Friday, September 30, 2022

Kiku Japanese Restaurant hiring servers.

Kiku Japanese Restaurant, perhaps the original sushi place in Pittsburgh and among its oldest and most authentic Japanese restaurants, continues to hire servers for its location in Station Square.

Japanese Restaurant located in station square is now hiring for part time Server.

We are looking for experienced Front of the House professionals that are interested in assisting the resurgence of Pittsburgh's only established Authentic Japanese restaurant.
If you are passionate about food, beverage, and service we want you to join us!
Part-time positions available. Japanese speaker or Japanese Sushi restaurant work experience preferred but not required.

Restoration of 1991 film Pushing Hands (推手) part of SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival, October 2.


A new restoration of the 1991 film Pushing Hands (推手) will play in Pittsburgh on October 2 as part of SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.
Having just moved from Beijing, elderly tai chi master Mr. Chu (Sihung Lung) struggles to adjust to life in New York, living with his Americanized son Alex (Ye-tong Wang). Chu immediately butts heads with his put-upon white daughter-in-law, Martha (Deb Snyder), a writer who seems to blame him for her own paralyzing inability to focus. But when Chu begins teaching tai chi at a local school, his desire to make a meaningful connection comes to fruition in the most unexpected of ways. PUSHING HANDS is the debut film from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, forming the first chapter in his “Father Knows Best” trilogy, which depicts the tensions between the traditional Confucian values of the older generation and the realities of modern life. Co-written by collaborator James Schamus, PUSHING HANDS was selected by the 1992 Berlin International Film Festival and won three Golden Horse Awards, paving the way for Lee’s worldwide success with films such as CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Presented in a new 2K restoration.
The movie will play at 1:00 pm at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map). Ticket information is not available online, but the film screening this movie has replaced was a non-ticketed event, so it's likely guests can just show up.

Thursday, September 29, 2022

2021 film Baby Assassins (ベイビーわるきゅーれ) in Pittsburgh October 2, part of SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest.


The 2021 Japanese film Baby Assassins (ベイビーわるきゅーれ) will play in Pittsburgh on October 2 as part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest.
Chisato and Mahilo are two high school girls who are about to graduate. They also happen to both be highly skilled assassins. When the organization they work for orders them to share a room, the relationship between the pair quickly turns sour. However, when they find themselves targeted by the yakuza, the girls quickly realise that they will have to find a way to work together.
It plays at 3:00 pm in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map), and tickets are available onilne. Pitt affiliates with valid university ID cards may receive free tickets.

2002 movie Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (ゴジラ×メカゴジラ) in Pittsburgh, November 3.


The 2002 movie Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (ゴジラ×メカゴジラ) will play in Pittsburgh on November 3.
A new Godzilla causes the JSDF to construct a cyborg countermeasure from the original monster's remains. The beast's restless soul is discovered to inhabit the machine as the pilot must learn to find value in her own life. For the first time ever in US cinema's Toho Co Ltd and Fathom Events bring 2002's Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla to the silver screen in celebration of Godzilla Day! This limited time screening will feature never before seen on the big screen content direct from Japan along with an exclusive special message for the fans from Toho's Chief Godzilla Officer in Tokyo! Please note: The feature will be subtitled.
It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar coming to South Side in 2023.

via @kurasushiusa 

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar will be a new tenant in the SouthSide Works Box Office development. According to WPXI.com:
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar originated in Japan and recently expanded to North America. Sushi makes its way around the restaurant on a conveyor belt in a new dining concept. This is the first Kura Revolving Sushi Bar in the Pittsburgh market.
According to the Kura website:
Kura Sushi USA, Inc., is an innovative and tech interactive Japanese restaurant concept established in 2008 as a subsidiary of Kura Sushi, Inc. As pioneers of the revolving sushi concept, the Kura family of companies have improved upon the developed innovative systems that combine advanced technology, premium ingredients, and affordable prices to enhance the unique dining experience. Since the first restaurant opening in 1977, Kura Sushi, Inc. has grown substantially with more than 500 locations across Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

We pay particular attention to ingredients, taste, and preparation for all of our dishes. Our philosophy of “muten” or “nothing added” is an ongoing promise that our food is prepared using fresh, high quality ingredients free of artificial sweeteners, seasonings, preservatives and colorings.

We can’t wait for you to enjoy the healthy, fun, and delicious dining experience that is Kura Revolving Sushi Bar!
According to NextPittsburgh, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is eyeing a 2023 open.

Nakama voted best Japanese restaurant in Pittsburgh by Pittsburghers who don't know Japanese restaurants, beating out Umami, Teppanyaki Kyoto, GetGo.

via @familymart.japan 

The Pittsburgh City-Paper announced the winners of this year's Best of Pittsburgh readers' poll today, with Nakama again being named Best Japanese food in the city. The restaurant, with locations in the South Side and Wexford, is the perennial winner of this and other local readers' polls, at the expense of more authentic Japanese restaurants, and thus the joke about Nakama and GetGo is an annual one. Umami placed second and Ichiban Hibachi Steakhouse third. Readers also selected winners for Best Asian Fusion, Best Bubble Tea, Best Chinese, and Best Korean, Best Sushi, Best Thai, and Best Vietnamese.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

2022 Korean film The Girl on a Bulldozer (불도저에 탄 소녀) in Pittsburgh, October 1.


The 2022 Korean film The Girl on a Bulldozer (불도저에 탄 소녀) will play in Pittsburgh on October 1 as part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.
With a dragon tattoo blazoned across her left arm, Kim Hye-Yoon plays the headstrong heroine who, after her dad falls into a coma following a suspicious accident, doggedly seeks answers despite mounting resistance from a variety of corrupt forces. Faced with the additional pressures of tending to her father’s restaurant, taking care of her younger brother, and completing mandatory work training following a short prison stay, our heroine is forced to grow up fast. Simultaneously a vehicle for social critique, a coming-of-age story, and a gripping thriller, The Girl on a Bulldozer is driven by Kim’s visceral, charismatic performance, which won her the 2022 Screen International Rising Star Award at the New York Asian Film Festival.
It plays at 2:00 pm in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map), and tickets are available onilne.

2020 Taiwanese film Dear Tenant (親愛的房客) in Pittsburgh on September 30, part of SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.

The 2020 Taiwanese film Dear Tenant (親愛的房客) will play in Pittsburgh on September 30, part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.
Winner of three Golden Horse awards including Best Leading Actor for Mo Tzu-Yi, the film tells the story of Mr. Lin, an apartment tenant who tends to the daily needs of the elderly apartment owner and helps look after her orphaned nine-year-old grandson, whom he has legally adopted. When the boy’s uncle returns from overseas and charges him with using the adoption as pretext to secure the deeds to the apartment, a troubled past is brought to light. Suffused with melancholy, tenderness, and a sense of the daily rhythms of metropolitan Taiwan, Dear Tenant dramatizes the continued challenges faced by queer couples despite the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2019 and serves as a showcase for Mo’s subtle, heartbreaking performance.
It will play at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) from 8:30 pm. Tickets are available online, though Pitt affiliates with valid university cards can enter for free.

1977 Japanese film House (ハウス) at Row House CInema, October 21 through 31.



The 1977 Japanese psychedelic thriller House (ハウス) will play at the Row House Cinema from October 21 through 31 as part of its Row House of Horrors series. "The film," says Wikipedia,
is about a schoolgirl traveling with her six classmates to her ailing aunt's country home, where they come face to face with supernatural events as the girls are, one by one, devoured by the home.
Ticket and showtime information is available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Pitt's Asian Studies Center continues language partner program.


The University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center is continuing its language partner program for people interested in learning an Asian language or helping Asian students at Pitt meet native English speakers. From the latest newsletter:
Are you looking to practice an Asian language? Or are you a native speaker of an Asian language hoping to practice English? The Asian Studies Center can help match you with a language exchange partner! The form to sign-up can be found here. The program is open to university students and community members living in Pittsburgh. Languages represented are English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and Vietnamese. Please email asia@pitt.edu with any questions.

Monday, September 26, 2022

PF BBQ (匹夫小馆) opens in Oakland, in former Sichuan Gourmet spot.

PF BBQ (匹夫小馆)) has recently opened in Oakland. It is located at 238 Atwood St. (map), in the location of the former Oakland branch of Sichuan Gourmet. The original Squirrel Hill Sichuan Gourmet location remains open, but the Oakland branch that opened in 2015 closed at the start of COVID. Not much information exists about PF BBQ yet, but here is a quick photo of the menu:

It does appear in the Chinese-language version of the Ricepo app, but not the English-language one. Menu items include several varieties of grilled fish, several hot pot selections, pickle pepper frog, konjac hot pot duck, stir-fried clams, and more.

Rashomon (羅生門) downtown at Harris Theater, October 2 through 6.



The 1950 Akira Kurosawa film Rashomon (羅生門) will play at the Harris Theater from October 2 through 6. A synopsis of the film, from a 2002 Roger Ebert review:
The film opens in torrential rain, and five shots move from long shot to closeup to reveal two men sitting in the shelter of Kyoto's Rashomon Gate. The rain will be a useful device, unmistakably setting apart the present from the past. The two men are a priest and a woodcutter, and when a commoner runs in out of the rain and engages them in conversation, he learns that a samurai has been murdered and his wife raped and a local bandit is suspected. In the course of telling the commoner what they know, the woodcutter and the priest will introduce flashbacks in which the bandit, the wife and the woodcutter say what they saw, or think they saw--and then a medium turns up to channel the ghost of the dead samurai. Although the stories are in radical disagreement, it is unlike any of the original participants are lying for their own advantage, since each claims to be the murderer.
Tickets are now available online. The Harris Theater is located in downtown's Cultural District (map).

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance hiring Voter Mobilization Canvassers.

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance of Pittsburgh is hiring Voter Mobilization Canvassers, with a preference for those proficient in Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Spanish.

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) Pittsburgh, PA

$20 an hour

Part-time, Temporary. Hours range from 8-20 per week and shift hours are flexible.

Summary

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO is seeking Voter Mobilization
Canvassers to help our team execute our Every Vote Counts electoral program. The anticipated start date is October 3, 2022 with an end-date of November 8, 2022.

Job Overview

The Voter Mobilization Canvassers will be essential to the success of our Every Vote Counts campaign. Field canvassers will be responsible for direct voter contact through door-to-door canvassing. Canvassers will be based in the Pittsburgh Area, and should have a reliable mode of transportation. Nights and weekends may be required, but hours may also be flexible.

Excellent communication skills required, because you will be interacting with voters! Must be able to follow procedures, track information, practice cultural competence, and have a friendly, professional attitude, demeanor and appearance. Experience helpful but not required; you will be provided with on-the-job training.

The 98 Contemporary Thai Cuisine coming soon to Fox Chapel.


Banners are up for The 98 Contemporary Thai Cuisine, coming soon to Fox Chapel. It will be located at 1034 Freeport Rd. (map), until recently home of one of three Thai Place locations around the city.

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Kate Tsang film Marvelous and the Black Hole in Pittsburgh, September 29, part of SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.


The Kate Tsang film Marvelous and the Black Hole will play in Pittsburgh on September 29, part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.
A teenage delinquent befriends a surly magician who helps her navigate her inner demons and dysfunctional family with sleight of hand magic. A teenage delinquent (Miya Cech) befriends a surly magician (Rhea Perlman) who helps her navigate her inner demons and dysfunctional family with sleight of hand magic. A coming-of-age comedy that touches on unlikely friendships, grief and finding hope in the darkest moments.
It will play at the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley (map) on September 29, and tickets for the 7:30 show are available online. Pitt affiliates are eligible to receive free tickets by following the instructions on the order link.

University of Pittsburgh hiring Teaching Professor of Korean Studies, starting 2023-2024 academic year.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures is hiring a Teaching Professor of Korean Studies (Open Rank).
The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for a Teaching Professor (of any rank) position in Korean culture and visual culture, pending budgetary approval. The successful candidate should possess primary disciplinary training in Korean literature and culture and strong competence in film and media studies, performance studies, or a closely related discipline. A Ph.D. in Korean Studies or a related field is required by the time of appointment.

The appointment starts on September 1, 2023. The teaching load is six courses per year. The appointee will teach current undergraduate courses, develop new courses in the area of their specialization, help develop a new Korean major, and participate in the department’s interdisciplinary MA program. The successful candidate must demonstrate strengths as a teacher at all levels. The candidate must have a native or near-native user of Korean and English in all language skill areas. In addition, the new hire should be willing to take an active leadership role in the vigorous growth of the Korean program and collaborate closely with the established Korean language program. Besides working closely with other Korean studies faculty, the individual hired for this position is expected to collaborate with Asianists in other units to promote Korean studies and visual studies.
More information, as well application instructions, is available on the job ad.

Japanese film Small, Slow but Steady (ケイコ 目を澄ませて) in Pittsburgh on September 30 for SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.


The Japanese film Small, Slow but Steady (ケイコ 目を澄ませて) will play in Pittsburgh on September 30 as part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.
Director Shô Miyake adapts a boxing memoir from Keiko Ogasawara— who turned professional despite the difficulties of lifelong deafness. “A highlight of the Encounters program at this year’s Berlinale,” (Variety), the film fictionalizes it’s subject as Keiko Ogawa, played with stern intensity by actor Yukino Kishii. The film from the structural trappings of the biopic, as it adopts a focused, in-the-moment approach to Keiko’s life and career: we see her struggles inside and outside of the ring. Keiko’s story is the base from which we learn about the larger struggles between the independent boxing community and the pressures of corporatization and conglomeration as COVID 19 sunk so many small community locations. The film’s sound particularly resonates: without any music, we are free listen to the small punches and rhythms that pierce this boxer’s story.
It plays at the Harris Theater at 6:30 pm and tickets are available online. Pitt affiliates with valid university cards may enter for free.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Fantuan hiring Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist.


Fantuan, a delivery service catering to Asian restaurants and groceries that expanded to Pittsburgh in 2020, is hiring a Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist.
Fantuan was founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2014. With the mission of “life made easier,” we are now the largest Asian food service platform in North America. Our goal is to provide a one-stop platform connecting people and their local communities. In addition to food delivery services, our business also includes advertising and promotion, online shopping malls, self-pickup, and other online services. We invite you to explore how Fantuan can help you advance your career and fulfill your goals. Apply online now!

Responsibilities:

· Formulate marketing strategies and complete strategic goals based on the development needs of the platform.

· Develop promotional plans to increase brand awareness.

· Build relationships with target groups, including schools, professional associations, and other potential partners.

· Understand customer needs and carry out marketing activities.

· Actively expand business partners and maintain relations with existing partners.

· Achieve the monthly sales and order number targets.

· Formulate user manual to help customers register, install and use company products.

· Organize Offline promotion of company products

· Travel to, visit, and conduct sales activities with customers.

· Analysis of sales data,Manage sales activities and results.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Maelstrom, Pitt's 2022 Japan Documentary Film Award, screening in Pittsburgh on September 29.


The documentary Maelstrom, which was named winner of the 2022 Japan Documentary Film Award over the summer, will screen in Pittsburgh on September 29 as part of the SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival. The award is given biannually by the University of Pittsburgh's Japan Council and the SCREENSHOT: Asia festival.
Maelstrom is [Mizuko] Yamaoka’s story of “loss and rebirth” due to a drastic life change from a car accident that damaged her cervical vertebrae. A profoundly humanist tale of tragedy and rebirth, Yamaoka's intimate documentary is both a telling of her own losses and a portrait of human experience.
The documentary will play at the Alumni Hall Auditorium in Oakland (map) from 7:00 pm, and tickets are available online.

2022 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island (機動戦士ガンダム ククルス・ドアンの島) in Pittsburgh, September 27 and 28.


The 2022 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island (機動戦士ガンダム ククルス・ドアンの島) will play in Pittsburgh on September 27 and 28. From the distributor:
After Jaburo, the EFF plan an operation to capture Odessa, headquarters of Zeon's Attack Force. White Base heads to Belfast to resupply. However, White Base receives new orders; to head to an island known as the "Island of No Return".
It plays locally at the Cinemark in McCandless and tickets are available online. The 7:15 pm September 27 show is in Japanese with English subtitles, while the 7:30 pm September 28 show is dubbed in English.

1997 Wong Kar-wai film Happy Together (春光乍洩), 2021 Taiwanese film Moneyboys (金錢男孩MONEYBOYS) at 2022 Reel Q Film Fest in October.


The schedule for the 2022 Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival was just announced, and it features the 2021 Taiwanese film Moneyboys (金錢男孩MONEYBOYS) and the 1997 Wong Kar-wai film Happy Together (春光乍洩) on October 8 and 15, respectively. A synopsis of Moneyboys, which plays on October 8 at the Row House Cinema:
Fei works illegally as a hustler in order to support his family, yet when he realizes they are willing to accept his money but not his way of life, there is a major breakdown in their relations. Through his relationship to the headstrong Long, Fei seems able to find a new lease on life, but then he encounters Xiaolai, the love of his youth, who confronts him with the guilt of his repressed past.
And a synopsis of Happy Together, which plays at on October 15th at a yet-undetermined location:
Join us for a special 30th anniversary of this landmark film. A gay couple from Hong Kong takes a trip to Argentina in search of a new beginning but instead begins drifting even further apart.
Tickets are available online. The full festival, featuring full-length and short films from all over the world, will run from October 6 through 15.

Food delivery service Hungry Panda hiring Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for Pittsburgh area.


Hungry Panda is again hiring a Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for the Pittsburgh area. As PennsylvAsia noted in Summer 2020, more Chinese delivery options, like Fantuan and Chowbus, have made their way to Pittsburgh.

Job Requirements:

  • Must be fluent in Mandarin and English
  • Educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree and above
  • Experience in business negotiation, sales and marketing management is preferred
  • Working experience in Internet companies is preferred
  • Strong time management and project management skills
  • High sensitivity on market trend, high sensitivity on data
  • Strong commercial acumen and a desire to work with restaurants, not afraid to be refused, have top-notch people skills
  • Excellent teamwork ability, cooperate with different teams to promote business cooperation, and be able to efficiently complete business negotiations independently
  • Have a valid driver licence and a vehicle

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Fourth edition of "Fail-Safe: Los Angeles x Pittsburgh"---featuring Asian-American artists Young Joon Kwak, Kim Ye, Caroline Yoo, Davine Byon, and Stephanie Tsong---at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, November 11 and 12.


The November 11 and 12 edition of "Fail-Safe: Los Angeles x Pittsburgh" will prominently feature a number of LA- and Pittsburgh-based Asian-American artists and performers.
Fail-Safe is a recurring variety performance show which brings together artists exploring performance across disciplines to present new experimental projects in early stages of development. Organized by Angela Washko, Scott Andrew, and Jesse Stiles, this fourth edition of Fail-Safe will create a dialogue about performance between Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. Fail-Safe: Los Angeles x Pittsburgh comprises two evenings of new and in-progress performance works by interdisciplinary musicians, performance artists, and dancers from these two cities. On both evenings, visiting artists will be preceded by a lineup of Pittsburgh-based artists whose practices share affinities.

On November 11th, Los Angeles-based artists Young Joon Kwak and Kim Ye present a new experimental performance work from their series Rites of Matrilineal Dissent. The digitally mediated performance takes audiences through a journey of failure and discovery, of new selves and new bodies, and new forms of love and kinship. Pittsburgh artists include Caroline Yoo, Goofy Toof, London Williams, and MICHIYAYA Dance featuring Anya Clark.

On November 12th, visiting artist duo Xina Xurner (Marvin Astorga and Young Joon Kwak) will present their cathartic music performance combining DIY and power electronics, mutated vocals, and bad drag to expand ideas about queer and trans bodies. Pittsburgh artists include Swampwalk, Sacred Sauce (Samira Mendoza & Gladstone Butler), and Davine Byon. The performances will be followed by a dance party hosted by Formosa (Jellyfish).

Please be advised: these performances will explore the topic of sexuality and some may include nudity.
Tickets are available online. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater is located at 5941 Penn Ave. in East Liberty (map).

2004 film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) in Pittsburgh, September 25 - 28.


The 2004 film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) will play in Pittsburgh from September 25 through 28, part of this year's Studio Ghibli Fest. From the distributor:
From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, comes the Academy Award®- nominated fantasy adventure for the whole family.

Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a curse on Sophie and turns her into a 90-year-old woman. On a quest to break the spell, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent moving castle and into a new life of wonder and adventure. But as the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, Sophie finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world.
It plays locally at AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online. Please note, the shows on the 25th and 28th are dubbed in English, while the shows on the 26th and 27th are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Rashomon (羅生門) downtown at Harris Theater, October 2.



The 1950 Akira Kurosawa film Rashomon (羅生門) will play at the Harris Theater on October 2. A synopsis of the film, from a 2002 Roger Ebert review:
The film opens in torrential rain, and five shots move from long shot to closeup to reveal two men sitting in the shelter of Kyoto's Rashomon Gate. The rain will be a useful device, unmistakably setting apart the present from the past. The two men are a priest and a woodcutter, and when a commoner runs in out of the rain and engages them in conversation, he learns that a samurai has been murdered and his wife raped and a local bandit is suspected. In the course of telling the commoner what they know, the woodcutter and the priest will introduce flashbacks in which the bandit, the wife and the woodcutter say what they saw, or think they saw--and then a medium turns up to channel the ghost of the dead samurai. Although the stories are in radical disagreement, it is unlike any of the original participants are lying for their own advantage, since each claims to be the murderer.
Tickets and showtime information is not yet available. The Harris Theater is located in downtown's Cultural District (map).

The Peking Acrobats featuring The Shanghai Circus, October 12 in Pittsburgh.


The Peking Acrobats featuring The Shanghai Circus will perform downtown at the PNC Theatre on October 12.
This event is presented in partnership with the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center. This attraction has been called "incredible," "breathtaking," "stunning," and "quite unbelievable," to quote but a few of the critics. As a special treat for fans of THE PEKING ACROBATS, this all new production now features performers from THE SHANGHAI CIRCUS to create a very special Chinese Acrobatic extravaganza unlike any other! The amalgamation of THE PEKING ACROBATS and THE SHANGHAI CIRCUS offers the unique talents and the very best of both shows.

For the last thirty one years,THE PEKING ACROBATS have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs and display their technical prowess at such arts as trick-cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control.THE PEKING ACROBATS are often accompanied by live musicians who skillfully play traditional Chinese instruments; the time-honored Chinese music coalesces with high-tech special effects and awe-inspiring acrobatic feats, creating an exuberant entertainment event with the festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival.

THE PEKING ACROBATS are part of a time-honored Chinese tradition, rooted in centuries of Chinese history and folk art. Tradition demands that each generation of acrobats add its own improvements and embellishments; because of this, high honor is conferred upon those skilled enough to become acrobats. THE PEKING ACROBATS seek to uphold this rich and ancient folk art tradition, bringing it to new technical heights while integrating twenty-first century technology.

“THE PEKING ACROBATS [are] pushing the envelope of human possibility,” combining agility and grace in remarkable feats of “pure artistry.”—Clive Davis of the New York Post
Tickets for the 7:00 pm show are available online. The PNC Theatre is located at 350 Forbes Ave. (map).

Pittsburgh's first city-wide Kpop Random Play Dance event September 25 in Schenley Plaza.


Pittsburgh's first ever city-wide Kpop Random Play Dance event will take place on Sunday, September 25 in Oakland's Schenley Plaza.
Join us for an hour of dancing and fun as we celebrate the end of summer with PGH's first city-wide KPOP Random Play Dance Event [KPOP in Public].
Free and open to everyone.
Co-hosted by Yanlai Dance Academy, FRESA at Pitt, CMU KPDC, and KPOPittsburgh (facebook.com/groups/kpopittsburgh/).
Special thanks to the Pittsburgh Park Conservancy for the use of their space.
Rules for playing:
1. When not dancing please wait at the sides of the dancing area.
2. When the music comes on for a kpop song that you know the dance to, jump out into the middle and show off your moves!
3. If you don't know the dance, cheer on others who do!
4. Don't forget to have fun and and be respectful of those in the kpop community here in Pittsburgh!
It runs from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in Schenley Plaza (map).

Japanese guitarist Miyavi in Pittsburgh, October 15.


Japanese guitarist Miyavi will perform in Pittsburgh on October 15, part of his 20th anniversary North American tour.
MIYAVI is a musician, actor, and philanthropist, bridging cultures across the globe with his music and message. His unique style of guitar playing has taken him on 8 world tours in over 30 countries. Fans refer to MIYAVI as the “Samurai Guitarist.” He has released 13 studio albums.

In December 2018, MIYAVI released the groundbreaking collaborations album Samurai Sessions Vol. 3: Worlds Collide on Universal Music Group. The stellar list of U.S.-based collaborators included Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, Grammy nominated R&B artist Gallant, Grammy nominated Pop artist Mikky Ekko, Grammy winning producer RAC, Malaysian born R&B songstress Yuna, South Central LA rapper DUCKWRTH, “Hood EDM” rapper Bok Nero, “laptop punk” artist NVDES, and Australian born Pop artist Betty Who.

MIYAVI returned to his releasing solo albums with 2019’s NO SLEEP TILL TOKYO kicked off by a concert at Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium followed by the 2020 release of Holy Nights. On September 15, 2021 MIYAVI released his latest album Imaginary with features from KPOP star Kang Daniel and Grammy winning pop artist Kimbra.
The concert takes place at the Thunderbird Cafe, and tickets for the 18+ show are available online. Miyavi last performed in Pittsburgh, at the Thunderbird Cafe, in October 2021. The Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall is located at 4023 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

"Mai Khoi: Bad Activist" at Pittsburgh Playhouse, September 15.


Mai Khoi will present "Bad Activist" at Pittsburgh Playhouse on September 15.
Mai Khoi rose to pop stardom in Vietnam, where she played arena concerts and was often compared to Lady Gaga in the international media. But when she turned her celebrity to the cause of free expression, her music was banned. She was detained, harassed, evicted from her home and eventually forced into exile. She now lives in Pittsburgh. For her courage in defending human rights, Mai Khoi has been awarded the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent and the Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award for Free Speech.

The Pittsburgh Playhouse, Point Park University's Center for Media Innovation and the International Free Expression Project (IFEP) are proud to present the fully realized theatrical production of "Bad Activist" — a multimedia tour de force in which Mai Khoi tells her remarkable story and performs with extraordinary musicianship.

This production is part of the Media Innovators Speaker Series, which welcomes media changemakers and leaders in the field who have made significant contributions to journalism, storytelling and free expression.
Tickets for the 7:00 pm show at PNC Theatre are available online. The theatre is located at 350 Forbes Ave. (map).

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形) in Pittsburgh, October 12.



The 2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形 will play in Pittsburgh on October 12. From the distributor:
Based on the best-selling manga series by Yoshitoki Ōima, A SILENT VOICE is the poignant and moving story of Shōya Ishida, a school bully, and Shōko Nishimiya, a young girl with a hearing disability. Their story begins in sixth grade when Shōko transfers to Shōya’s elementary school and quickly finds herself bullied and isolated. Years later, the tables turn, and Shōya finds himself isolated and alone. A SILENT VOICE depicts the struggles and challenges of adolescence alongside coming-of-age outside the norm.
It plays locally at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, though more theaters may be announced later, and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on competing Chinese-language delivery apps.


The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an article from September 12 about the competing Chinese-language delivery apps in Pittsburgh.
For a while, Ms. Geng [of Amazing Dumplings] has been faced with a conundrum: If she changes the dish name, customers who don’t speak Chinese might understand it better. But then, how would Chinese customers recognize it as the dish they love from back home?

Now, there’s a solution: an app that allows her to speak to her Chinese customers directly.

Actually, make that three apps.

As the number of immigrants from mainland China has grown — and crucially, grown richer — Chinese food-delivery apps have sprung up to serve America’s Chinese delivery market. The apps offer a Mandarin-language experience for people on all sides of the equation, from restaurateurs to couriers to consumers.

Now, three of the apps — Fantuan, HungryPanda and Ricepo — are vying for dominance in cities across the U.S.

Pittsburgh, with its large international student population and vibrant Chinese food scene, has proven to be particularly fertile ground.

As ubiquitous advertising in areas like Squirrel Hill shows, the Steel City is in the midst of an all-out app marketing war.
PennsylvAsia noted this trend in 2020, when Chinese delivery companies started hiring locally and serving Pittsburgh-area Asian restaurants and grocers. Places like Fantuan and Hungry Panda continue to routinely hire in the area as they add businesses as clients.

2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) September 21.


The 2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 18, will remain here through at least September 21.
The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two Androids call themselves “Super Heroes”. They start attacking Piccolo and Gohan… What is the New Red Ribbon Army’s objective? In the face of approaching danger, it is time to awaken, Super Hero!
The movie was the top-grossing film in Japan its opening weekend of June 11-12, and is the eighth-highest earning domestic film in Japan this year so far. It plays locally at several Pittsburgh-area theaters, continuing next week at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

Monday, September 12, 2022

U Had To Be There: K-Pop DJ Night, October 8 at Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh.


U Had To Be There will present a K-Pop DJ Night on October 8 at the Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh.
U Had To Be There: K-Pop DJ Night

featuring a night of DJ curated K-Pop music from BTS, Blackpink, Big Bang, EXO and more!
The show is 21+ and starts at 7:00 pm, and tickets are available online. The Hard Rock Cafe is located at 230 W. Station Square Drive (map) in Station Square.

Saturday, September 10, 2022

7th Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival, September 24 at Mellon Park.


The Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center will present its 7th Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival on September 24 at Mellon Park (map). It will run from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and offer traditional Chinese opera, Asian food, Chinese cultural performances, Asian food, a selection of vendors, and more.

Friday, September 9, 2022

2022 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island (機動戦士ガンダム ククルス・ドアンの島) in Pittsburgh, September 27 and 28.


The 2022 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island (機動戦士ガンダム ククルス・ドアンの島) will play in Pittsburgh on September 27 and 28. From the distributor:
After Jaburo, the EFF plan an operation to capture Odessa, headquarters of Zeon's Attack Force. White Base heads to Belfast to resupply. However, White Base receives new orders; to head to an island known as the "Island of No Return".
It plays locally at the Cinemark in McCandless and tickets are available online. The 7:15 pm September 27 show is in Japanese with English subtitles, while the 7:30 pm September 28 show is dubbed in English.

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Movies from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan help comprise second annual SCREENSHOT: Asia Festival, September 28 through October 3.


The second annual University of Pittsburgh SCREENSHOT: Asia Festival will run from September 28 through October 2 and feature films from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and elsewhere across Asia. The schedule was released this afternoon and includes: 
  • Baby Assassins & Martial Arts Short (Japan)
  • Dear Tenant (Taiwan) 
  • Fire on the Plain (China)
  • Maelstrom (Japan), the 2022 Japan Documentary Film Award winner
  • Small, Slow but Steady (Japan)
  • The Girl on a Bulldozer (Korea)
The movies will play at Alumni Hall and Frick Fine Arts on the University of Pittsburgh campus, the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley, and the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District.  Tickets are now available online.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Asian grocery Fudi Asian Mart coming to Shadyside.


Sigange is up at 5020 Centre Ave. (map) for Fudi Asian Mart, an Asian grocery coming soon to Shadyside. The location was formerly home to AccuServ Pharmacy.
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We first read about this in an August /r/pittsburgh thread about Asian groceries in the area, but the poster did not respond to messages for more information. This figures to be an ideal location for people living in the Shadyside, Friendship, and Bloomfield areas, all of which have substantial---for Pittsburgh anyway---Asian, internatioanl, and globally-minded populations.

Food delivery service Hungry Panda hiring Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for Pittsburgh area.


Hungry Panda is again hiring a Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for the Pittsburgh area. As PennsylvAsia noted in Summer 2020, more Chinese delivery options, like Fantuan and Chowbus, have made their way to Pittsburgh.

Job Requirements:

  • Must be fluent in Mandarin and English
  • Educational requirements: Bachelor’s degree and above
  • Experience in business negotiation, sales and marketing management is preferred
  • Working experience in Internet companies is preferred
  • Strong time management and project management skills
  • High sensitivity on market trend, high sensitivity on data
  • Strong commercial acumen and a desire to work with restaurants, not afraid to be refused, have top-notch people skills
  • Excellent teamwork ability, cooperate with different teams to promote business cooperation, and be able to efficiently complete business negotiations independently
  • Have a valid driver licence and a vehicle

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) September 14.


The 2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 18, will remain here through at least September 14.
The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two Androids call themselves “Super Heroes”. They start attacking Piccolo and Gohan… What is the New Red Ribbon Army’s objective? In the face of approaching danger, it is time to awaken, Super Hero!
The movie was the top-grossing film in Japan its opening weekend of June 11-12, and is the eighth-highest earning domestic film in Japan this year so far. It plays locally at several Pittsburgh-area theaters, and tickets are available online.

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration at Pitt, September 12.


The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Cener and Global Hub will host a Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration on September 12 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Join the Asian Studies Center for a Mid-Autumn Festival! Come enjoy mooncakes, candy, tea, a lantern-making activity, and the chance to win prizes!
It will be held at the Global Hub, located on the 1st floor of Posvar Hall (map), from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

Japanese choreographer and artist Hiroaki Umeda at Wood Street Galleries, December 28 - 30.


Japanese choreographer and artist Hiroaki Umeda will perform at downtown Pittsburgh's Wood Street Galleries from December 28 through 30, it was announced recently.
Hiroaki Umeda is a choreographer and a multidisciplinary artist recognized as one of the leading figures of the Japanese avant-garde art scene. Since the launch of his company S20, his subtle yet violent dance pieces have toured around the world to audience and critical acclaim. His work is acknowledged for the highly holistic artistic methodology with strong digital background, which considers not only physical elements as dance, but also optical, sensorial and, above all, spatiotemporal components as part of the choreography. Based on his profound interest in choreographing time and space, Umeda has spread his talent not only as a choreographer and dancer, but also as a composer, lighting designer, scenographer and visual artist.

Join us at Wood Street Galleries for special, small group performances of Hiroaki Umeda’s high intensity solo work, Intensional Particle. The piece showcases Umeda’s signature style of mixing digital imagery, minimal soundscape, and extremely potent corporeality.
Tickets are available online. Wood Street Galleries is located at 601 Wood Street, atop the Wood Street T Station (map).

2021 Japanese movie The House of the Lost on the Cape (岬のマヨイガ) in Pittsburgh, September 7.


The 2021 Japanese movie The House of the Lost on the Cape (岬のマヨイガ) will play in Pittsburgh on September 7.
When a devastating natural disaster leaves 17-year-old run-away Yui and 8-year-old orphan Hiyori without a home, they are taken in by Kiwa, a strange old woman who offers to let them stay in an abandoned yet suspiciously well-kept house overlooking the sea, known as a Mayoiga: a legendary house, said to look after lost travelers. Despite Yui’s hesitation to trust anyone and Hiyori’s inability to speak, they begin to form a sisterly bond that allows them to find comfort in the Mayoiga and embrace Kiwa’s hospitality. However, when a menacing entity is accidentally released and threatens their new home, the three must face their fears to save it.
It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

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