1982 Japanese animated film Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (機動戦士ガンダムⅢ めぐりあい宇宙編,) in Pittsburgh, October 23 and 27.

The 1982 Japanese film MMobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (機動戦士ガンダムⅢ　めぐりあい宇宙編) will play in Pittsburgh on October 23 and 27, the final installment of the three-part AXCN Gundam Fest showing the films compiled from the initial Gundam TV series.

Amuro Ray and the rest of the White Base crew, now denominated the 13th Autonomous Corps, return to outer space to support the rest of the Earth Federation forces for the decisive battle against the Duchy of Zeon's forces.

It plays locally, in Japanese with English subtitles, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

"Lengger: A Dance Workshop" with Rianto, November 12 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh will host Rianto and "Lengger: A Dance Workshop" on November 12.

This dance workshop will be led by Rianto.

Rianto is an Indonesian-born, Japan-based dancer, choreographer, and actor, trained in classical Javanese dance from a young age. He specializes in cross-gender traditional dance form of Lengger Banyumas. Rianto was born in 1981 in Banyumas, Indonesia. Rianto learned to dance the culturally significant lengger dance at the High School for the Arts (SMKI) in Banyumas, Indonesia. He later studied choreography at the college-level Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Surakarta, central Java. Since 2003, Rianto has been based in Tokyo, where he founded the Dewandaru Dance Company, a classical Javanese dance company. Rianto has performed with many international companies and choreographers, including the Akram Khan Company and Choy Ka Fai's SoftMachine.Rianto is a master of Lengger Lanang, a dance that expresses gender, body, and construction through a man performing as a woman. Rianto has worked to preserve the dance by establishing Rumah Lengger, a center in Banyumas that trains young dancers in the style; and collaborating with the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) to document the dance using motion capture technology.

The workshop runs from 11:00 am to 12:15 in room 132, Music Building (map).

Japanese Nationality Room Reopening Ceremony, November 2 at University of Pittsburgh.

The Japanese Room Committee of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs is holding a Japanese Nationality Room Reopning Ceremony on November 2, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The Japanese Nationality Room, located in room 324 of the Cathedral of Learning, was dedicated on July 25, 1999.

Upcoming Japanese animated movie OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom (劇場版 オーバーロード 聖王国編) in Pittsburgh, from November 7.

The upcoming Japanese animated movie OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom (劇場版 オーバーロード 聖王国編) will play in the Pittsburgh area from November 7.

After twelve years of playing his favorite MMORPG game, Momonga logs in for the last time only to find himself transported into its world playing it indefinitely. Throughout his adventures, his avatar ascends to the title of Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown. Once prosperous but now on the brink of ruin, The Sacred Kingdom enjoyed years of peace after construction of an enormous wall protecting them from neighboring invasions. But, one day this comes to an end when the Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth arrives with an army of villainous demi-humans. Fearing invasion of their own lands, the neighboring territory of the Slane Theocracy is forced to beg their enemies at the Sorcerer Kingdom for help. Heeding the call, Momonga, now known as the Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown, rallies the Sorcerer Kingdom and its undead army to join the fight alongside the Sacred Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy in hopes to defeat the Demon Emperor.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theater in Robinson. Some screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles while others are dubbed in English, and tickets are available online.

Upcoming Philippine film Hello, Love, Again in Pittsburgh, from November 14.

The upcoming Philippine film Hello, Love, Again will play in Pittsburgh from November 14.

After fighting for their love to conquer the time, distance and a global shutdown that kept them apart, Joy and Ethan meet again in Canada but realize that they have also changed a lot, individually.

It plays locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson, in Tagalog with English subtitles, and tickets are available online.

Japanese visual kei metal band JILUKA in Pittsburgh, April 2025, as part of North American tour; tickets go on sale today.

The Japanese visual kei metal band JILUKA will perform in the Pittsburgh area on April 3, 2025, supporting Imminence as part of The Return of The Black Tour throughout North America this fall and next spring. Tickets for the show at the Roxian Theatre will go on sale at 10:00 am EST today, October 16.

2024 movie My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ユア ネクスト) remains in Pittsburgh through October 23.

The 2024 Japanese animated movie My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ユア ネクスト), which opened in Pittsburgh on October 10, will remain here through at least October 23.

Izuku Midoriya, a U.A. High School student who aspires to be the best hero he can be, confronts the villain who imitates the hero he once admired.

It plays 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.

Screening of Japan Documentary Film Award winner Fists and Prayers (拳と祈り ー袴田巖の生涯ー) with award presentation, October 23.

The Chiaki Kasai documentary Fists and Prayers (拳と祈り ー袴田巖の生涯ー) was named the Japan Documentary Film Award winner from the Japan Council of the University of Pittsburgh and SCREENSHOT: Asia. A screening of the film and a presentation of the award to director Kasai is scheduled for October 23 in Oakland.

The Japan Council of the University of Pittsburgh and SCREENSHOT: Asia are excited to announce the winner of our 4th biennial Japan Documentary Film Award. Congratulations to Chiaki Kasai and her film FISTS AND PRAYERS. FISTS AND PRAYERS explores the incarceration of ex-boxer Iwao Hakamada, who was unjustly sentenced to death for murder and suffered extreme mental anguish while on death row. FISTS AND PRAYERS is a fascinating examination of the physical toll of Japan's justice system and incarceration, as well as resilience of the human spirit.

The event is scheduled for 7:00 pm at the Carnegie Museum of Art. THe JDFA's official site provides an overview of the award:

The Japan Council of the University of Pittsburgh and SCREENSHOT: ASIA invites submissions every two years for its Japan Documentary Film Award. This biennial prize is awarded to one exemplary documentary film promoting the understanding of Japan and Japanese culture. The documentary should tell us something interesting about Japan and/or speak to Japanese culture, history, social phenomena, practices, or events.The award is available to feature-length films from all countries, and in all languages.

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka in Pittsburgh, November 2.

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka will perform in Pittsburgh on November 2.

Atsuko is growner than ever, having figured everything out from doing laundry to charcuterie platters to her relationship with her father. No notes or tweaks needed, she's a perfect human!!

ATSUKO OKATSUKA is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer based in LA. Atsuko was born in Taiwan and spent her childhood in Japan. Her debut standup special, THE INTRUDER – directed by Tig Notaro premiered on HBO, December 2022 and was named the "Best Debut Special of 2022" by the New York Times and one of the "Best Specials of 2022" by Vulture and Variety. She won the 2023 Gracie Award for "Best Special" and Atsuko was nominated for "Best Comedian" by the Wowie Awards. She was named one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2022, and when she made her late-night stand-up debut on THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN, Vulture proclaimed she “won late-night.” She has performed to sold-out crowds all over North America on her 2023 theater tour, FULL GROWN, which she will be taking to Europe, Asia and Australia/NZ in 2024.

Atsuko is currently developing a half hour comedy series based on her life with FX. Her on-screen credits include HISTORY OF THE WORLD PT. II (Hulu), ROOM 104 (HBO), and THE SHOW NEXT DOOR WITH RANDALL PARK (ROKU+). Atsuko was recently featured on THIS AMERICAN LIFE with Ira Glass and told the story of how she got to the USA. She was raised by her grandmother, and they created the #DropChallenge together which has amassed more than 10 million views. Her unique upbringing brings an artfully-offbeat resilient persona which is perfectly embodied in her blunt bangs and bowl cut.

The performance is at the Byham Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets for the 7:00 pm show are available online.

"Global Partnership: A New Frontier of Japan-US Relationship with Ambassador Mikio Mori," October 17 at University of Pittsburgh.

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh will present "Global Partnership: A New Frontier of Japan-US Relationship with Ambassador Mikio Mori" on October 17.

“The U.S.-Japan Alliance has reached unprecedented heights “. This was clearly stated in the Joint Leaders Statement released this past April. Cooperation between the two countries has never been so necessary, not only from bi-lateral perspective, but also from global point of view. Ukrainian crisis, the situation in Middle East, successive missile launches by North Korea, unilateral attempts to change the status quo - these are all urgent issues that must be addressed by Japan and the United States.

Interestingly enough, the strong Japan-U.S. relationship has taken a unique path in history. Guest speaker, Ambassador Mikio Mori, will provide reflections/perspective on how it has changed/grown/deepened since his first appointment as consul in New York in the 1980s, at the height of Japan-bashing and Japan-U.S. trade frictions, to his third and present assignment to New York as Consul General.

Now, Japan has a new prime minister. The United States is also preparing for a presidential election. From the perspective of professional diplomat who has been watching Japan-U.S. relations for more than 30 years, Ambassador Mori will talk about the his outlook for the future of Japan-U.S. relations, and invites future global leaders at Pittsburg to reflect upon these thoughts in their research and career planning, which we hope will contribute to the continued vitality and strength of Japan-U.S. relations.

The event starts at 3:30 pm in Ballroom A of the University Club (map).

Free beginner-level Chinese courses at Carnegie Library - East Liberty, Saturdays through November 16.

via Khun Hans Photography (Creative Commons)

The Carnegie Library in East Liberty will host "We Learn: Beginner-Level Chinese Language" courses Saturdays through November 16. (The classes actually started on September 28).

Welcome to the Chinese language learning circle! This is a beginner-level class, so you do not need to have any prior experience with the language. We will be learning basic spoken Mandarin and possibly some very basic written Chinese if there is enough interest.

My name is Kevin and I will be facilitating this language circle. I am not a native Chinese speaker but I have been studying the language for several years so I am familiar with the difficulties that learners face. Chinese is not an easy language, so you should not expect to become an expert after just a few weeks, but I hope this learning circle will provide a good foundation that you can continue to build on if you choose to continue studying.

Registration can be completed online. The classes start at 3:00 pm and the library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

"World Music: HarmoniZing Ensemble ft. Yang Jin," November 13 at Alphabet City.

City of Asylum wil present "World Music: HarmoniZing Ensemble ft. Yang Jin" on November 17.

This fall, we welcome back the HarmoniZing Ensemble, directed by pipa performer Yang Jin, for a concert featuring musicians from different cultures. In constant pursuit of their mission to “nurture cross-cultural understanding through the arts,” the members of HarmoniZing see bright spaces in the interaction between different cultures. In our current world of divisions, they believe collaboration between musicians of different cultures is an effective tool to promote mutual trust, respect and healing. They posit that in music, there are absolutely no cultural, religious, and political boundaries.

About the Artist:

Yang Jin is a leading Pipa soloist of her generation. She graduated from the world-renowned Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing with distinguished honors for her master’s degree. In 2004, she won the Silver Award in the most prestigious Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music. As a collaborating musician of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, she joined the Great music epic “Layla and Majnun” world tour in 2016. Jin is an instructor of the University of Delaware Master Players Concert & Festival and a judge of the Hummingbird International Music Festival & Competition at Eastman School of Music. She is also a pipa graduate instructor at the University of Central Oklahoma, Bard College, and the featured pipa performer of the 2020 Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival. Her performance vivifies contrarieties of sentiments and inspires magnificent imaginations. Since 2024, Jin has been a founding member and the president of the Chinese Musicians Association of North America.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm both in-person at Alphabet City on the Northside (map) and online via livestream; free tickets for each are available online.

Korean Cooking Class: Flower Kimbap, with Jeonghee Choi from Yega Kimchi, October 30.

The East End Food Co-op will host "Korean Cooking Class: Flower Kimbap, with Jeonghee Choi from Yega Kimchi" on October 30.

Learn to make flower kimbap, a fun variation of a classic Korean dish. Similar to a sushi roll, you’ll learn how the two dishes differ, as well as other interesting facts about Korean cuisine. Participants will make their own to eat and/or take home and share (vegetarian/vegan).

It runs from 6 to 8:00 pm, and is $20 for East End Food Co-op members and $25 for non-members. The East End Food Co-op is located at 7516 Meade St. in Point Breeze (map).

Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh (ピッツバーグ日本協会) recruiting members for 2025 with special offers.

The Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh (ピッツバーグ日本協会) is recruiting new and renewing members with special offers. Those who join or renew now will enjoy membership for the remainder of 2024 in addition to the 2025 calendar year, and will receive discounts on JAGP interest groups. Benefits of the JAGP include a discount on event fees, participation in online communities and a members' mailing list, subsidies for interest groups and clubs, and rental of Japanese items (including books, manga, and other goods. The text of the Japanese-language announcement:

ピッツバーグ日本協会から、新会員募集のお知らせです。 当協会は、ピッツバーグ近郊の方々の交流促進や地域への文化的貢献を目的に活動しています。新年会やピクニックなどの交流イベントのほか、備品の貸し出し、情報提供サービスなど、多彩な活動を展開しています。 会員になると、イベントの参加費割引や会員限定サービスを受けることができます。ピッツバーグでの生活をより豊かにするために、是非ご入会をご検討ください。 入会は年間を通じて受け付けておりますが、この10月に入会されると更にメリットがあります！ 10月以降に新規で入会された方は、通常1月～12月分の年会費が来年12月末まで延長されます。 ※新規入会者のみ対象、再入会の方は対象外。 2024年10月は「同好会メンバー勧誘キャンペーン期間」として、日本協会への入会と同時に同好会メンバーになると、年会費が5ドル割引されます。※詳細は別途メールいたします。 今ご入会いただくと、10/20(日)に開催予定の総会（オンライン）にもご参加いただけます。昨年度の活動報告や今後の活動計画の審議が行われる予定です。 是非、この機会にご入会をご検討ください。

And English-language text from the announcement:

The Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh (JAGP) organizes events and online community that provide opportunities for people in the Pittsburgh area to get to know each other, and provides useful information. We hope you will join us for a more fulfilling life in Pittsburgh.

"Thursday Night Jazz: Yoko Suzuki Spotlights the Music of Toshiko Akiyoshi," October 17 at Alphabet City.

City of Asylum will present "Thursday Night Jazz: Yoko Suzuki Spotlights the Music of Toshiko Akiyoshi" on October 17.

Dr. Yoko Suzuki, an ethnomusicologist and excellent saxophonist, returns to City of Asylum to pay homage to female musicians who were unappreciated in their time. Artists featured in past renditions of Dr. Yoko’s concerts include pianists Geri Allen and Marian McPartland as well as harpists Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. With incredible setlists—often featuring original arrangements especially created for the Alphabet City stage—and thorough research, Yoko Suzuki weaves her knowledge as an ethnomusicologist and talent as a musician together to breathe new life into the legacy and music of influential female jazz composers throughout history.

This latest concert in Yoko’s ongoing series features the compositions of Toshiko Akiyoshi as well as some beloved jazz standards. The arrangements will be performed by a jazz quartet plus string quartet, featuring cellist Alicia Storin.

On the performance, Yoko says, “While named an NEA jazz master in 2007, Toshiko Akiyoshi (b. 1929) is one of the underrecognized musicians in jazz. She has been active in the American jazz scene since she moved here in 1956. She is best known as a big band leader and composer/arranger, but I feel that people don’t often have opportunities to hear her music. I worked with Alicia last year and enjoyed the collaboration so much that I decided to feature her for this concert.”

It runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, both in-person at Alphabet City on the Northside (map) and online via livestream. Free tickets are available online.

Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow (機動戦士ガンダム II 哀・戦士編) in Pittsburgh, October 16 and 20.

The 1981 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow (機動戦士ガンダム II 哀・戦士編) will play in Pittsburgh on October 16 and 20, part of the three-part AXCN Gundam Fest showing the films compiled from the initial Gundam TV series.

With evacuees from Side 7 onboard, the White Base crosses the Pacific Ocean and heads west towards the continent of Eurasia. Amidst that journey filled with battle, Amuro has a fight with Bright and runs away, suffering from the deaths of Matilda, who he had feelings for, and Ryu, who was like a big brother to him. The White Base lands at the Belfast base in Ireland. It’s then that Char appears, having stepped back from the front lines. With that, Amuro and Char end up clashing in the battle surrounding the Earth Federation Headquarters of Jaburo.

It plays locally, in Japanese with English subtitles, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online. The third compilation film will play here later this month.

2024 film Extremely Unique Dynamic, from Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung, in Pittsburgh October 12, part of Reel Q Pittsburgh International LGBT Film Festival.

The 2024 film Extremely Unique Dynamic, from Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung, will play in Pittsburgh on October 12 as part of Reel Q Pittsburgh International LGBT Film Festival.

Ryan and Daniel, two childhood best friends and aspiring actors, spend one final weekend together before RYAN has to move to Canada with his fiancé. Wanting to create one lasting memory, they decide to make a movie... about two guys making a movie.. about two guys making a movie. Along the way, they unpack their decades-long friendship and prepare for the next chapters of their respective lives.

It plays at 9:00 pm at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online.

"The Promise of Intimacy: Digital Lives of Queer Filipinx/a/os in Manila and Los Angeles" at Pitt, November 7.

The University of Pittsburgh's Gender, Sexuality, & Women's Studies program will present Dr. Paul Michael Leonardo Atienza and his talk "The Promise of Intimacy: Digital Lives of Queer Filipinx/a/os in Manila and Los Angeles" on November 7.

Mobile digital technologies are transforming how people communicate with one another. They offer a promise for quick and easy platonic, romantic, and/or sexual connections. With the intensification of people’s reliance on and everyday engagement with mobile digital media platforms, the study of mediated intimacies is relevant and needed more than ever before. Spanning several years of ethnographic research, both in Manila and Los Angeles, queer Filipinx/a/o men in my study complained that it was difficult to find meaningful connections through socio-sexual apps. In their pursuits of intimacies, queer Filipinx/a/o men in my study experienced frequent forms of failure, generating various affective responses that shape their actions and beliefs. In the accounts of these experiences, failure is not a totalizing experience. Nor do these experiences necessarily lead to definite endpoints. Such possibilities still create many forms of exclusions to intimacy, yet the queer Filipinx/a/o men who shared parts of their lives continue to aspire, to hope for an experience of intimacy. Some openings and possibilities inspire responses and alternative paths toward the realization of brief moments of connection, and small moments of pleasure. My study seeks to understand queer Filipinx/a/o men’s digital lives and how their experiences inform complex negotiations on and offline in the search for connection, especially when feelings are amplified and complicated by social categories of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality.

It runs from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in room 2322 Cathedral of Learning.

2024 movie My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ユア ネクスト) in Pittsburgh, from October 10.

The 2024 Japanese animated movie My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ユア ネクスト) will play in Pittsburgh from October 10.

Izuku Midoriya, a U.A. High School student who aspires to be the best hero he can be, confronts the villain who imitates the hero he once admired.

It plays 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.

Concert film JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL - THE PARTY EDITION in Pittsburgh, October 11 - 13.

The concert film JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL - THE PARTY EDITION will play in Pittsburgh from October 11 through 13.

“Party, party, yeah!” The hit movie JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL returns to cinemas with a bonus singalong party! Experience the movie, featuring electrifying concert performances, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage, along with 20 minutes of singalong videos for the ultimate party event in cinemas. Join together with ARMY to celebrate Jung Kook’s hit songs in global cinemas, including "Seven (feat. Latto)," "3D (feat. Jack Harlow)" and "Standing Next to You" among others. This is the final chance to see JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL on the big screen, capturing his remarkable rise to fame and heartfelt moments with ARMY around the world.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.