"The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac" at Byham Theater, March 14, 2026.

"The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac" will be performed at the Byham Theater on March 14, 2026, part of the Trust Family Series of performances aimed at younger audiences.

Join Freddie and Ivy alongside their grandparents, Po Po and Kung Kung, as their Chinese New Year celebrations take a turn from dumpling-making to discovering the incredible origin story of the Chinese Zodiac!

When the Jade Emperor needs a way to tell time, he decrees that the first twelve animals to cross the race’s mighty river will have a year named after them and will mark the passage of a 12-year cycle.

Learn which animals win & what traits helped their success, why the rat and cat are enemies, and how each animal earned their place in the Zodiac while enjoying traditional Chinese movement, music and martial arts!

The booking agency says the performance is best for kids in kindergarten through grade 3. Individual tickets are scheduled to go on sale today at 10:00 am EST. The show starts at 2:00 pm, and the Byham Theater is located at 101 6th Street in downtown's Cultural District (map).

Let's Sushi, offering "unlimited Japanese fusion," coming to Wexford.

Signage is up for Let's Sushi in Wexford Plaza in the North Hills (map). The restaurant offering "unlimited Japanese fusion," according to a sign in the window, will be located in the spot formerly occupied by Nakama. Paperwork indicates Let's Sushi is owned by the properietor behind other Asian buffets that used to operate in the area: Misaki, Yamato Hibachi Grill, and Old Town Buffet.

More dates announced for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) in Pittsburgh, May 14, 16, 18, and 19.

The 2021 Japanese movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) will play in Pittsburgh from May 14, with additional showtimes announced for May 16, 18, and 19.

After completing their rehabilitation training, Tanjiro and his comrades arrive at their next mission on the Mugen Train, where over 40 people have disappeared. Together with one of the most powerful swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, they face the nightmare on board.

The film played here throughout Summer 2021. It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Vietnamese movie The Ancestral Home (Nha Gia Tien) continues in Pittsburgh through May 21.

The Vietnamese movie The Ancestral Home (Nha Gia Tien), which opened in Pittsburgh on May 9, will remain here through at least May 21.

A Gen Z video creator returns to her ancestral home in search of viral supernatural content, only to encounter the ghost of her tragically deceased brother. To fulfil his wish, they must join hands to uncover the truth behind his untimely death while safeguarding the family's fortune and ancestral home from their greedy relatives.

It plays locally at the AMC Classic South Hills Village (map) and tickets are available online.

Sunday Fun Day: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage, May 18 at Westmoreland Museum of American Art.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will host Sunday Fun Day: Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage on May 18.

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage at The Westmoreland with special performances and engaging hands-on activities. Fun for all ages!

Enjoy captivating performances by Tuika’s Polynesian Island Magic and Pittsburgh Xiaobo Waist Drum Dance Group with special guests. Experience Kamishibai, the traditional Japanese art of storytelling, presented by the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library. Take part in engaging hands-on activities, including Chinese calligraphy and art-making, and savor a variety of delicious cultural cuisine.

1997 Japanese animated film The End of Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 Air/まごころを、君に) at Rangos Giant Cinema, May 16.

The 1997 Japanese animated film The End of Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 Air/まごころを、君に) will play at the Rangos Giant Cinema on May 16, the second installment of its "Ani-May" series.

In the epic finale to one of anime’s greatest sagas, humanity’s survival hangs by a thread on more than simply battles. SEELE orders an all-out attack on NERV, aiming to destroy the Evas before Gendo can advance his own plans for the Human Instrumentality Project. Shinji is pushed to the limits of his sanity as he is forced to decide the fate of humanity.

Come see “Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion” and experience its stunning visuals and phenomenal storytelling like never before at The Rangos Giant Cinema on Fri., May 16 at 7 p.m.

The cost is $10 for museum members and $12 for non-members. The movie starts at 7:00 pm, and the theater is inside The Carnegie Science Center, which is located at 1 Allegheny Ave. on the North Shore (map).

Ocean Vuong, "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation, May 20.

White Whale Bookstore will present Ocean Vuong and his "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland on May 20.

White Whale Bookstore is thrilled to welcome bestselling author, award-winning poet, and MacArthur Genius Ocean Vuong back to Pittsburgh in celebration of his latest novel, The Emperor of Gladness! Join us May 20th at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall for an unforgettable evening.

Tickets are required to attend this event. Each ticket—except discounted student tickets— will include a signed copy of The Emperor of Gladness, to be picked up at the event. The author will not be personalizing books, or signing any books brought from home.

Can't attend this time? You can preorder The Emperor of Gladness here. For every confirmed preorder of this book, Penguin Press will donate $0.50 to Queer Liberation Library. Let them know you preordered here.

. . .

Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive

One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.

Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuong’s writing—formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness—are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.
 

OCEAN VUONG is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collections Night Sky with Exit Wounds and Time Is a Mother, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the American Book Award, he used to work as a fast-food server, which inspired The Emperor of Gladness. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, he currently splits his time between Northampton, Massachusetts, and New York City.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, and tickets may be purchased online. The Carnegie Library Lecture Hall is located in Oakland, accessible via numerous city buses (map).

Vietnam 9 Vietnam now open in Oakland.

New Vietnamese restaurant Vietnam 9 Vietnam has recently opened in Oakland. Signage went up for the new place in February at 338 S. Bouquet St. (map), in what was most recently Beta Bytes. Vietnam 9 Vietnam, also stylized Vietnam Vietnam 9, has online ordering set up, and its menu features an assortment of pho, banh mi, bun bo hue, com dia, bun, chao, heo kho, and bo kho.

Kpot now coming to Pittsburgh . . . never.

The "coming soon" sign has come down from the former Eat n' Park in Squirrel Hill, where the highly-anticipated Kpot was supposed to open a while ago. It has been replaced by a For Lease sign. I actually had a post set to publish on May 28 to mark the second anniversary of "coming soon" signage with absolutely no updates or movement, so I've needed to modify that now.

While driving to work on May 28, 2023 I passed by workers putting up a "Kpot Coming Soon" sign on the old Eat n' Park in Squirrel Hill. (You may have seen the photo when other local news sites lifted it without attribution.) Over the last two years, however, almost no activity has taken place in the large Murray Avenue restaurant space, which led most people to doubt whether Kpot would ever open at all.

The "Pittsburg" location was long listed as "coming soon" on the website as well, but all my inquiries to Kpot always received the same response:

At this time we do not have a definitive date as to when this location will be open. All new location openings will be announced on our FB and IG, stay tuned!

In 2023 and 2024, a number of all-you-can-eat Hot Pot and Korean BBQ places were announced with great fanfare: besides Kpot there was Hong Hot Pot & BBQ on McKnight Road, Korean BBQ in Oakland, Top Pot Hotpot & Korean BBQ on the South Side, Running Dish at the Waterfront, and Shabu Shabu Hot Pot and Grill in McCandless and Robinson, plus a couple others announced this year. Hong Hot Pot & BBQ is the only one to open so far, while the others remain in various stages of (in)completion, months and sometimes years after initial target opening dates. To editorialize for a moment, I have to wonder if the growing costs of construction and ingredients---which will only continue to climb under Trump---paired with adminsitrative delays have made owners second guess the feasibility of these restaurant concepts. While Korean BBQ is of course popular throughout the US, one of the appeals to these places in Korea is how cheap and ubiquitous they are; families may bristle at spending $150-$200 for a night out, particularly as we enter an economic recession or depression.

HK Dim Sum holds Grand Opening in Oakland today, May 8.

HK Dim Sum, also stylized Hong Kong Dim Sum, has officially grand opened today in North Oakland. It soft opened back on April 15 and is located at 4520 Centre Ave. in North Oakland's One on Centre complex (map). The menu features a variety of dumpling, dim sum, and dessert dishes in addition to more commonly-found rice and noodle entrees, and the space features a large dining room plus three private rooms for events. Announced back in September 2023, HK Dim Sum was aiming to help fill in one of the remaining gaps in Pittsburgh's Asian food scene. Its hours are currently 11:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration, May 18 at Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History.

The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History will host an Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration on May 18.

Carnegie Museums is thrilled to honor and celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Join us and our community partners throughout the day for guided tours, activities and performances.

Razin M. Karu, Executive Director PA Governor’s Advisory Commission on AAPI Affairs, will be reading a proclamation from Governor Shapiro on Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Month.

11:45 a.m.-12 p.m.  Opening Remarks and Proclamation from the Govenor read by Razin M. Karu in the Hall of Sculpture

12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Performances in the Hall of Sculpture and Sculpture Court

1:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Performances in the Hall of Sculpture and Sculpture Court

11:00 a.m.-3 p.m. Tabling and activities throughout the Sculpture Court and the Scaife Hallway Activities include: Calligraphy, Dynasty Costume Try on, Cultural Crafts, and storytelling

1:15 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Screenings of The Last Mayor of Chinatown in Earth Theater (Run Time: 13:34 minutes)

Performers for the event include: BCAP, OCA Pittsburgh, Silk Elephant Thai Dance Troupe, Geeta Tahiliana-Bollywood, PCCC Art Group, Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh, and DnB Magnets. It runs from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and is free with museum admission.

Win-Win Kung Fu in Squirrel Hill offering six-week summer camp for kids' martial arts, fitness, culture, and language training; $30 discount extended through May 31.

Win-Win Kung Fu Culture Center's annual summer camp returns for six weeks of programming in July, and the school has extended its $30-per-week discount for registrants through May 31.

 Camp Schedule:

• Week 1: July 7 – 11
• Week 2: July 14 – 18
• Week 3: July 21 – 25
• Week 4: July 28 – August 1
• Week 5: August 4 – 8
• Week 6: August 11 – 15

 Location: Squirrel Hill Studio – 2705-2707 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
 Time: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (optional extended care until 5:30 PM)
 Ages: 5 – 15 years

 What to Expect

 Learn Kung Fu/Wushu/Tai Chi from champion masters
 Train in martial arts fundamentals
 Boost focus, fitness, and confidence with intensive training
 Dive into Mandarin language, Chinese culture, games, and movies
 Have fun in a supportive and engaging environment

 Tuition & Registration

• $240 per 5-day week (Save $30 when you register by May 31!)
• 10% discount for siblings
• New students: One-time $90 registration fee (includes a pair of training shoes, T-shirt, and training pants)
• Free registration for current Win-Win students
• Only 25 spots per week – First Come, First Serve!

 How to Register
 Current Win-Win students: Complete the selection form and submit a 20% tuition deposit.
 New students: Fill out the registration form, sign the waiver, complete the selection form, and submit a 20% tuition deposit along with the $90 registration fee.

Seats fill up fast, so don’t miss out on a summer of fun and learning!

For questions or to register, call (412) 336-8898 or email masters [at] winwinkungfu.com.

The studio is located at 2705 Murray Ave., on the ground floor of the Morrowfield building in Squirrel Hill South (map). 

j-hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ in JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING in Pittsburgh, May 31.

The concert film j-hope Tour ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ in JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING will play in Pittsburgh on May 31.

Following its February kickoff in Seoul and spanning across North America and Asia, j-hope’s first solo world tour has captivated audiences with 31 concerts in 15 regions. Now, the grand finale of ‘HOPE ON THE STAGE’ will be broadcast live in cinemas worldwide! Witness the powerful moment of j-hope sharing his hopes, wishes, and dreams with audiences through his debut solo tour. Don’t miss this long-awaited opportunity to see ‘j-hope on stage’! Experience his electrifying performances, including title tracks from his solo albums - MORE,’ ‘Arson,’ and ‘NEURON (with Gaeko, yoonmirae)’ - as well as recent releases unveiled during the tour like ‘Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel)’ and ‘MONA LISA’! Broadcast live exclusively in cinemas worldwide - experience j-hope’s inspiring solo performances on the big screen.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theater in Robinson, with more theaters likely to be announced later; tickets are not yet available.

2012 Japanese animated movie Wolf Children (おおかみこどもの雨と雪) in Pittsburgh-area theaters in 4K, May 11 - 13.

The 2012 Japanese animated movie Wolf Children (おおかみこどもの雨と雪) in Pittsburgh-area theaters in 4K May 11, 12, and 13.

College student Hana falls in love with a “wolf man” and together they have two half-human, half-wolf children, Ame and Yuki. The young family’s happy but humble life comes to an abrupt end when the father is tragically killed during a hunt. After struggling to raise her children in the busy city, Hana boldly decides to move to a dilapidated house in the countryside, in hopes that her children may one day decide their own path to happiness – whether “human” or “wolf.” This heart-wrenching modern fairy tale is a staggering work of beauty and emotion from Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda. Rich with gorgeous animation and set to a poignant musical score, Wolf Children is a sweeping tale about self-discovery and the bonds of family.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Robinson, and tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

2021 Japanese movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) in Pittsburgh, May 14.

The 2021 Japanese movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) will play in Pittsburgh on May 14.

After completing their rehabilitation training, Tanjiro and his comrades arrive at their next mission on the Mugen Train, where over 40 people have disappeared. Together with one of the most powerful swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, they face the nightmare on board.

The film played here throughout Summer 2021. It plays locally on the 14th at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

Taste of Asia Asian Food Festival, May 11 at Heinz History Center.

The third annual Taste of Asia Asian Food Festival will take place on May 11 at the Heinz History Center. The three-hour festival will feature food from numerous restaurants plus cultural performances and other attractions. 

Experience Asian culture and flavors at the Taste of Asia program.

Join the History Center on a cultural and culinary journey to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Taste of Asia.

Presented in partnership with the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh, the program will highlight Asian American contributions of the past and present in Pittsburgh.

Indulge in delicious bites from an assortment of local Asian restaurants, explore the history of Pittsburgh’s Asian American community with the Detre Library & Archives, and watch live performances to learn about cultural celebrations.

Engage with local chefs and expand your palette by sampling food from participating restaurants, including:

• Chengdu Gourmet 2
• Sushi Fuku
• Senyai Thai Kitchen
• 1:11 Juice Bar
• Bombay to Burgh
• Charm Thai Pittsburgh
• Grapow
• Hungry Panda
• Kung Fu Chicken
• Mango Mango
• Modern Filipino Cuisine
• Nan Xiang Dumpling
• Nepali Community of Greater Pittsburgh
• Sumi’s Cakery
• Sushi Too
• WeiLai Dim Sum
• Yotea Yoka Kitchen

Restaurant vendors will also have takeaway food available to purchase.

Don’t miss the chance to discover and celebrate the incredible diversity of Asian food culture in Pittsburgh!

The event runs from 12:00 to 3:00 pm, and the Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman St. in the Strip District (map).

Top Pot Hotpot & Korean BBQ prepares to open soon in South Side.

Top Pot Hotpot & Korean BBQ is preparing to open soon in the Southside Works, according to management. Top Pot is a chain with nine locations currently open---three in Pennsylvania, two in Ohio, and one each in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and Utah---and four under development, including this Pittsburgh spot first announced in December 2023.

Top Pot & K BBQ is an AYCE restaurant franchise that offers a unique and satisfying dining experience with a combination of hot pot and Korean BBQ. The menu features a wide range of ingredients, spices, and sauces to cater to different tastes, with options for meat, seafood, vegetables, and more. Customers can enjoy cooking their food at the table with a simmering pot of soup stock or grilling meat on the table with personalized dipping sauces. The restaurant also offers a well-rounded meal with a lot of delicious small side dishes, which provide a diverse array of flavors and textures. These side dishes, along with the option of both hot pot and Korean BBQ, make for a unique and satisfying dining experience.

In addition to the delicious food, Top Pot BBQ is committed to providing quality service at affordable prices. This means that customers can expect to receive not just a great meal, but also attentive service and a welcoming atmosphere. And with the restaurant's focus on using fresh ingredients, customers can be assured that they are eating high-quality food that is both delicious and nourishing.

For those looking for a unique and satisfying dining experience, Top Pot BBQ is the perfect choice. With its combination of hot pot and Korean BBQ, and commitment to quality, service, and affordability, it's sure to leave a lasting impression on all who visit and we have something for everyone regardless of your preferences.

It will open at 2829 East Carson St. (map), and will be one of three new-ish Asian chains, along with Kura Sushi and Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, helping to make Southside Works a dining destination for lovers of Asian food.

Vietnamese movie The Ancestral Home (Nha Gia Tien) in Pittsburgh, from May 9.

The Vietnamese movie The Ancestral Home (Nha Gia Tien) will play in Pittsburgh from May 9 through 14.

A Gen Z video creator returns to her ancestral home in search of viral supernatural content, only to encounter the ghost of her tragically deceased brother. To fulfil his wish, they must join hands to uncover the truth behind his untimely death while safeguarding the family's fortune and ancestral home from their greedy relatives.

It plays locally at the AMC Classic South Hills Village (map) and tickets are available online.

Concert film ATEEZ WORLD TOUR [TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER] IN CINEMAS in Pittsburgh, from May 14.

The concert film ATEEZ WORLD TOUR [TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER] IN CINEMAS will play in Pittsburgh from May 14 through 18.

Kicking off in Seoul in January 2024, ATEEZ’s monumental world tour, TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER, ignited Japan, North America, Europe, and beyond with unstoppable energy. Now, its breathtaking opening chapter returns, reborn on the big screen. From powerful performances of signature hits like "WONDERLAND (Symphony No.9 “From The Wonderland”)”, "Crazy Form", "Say My Name", and "Guerrilla" to mesmerizing unit and solo stages showcasing each member’s unique color, ATEEZ’s overwhelming energy takes over SCREENX, 4DX, and ULTRA 4DX where available. The voyage towards the light sets sail once again! ATEEZ WORLD TOUR [TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER] IN CINEMAS

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

AAPI/Taiwan Community Day at PNC Park, September 3, as Pirates take on visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.

Taiwan Aloha will host a Taiwan Community Day at PNC Park on September 3, as the Pittsburgh Pirates take on the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. This coinicides with other Asian and Asian-American events scheduled at the game, particularly because the Dodgers feature three Japanese baseball stars: Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. This Taiwan Community Day will honor the Sophiyah Liu, Taiwan's first female baseball umpire, who will throw out the first pitch, while ticket sales of 500 or more through the event link will ensure future Taiwan Community Days at the ballpark.

Taiwan Aloha is proud to partner with the Pittsburgh Pirates to host AAPI/Taiwan Day at PNC Park!

We are honored to feature Sophiyah Liu, Taiwan’s first female baseball umpire, as our ceremonial first pitch guest. Sophiyah’s groundbreaking role in Taiwan reflects the Pittsburgh Pirates’ leadership as the first MLB team to build a dedicated umpire room for women, making this a meaningful connection between Taiwan and the U.S.

This year marks a special AAPI/Taiwan Day, but if we reach 500 ticket sales through the link below, the Pirates will host a dedicated Taiwan Day every year going forward!

The first 500 ticket buyers will receive a Taiwan No. 1 jersey (sponsored by Taiwan Aloha), a Pirates baseball cap, and a Taiwan-themed souvenir at the game.

A portion of ticket proceeds will support Taiwan Aloha, helping to offset the cost of jerseys and guest arrangements.

Your support helps celebrate Taiwan, uplift women in sports, and promote global friendship through baseball.

Ticket link: https://www.gofevo.com/event/Taiwanaloha0903

Japanese band Shonen Knife returns to Pittsburgh area, September 28.

Japanese pop punk band Shonen Knife will return to the Pittsburgh area on September 28 when they play Preserving Underground in New Kensington (map) as part of their 2025 US Tour. Tickets for the all-ages show are now available online. Shonen Knife formed in 1981 and have, thankfully, played in Pittsburgh every few years when they tour the country, and were last here in 2019.

Teen Time: Celebrity Stickers at local Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branches for AANHPI Heritage Month, from May 22.

Sheet by @lorrainenam, via HP

Several local branches of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will offer a free "Teen Time: Celebrity Stickers" program as part of its AANHPI Heritage Month 2025 events.

Learn how to use Procreate to create your own sticker of a AANHPI celebrity and celebrate AANHPI cultures present in the United States. For teens in grades 6-12.

There are four participating libraries so far; they're free and open to the target age demographic, with no registration required:

• CLP - Knoxville - May 22, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
• CLP - Carrick - May 28, 3:30 - 4:30 pm
• CLP - Hazelwood - May 28, 5:00 - 6:00 pm
• CLP - Mt. Washington - May 29, 4:30 - 5:30 pm

10th Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Festival (第十届匹兹堡中华文化节), September 13.

Advance notice for the 10th Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Festival, scheduled for Mellon Park on September 13. Presented by the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center, the annual event features food, cultural performances, local vendors, and more.

1985 Akira Kurosawa film Ran (乱) in Pittsburgh, from May 24.

The 1985 Akira Kurosawa film Ran (乱) will play in Pittsburgh from May 24 through June 4, part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's occasional International Art House Classics series.

The 1985 New York Film Festival opened with Akira Kurosawa’s astonishing medieval epic, inspired by the life of Mori Motonari, a 16th-century warlord with three sons. It was only after he began writing that the filmmaker started to see parallels with King Lear. It took a decade for Kurosawa to bring his grand conception to the screen—he actually painted storyboards of every shot along the way, and made another great film, Kagemusha, as a dry run. The finished work he eventually gave us is, to put it mildly, a mind-blowing experience. Tatsuya Nakadai is the warlord, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, and Daisuke Ryu are his sons, Mieko Harada is the terrifying Lady Kaede, the score is by Toru Takemitsu, but the dominant force looming over every single element of this film, down to the smallest detail, is Kurosawa himself. The color palette of Ran is unlike that of any other movie made before or since, as you’ll see in this newly restored version.

It plays in Japanese with English subtitles at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.

1993 film The Joy Luck Club in Pittsburgh, from May 9.

The 1993 film The Joy Luck Club will play at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville from May 9 through 15, part of its "Thanks, MOM" film series around Mother's Day.

Adapted from Amy Tan’s best selling novel, Wayne Wang’s film artfully illustrates generational divides and universal truths through the stories of four Chinese women born in America and their respective mothers born in feudal China.

Tickets and showtimes are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

Japanese DJs Carpainter and Seimei in Pittsburgh, May 2.

Japanese electronic musicians, and brothers, Carpainter and Seimei will perform in Pittsburgh on May 2 as part of a mini US tour also reaching New York and Baltimore. They will perform at COBRA in Bloomfield (map) from 9:30 pm and tickets are available online.

2004 Japanese animated film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) at Rangos Giant Cinema, May 9.

The 2004 Hayao Miyazaki film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) will play at Rangos Giant Cinema at the Carnegie Science Center on May 9, the first in a four-part "Ani-May" series this month.

In Hayao Miyazaki’s . . . animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a “breathtaking fantasy world” (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor, and heart. 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 spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki’s artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling, and richly detailed animation.

The Rangos Giant Cinema

boasts a 71-by 39-foot Certified Giant Screen, crystal-clear 4K images, brilliant colors, and rich surround sound. It features a premium Dolby Atmos® surround sound system with 49 speakers. (The average giant screen has 14.)

The movie starts at 7:00 and tickets are available online: $10 for members and $12 for non-members. The Carnegie Science Center is located at 1 Allegheny Ave. on the North Shore (map).

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration in Cranberry, May 7.

The Cranberry Township Inclusion, Equity, Diversity Advisory (IDEA) team will present an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration on Wednesday, May 7.

Explore the history, cultural traditions, favorite foods, and contributions of the varied Asian and Pacific Islander countries! Guests will enjoy a hands-on Tai Chi lesson - a fun and relaxing way to experience a traditional art form - engaging storytelling that brings cultural legends and histories to life - and samples of traditional food.

The event is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged. It runs from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Rd (map).