

Anime series at Row House Cinema in September.

akira攻殻機動隊When Marnie Was There

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville recently announced an anime series that will run from September 25 to October 1. The lineup includes: Akira (アキラ), Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊), and When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー), with a fourth film to be determined. Showtimes will be available at the theater's website later.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

A few Korean flavors at Hines Ward's new restaurant.

Former Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Hines Ward is opening a new restaurant in Seven Fields, and the menu at Table 86 will feature a few Korean flavors: Mae Oon Shrimp, Korean barbecue wings, a pulled pork sandwich with Korean barbecue sauce, and Korean BBQ ribs. (Mae Oon / 매운 is an adjective that means spicy in Korean). Ward's mother is Korean, and Hines became especially well-known in South Korea after being named Super Bowl MVP in 2006. He told the Tribune-Review yesterday:
There are some nods to his mother's cooking, too.

“Asian-style, Korean barbecue things my mom has taught me over the years,” Ward said. “I love the Korean ribs.”

Monday, August 17, 2015

Taiwanese movie Rebels of the Neon God (青少年哪吒) at Harris Theater, from August 28.



The 1992 Taiwanese movie Rebels of the Neon God (青少年哪吒) will play at the Harris Theater from August 28. The movie was released in the United States in April, 23 years after it premiered in Taiwan. A summary, from a July Philadelphia Inquirer review:
There's no better way to dive into [filmmaker Ming-liang] Tsai's world than with his stunning debut, Rebels of the Neon God (1992), which finally is getting its first theatrical release in America.

A breathtaking, disturbing look at urban angst and the emptiness of youth culture, the film introduces us to a character who haunts so many of Tsai's Taipei films: Hsiao-kang (played by the director's longtime collaborator, Lee Kang-sheng), a somber, surly, silent, often petulant youth who doesn't seem to feel at ease anywhere he goes.

When we first see him, Hsiao-kang seems an earnest, if frustrated, college student who works hard into the night. He shares a tidy flat with his taxi-driver father, who makes no attempt to understand - or even like - the youth. His overprotective mother seems never to tire of consulting augers and priests about her son's future.

Appearances can be deceptive. Hsiao-kang doesn't think he fits in at school, and early in the film, he drops out, pocketing a large tuition refund without telling his parents. He spends hours wandering the streets on foot or on his moped and seems incapable or unwilling to connect with others.
Showtimes have not yet been released. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in the downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District (map).

Documentary The Look of Silence in Pittsburgh, from August 28.



The 2014 documentary The Look of Silence, on the Indonesian killings of 1965 and 1966, will play in McKees Rocks and in Regent Square on August 28. A synopsis, from the film's website:
Through [director Joshua] Oppenheimer's footage of the perpetrators of the 1965 Indonesian genocide, a family of survivors discovers how their son was murdered, as well as the identities of the killers. The documentary focuses on the youngest son, an optometrist named Adi, who decides to break the suffocating spell of submission and terror by doing something unimaginable in a society where the murderers remain in power: he confronts the men who killed his brother and, while testing their eyesight, asks them to accept responsibility for their actions. This unprecedented film initiates and bears witness to the collapse of fifty years of silence.
Ticket information has not yet been released. The documentary will play at the Regent Square Theater from August 28 to September 3, and at the Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks from the 28th.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) movies coming to Hollywood Theater in Dormont, from September 30.



The first of two Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) films will play at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont on September 30, October 1, and October 7. The movie was released in Japan on August 1. The second film, Attack on Titan: End of the World (進撃の巨人 エンド オブ ザ ワールド) is due for a September 19 release, and will play at the Hollywood Theater on October 20, 22, and 27. A brief summary, from Tech Times:
The movies are based on a popular manga and anime series of the same name, where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves against the threat of massive man-eating giants known as Titans. The story revolves around a young group of men and women who enlist in their city's armed forces to drive back the Titans after a never before seen "Colossal Titan" breaches the walls.
Details and ticket information to be announced later. The theater is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

Love Live! The School Idol Movie at Hollywood Theater in Dormont, September 13.



The Hollywood Theater in Dormont announced today that it will show the Japanese anime movie Love Live! The School Idol Movie on September 13. A plot summary from the distributors:
Although u’s, the defending champions of the school idol tournament, plans to dissolve their group after the graduation of their senior members, they receive news that leads them to holding a concert event! The 9 girls continue to learn and grow in this new and unfamiliar world. What is the last thing that these girls can do as school idols? With the clock ticking, what kind of meaning will the u’s members find in performing the most exciting live performance?
Tickets are on sale now for $15. The screening will be in Japanese with English subtitles. The theater is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

Tomodachi Ties Through Taiko concert and farewell reception, August 15.



A concert and farewell reception for a group of 12 exchange students from Aichi Prefecture, Japan will be held on Sunday, August 15. The cohort from Nihon Fukushi Daigaku High School will visit Pittsburgh for one week "to practice taiko drumming with Pittsburgh Taiko and students from CAPA and Allderdice High Schools for the TOMODACHI Ties Through Taiko program", according to the latest Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania newsletter. The concert and farewell reception will start at 3:00 pm at the Pittsburgh CAPA School downtown (map):
See the results of the students' hard work this week at a joint performance by Pittsburgh Taiko, the Pittsburgh students, and the Japanese students. A Farewell Reception directly following the concert will wish the students safe travels on their trip back to Japan.
The visit is part of the TOMODACHI Initiative, formed by the US Embassy in Tokyo and the U.S.-Japan Council,
a public-private partnership, born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, that invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs.
You can see photos of the group's activities around Pittsburgh on the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania and MCG Youth & Arts Facebook pages.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

T4U now open in Oakland.


via @taaysaghy.

T4U---a bubble tea, coffee, and dessert place---is now open at 3501 Forbes Ave (map). We first spotted it in June, opening in what was formerly a uniform store. Run by the people behind Oakland's Szechuan Express, it's one of two new Asian bubble tea places coming to the area.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Sichuan Gourmet in Oakland now open.


Grand Opening promotion, via the Sichuan Gourmet Weibo page.

The Sichuan Gourmet location in Oakland is now open. Located at 328 Atwood St. (map), at the former India Garden spot, it is the restaurant's second location, after the original on Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill.

Co-owner Wei Yu told the Pitt News in June:
While his original location in Squirrel Hill has both Sichuan and American menus, Yu said his second location in Oakland will only have a Sichuan menu, to set itself apart from other Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood.

“The other restaurants are totally different,” he said. “They are tailored to American [tastes]. If you taste our food and compare to their food, you will find that the taste is not the same.”

The main difference, he said, is that his food will be much spicier.

“People from different parts of China have different tastes,” he said. “In east China, people eat sweeter foods. The sauce is more spicy in Sichuan.”

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, August 18.

The Carnegie Library in East Liberty will host "Storytime: Japanese and English" on Tuesday, August 18.
Celebrate our city's diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese. For children ages 2-5 and their parents or caregivers.
The event runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am, and the library is located at 130 S. Whitfield Street (map).

Japanese Tea Ceremony and Obon Festival at Pittsburgh Zen Center, August 29.



The Pittsburgh Zen Center in Sewickley is hosting a Japanese Tea Ceremony and Obon Festival on Saturday, August 29. The tea ceremony will begin at 9:30:
Enjoy a demonstration of Japanese Tea Ceremony and have a cup prepared for you.
Preparing tea in this ceremony means pouring all one’s attention into the predefined movements. The whole process is not about drinking tea, but is about aesthetics, preparing a bowl of tea from one’s heart.
Myoshu Pam Wren has been practicing Tea for over 20 years. She and her students will prepare and serve matcha and sweets to our guests.
RSVP is required for the tea ceremony and can be done online. The Obon component begins at 1:30. Obon, Wikipedia writes,
is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.
The event is free but a $20 donation is suggested. The Pittsburgh Zen Center is located at 124 Willow Ridge Road in Sewickley (map), a suburb northwest of Pittsburgh.
Cartus---"a relocation company at the forefront of one-on-one, corporate language instruction across the country"---is still advertising a part-time position in Cranberry for a qualified Japanese-language tutor/trainer.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

"Szechuan Spice" coming to Shadyside.

The Asian-style awning came down from late last month from 5700 Centre Ave. (map) and was replaced by signage for Szechuan Spice. It advertises "Authentic Chinese and Japanese", and the phone number attached to it belonged to the now-closed Kanok Cuisine on S. Highland St.



It was most recently the home of Jimmy Tsang's Chinese Restaurant, which was in business from 1982 to 2011, and is on the first floor of the Kennilworth apartment complex. From 2001, it also had a Korean Grill component, with a Korean food menu that offered Korean barbeque.

Pitt's Asian Studies Center hiring temporary Program Assistant.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center posted an ad for a temporary Program Assistant position yesterday.
The Program Assistant will support the development and implementation of student/faculty-focused and community-based academic activities and events for the Asian Studies Center. Duties include coordination and preparation for Asian studies events, visitors, and lecture series. S/he will be responsible for set up and take down for events, developing itineraries for visitors as well as organizing event arrangements (catering, media equipment, and materials). Design and coordinate the distribution of communication materials for programs. Coordinate with Asian Studies staff and/or interns to address all aspects of event planning.
. . .
This position requires strong interpersonal and networking skills, outstanding organizational abilities, attention to detail, expertise in graphic design and social media, and ability to multi-task under pressure. Experience in higher education and Asian studies is desirable.
Those interested should apply through the Pitt AllTemps site.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

"Remembering Hiroshima, Imagining Peace" recognized by Pittsburgh City Council.

The local group "Remembering Hiroshima, Imagining Peace" was honored with a proclamation by Pittsburgh City Council on August 3.
WHEREAS, August 6 and 9, 2015 mark the 70th anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, which killed more than 210,000 people by the end of 1945 and exposed countless others to radiation;
and,

WHEREAS, the world's nuclear arsenals include 15,700 weapons which currently have the explosive power
equivalent to 200,000 Hiroshima bombs and are capable of destroying all cities in the world the size of
Pittsburgh or larger, posing an intolerable threat to people everywhere; and,

WHEREAS, the potential for nuclear weapons use has become greater than ever before as a result of
widespread stockpiles of poorly secured nuclear materials, the escalation of terrorism and further proliferation
of nuclear weapons, as well as escalating political tensions in the Ukraine and the Middle East, all of which
have increased the risk of both intentional and accidental launch; and,

WHEREAS, in June of 2012 the U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously passed a strong resolution calling for
nuclear weapons abolition by 2020, and in subsequent years expressed support for the goal of the Vision 2020
Campaign led by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and,

WHEREAS, the estimated cost of maintenance and modernization of nuclear bombs and warheads is projected
to exceed 355 billion dollars over the next decade. This is in stark contrast to federal programs that benefit U.S.
cities' infrastructure and their most needy residents, which are routinely subject to budget cuts; and,

WHEREAS, Remembering Hiroshima, Imagining Peace (RHIP), has brought together an impressive coalition
of Pittsburgh organizations, institutions and individuals to work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons
through education, activism, advocacy and art; and,

WHEREAS, the work of RHIP will include the screening of Hiroshima, Mon Amour by the Pittsburgh
Filmmakers followed by a Skype conversation with peace activists in Japan on August 5; a poster exhibit in the
City County Building during August; a 20 km Bike Around the Bomb on August 8 to raise awareness of an
atomic blast area radius in Pittsburgh; and co-sponsor a program at the University of Pittsburgh Law School on
the Marshall Islands lawsuits which seek compliance with Article VI of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
(NPT);

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend and
recognize the important work of Remembering Hiroshima, Imagining Peace and their advocacy for the need of
a reduction of stockpiles and safer handling procedures worldwide as steps toward a world free of nuclear
weapons.
The group, founded in 2008, earned similar proclamations in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Ariba still looking for fluent Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin speakers for overnight customer support jobs in Pittsburgh.

Ariba---"the global leader in business commerce networks, supporting more than $450 billion dollars in yearly trade between over 1 million connected companies"---is again hiring Customer Support Specialists fluent in Japanese, Korean or Mandarin to work overnight shifts in its Pittsburgh office downtown. An excerpt from the job ad, posted on July 23:
The Customer Support Specialist is the face and voice of Ariba 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.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides inbound application and functional support for all relevant Ariba applications, both internally and externally, by way of email, webform and phone.
• Resolves 80% of issues without escalation.
• Respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner and within service level objectives.
• Successfully documents all requests through the CRM system while adhering to all documented procedures.
• Provides general assistance to other teams within Global Customer Support and Ariba.
• Conducts all customer interactions in a manner that presents Ariba in a positive light. Specialists are required to be respectful, fair, gracious and knowledgeable and to uphold the core values established by Ariba.
• Ensures that individual performance meets or exceeds the department standards.
• All other duties as assigned.

Basic Minimum Qualifications

•Bachelor’s degree or 2-year Technical school degree preferred
•Fluency in Chinese (Mandarin), Korean and Japanese

Preferred Qualifications

• Technical aptitude. Knowledge in computer hardware and software applications along with experience using the Internet.
• Minimum of 1 year work experience preferred.
• Customer focus and stress tolerance.
• Superior communication and telephone skills.
• Friendly presence and helpful attitude; good interpersonal skills and ability to work well with others.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to adapt support style to align with the technical capabilities of the customer.
• Previous customer service experience strongly desired.
• Fluency in at least one foreign language is highly desirable.
• Experience or education in working with individuals from diverse cultures preferred.
Ariba, Inc. is an EEO/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected category.
The shifts are 7:00 pm to 4:00 am or 8:00 pm to 5:00 am, in order to accommodate East Asian time zones. More details are in the job ad, and those interested and qualified may apply online.

Most Popular Posts From the Past Year