2021 Japanese animated film Pompo: The Cinéphile (映画大好きポンポさん) in Pittsburgh, April 27 and 28.

The 2021 Japanese animated film Pompo: The Cinéphile (映画大好きポンポさん) will play in Pittsburgh on April 27 and 28. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Pompo is a talented and gutsy producer in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world. Although she’s known for B-movies, one day Pompo tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about a tormented artistic genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?

Directed by veteran animator Takayuki Hirao and produced by brand-new animation studio CLAP, Pompo the Cinephile is a rollicking, exuberant ode to the power of the movies, and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process, as a new director and his team devote their lives to the pursuit of a “masterpiece.”

It will play play locally at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0) to remain in Pittsburgh through (at least) April 20.

The 2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 17, will remain here through at least April 20. From the distributor:

When they were children, Rika Orimoto was killed in a traffic accident right before the eyes of her close friend, Yuta Okkotsu. "It's a promise. When we both grow up, we'll get married." Rika became an apparition, and Yuta longed for his own death after suffering under her curse, but the greatest Jujutsu sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, welcomed him into Jujutsu High. There Yuta meets his classmates, Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, and finally finds his own determination. "I want the confidence to say it's okay that I'm alive! While I'm at Jujutsu High, I'll break Rika-chan's curse." Meanwhile, the vile curse user, Suguru Geto, who was expelled from the school for massacring ordinary people, appears before Yuta and the others. "This coming December 24th, we shall carry out the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons." While Geto advocates for creating a paradise for only jujutsu sorcerers, he unleashes a thousand curses upon Shinjuku and Kyoto to exterminate all non-sorcerers. Will Yuta be able to stop Geto in the end? And what will happen when breaking Rika's curse...?

It will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

2021 Japanese film Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (漁港の肉子ちゃん) in Pittsburgh, June 2.

Showtimes were just announced for the 2021 Japanese film Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (漁港の肉子ちゃん), which will play in Pittsburgh on June 2. A synopsis, from the distributor:

From acclaimed director Ayumu Watanabe (Children of the Sea) and STUDIO4℃ (Tekkonkinkreet, Mind Game, Animatrix), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a heartwarming and moving comedy-drama about an unconventional family, based on the popular novel by Kanako Nishi.

Nikuko is a brash, jolly, scattered, and passionate woman in an otherwise sleepy seaside town in northern Japan. She’s also the single mother of 11-year-old Kikuko, who is her opposite in many ways. Kikuko is a string-bean of a young girl, pensive, quietly curious, and methodical in how she approaches life in this small harbor town.

Nikuko embarrasses Kikuko as any mom of a preteen would, but Nikuko’s bold spirit makes her especially well-known in a town where Kikuko herself wants nothing more than to simply blend in. As Kikuko navigates the everyday social dramas of middle school, enhanced with touches of magical realism from her ever-present imagination, a shocking revelation from the past threatens to uproot the pair’s tender relationship.

This one night event will feature an exclusive introduction by director Ayumu Watanabe and Executive Producer Sanma Akashiya.

It is currently scheduled to play at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, and Robinson, though more locations may be announced when tickets officially go on sale April 29.

Pittsburgh Chinatown historical marker is up.

At a ceremony today, a historical marker was finally unveiled downtown at the site of Pittsburgh's historic Chinatown.

JADED public programming series brings art events to Pittsburgh in April and May, including Chinatown tour, onigiri workshop, Chinese cemetary tour, and more.

The City of Pittsburgh's Office of Public Art will present a series of programs from JADED, a collective of Asian American and Pacific Islander artists, in April and May.

Launching Spring 2022, JADED is a public programming series celebrating the art and culture of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Organized by a collective of AAPI artists and organizers, also named JADED, the programming series builds interethnic coalitions to create more safe spaces of kinship and addresses racial trauma while celebrating cultural heritage. Programming and intimate events aim to reanimate local histories, preserve cherished family recipes and practices, and nurture intergenerational dialogue.

A selection of events:

The following events are free and open to the public:

April 16, 2022: Chinatown Walking Tour with Shirley Yee
12:00pm – 12:45pm. Meet in front of 519 Court Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

April 16, 2022: Performance with Jason Chu, Alan Z, and MC Tingbudong
3:00pm – 4:00pm. In front of Chinatown Inn, 520 Third Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

May 21, 2022: Chinese Cemetery & Squirrel Hill Photo Tour with Leo Hsu & Lena Chen
11:00am – 12:30pm. Meet in front of 1829 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.

Registration is required for the following events. Visit the “Online Resources” section below to register.

May 15, 2022: Book Binding Workshop with Brent Nakamoto
10:00am – 12:00pm. Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

May 15, 2022: Kimjang Workshop with Sunni Park
1:00pm – 3:00pm. Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

May 28, 2022: Onigiri (Rice Ball) Workshop & Picnic with Ginger Brooks Takahashi
Location and time to be determined

Registration can be completed online. Visit the JADED page from the Office of Public Art for additional links, information, context, and resources.

1995 film Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊) at Row House Cinema, from April 29.

The 1995 film Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊) will play at Row House Cinema from April 29, part of its upcoming Artificial Intelligence series. A 2014 Telegraph review provides a summary:

Oshii’s film, which was adapted from a manga series by Masamune Shirow, saw everything coming. In its near-future world, countries are like corporations under siege, whose protective walls are slowly being washed away by an ocean of communal data. Hackers are treated like terrorists, while programmers’ movements are restricted as part of a global arms embargo.

Helping to keep the uneasy peace is Section 9, a team of government agents who include Motoko Kusanagi: a cyborg who can plug herself into the data-sea via four jack ports in the nape of her neck.

. . .

We follow Kusanagi on her hunt for The Puppet Master, a hacker who can access the ‘ghosts’, or souls, of ordinary citizens and carry out cyber-crimes by proxy. Now entirely synthetic, her original human body replaced and improved on piece by piece, Kusanagi is unsure whether her ghost still lingers in her man-made form[.]

It will play in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Michelle Yeoh film Everything Everywhere All At Once continues in Pittsburgh through (at least) April 20.

The new Michelle Yeoh film Everything Everywhere All At Once, which opened in Pittsburgh on April 7, will stay here through at least April 20.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can't seem to finish her taxes.

It will play locally at the AMC theaters in South Hills, Waterfront, and Westmoreland, the Waterworks Cinemas, and Moraine Point Cinemas in Butler, and tickets are available online.

2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0) to remain in Pittsburgh through (at least) April 27.

The 2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 17, will remain here through at least April 27. From the distributor:

When they were children, Rika Orimoto was killed in a traffic accident right before the eyes of her close friend, Yuta Okkotsu. "It's a promise. When we both grow up, we'll get married." Rika became an apparition, and Yuta longed for his own death after suffering under her curse, but the greatest Jujutsu sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, welcomed him into Jujutsu High. There Yuta meets his classmates, Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, and finally finds his own determination. "I want the confidence to say it's okay that I'm alive! While I'm at Jujutsu High, I'll break Rika-chan's curse." Meanwhile, the vile curse user, Suguru Geto, who was expelled from the school for massacring ordinary people, appears before Yuta and the others. "This coming December 24th, we shall carry out the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons." While Geto advocates for creating a paradise for only jujutsu sorcerers, he unleashes a thousand curses upon Shinjuku and Kyoto to exterminate all non-sorcerers. Will Yuta be able to stop Geto in the end? And what will happen when breaking Rika's curse...?

It will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

"We Learn: Japanese Learning Circle" hybrid meetings coming to Carnegie Library in East Liberty (and online), Thursdays in May and June.

"Osaka, Japan" by Pedro Szekely (Creative Commons).

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in East Liberty will resume its Japanese classes with "We Learn: Japanese Learning Circle" meetings, Thursdays in May and June (and perhaps beyond). The events will be hybrid, both in-person and remote.

Join us for interactive Japanese language learning. We will cover basic, intermediate, and advanced topics based on students’ experience and interest. We are happy to share cultural knowledge from Japan as well. Register on the P2PU website: https://learningcircles.p2pu.org/en/signup/carnegie-library-of-pittsburgh-east-liberty-2006/

The classes run from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

Seventeen Power of Love: The Movie with K-pop group Seventeen, in Pittsburgh April 20 and 23.

The upcoming film Seventeen Power of Love: The Movie will play in Pittsburgh on April 20 and 23.

SEVENTEEN, the global artist that is rewriting K-pop history, presents their first-ever movie! Five platinum albums in Korea, charting on the US Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks, and number one on the Japanese Oricon chart, the group is dominating the music charts across the globe. Don’t miss the powerful performances, in-depth interviews with the 13 members, and commentaries on their past, present, and future they will create with CARATs! SEVENTEEN’s love letter in movie form embodies all the love in the world for CARATs!

The official site also says:

A love letter in movie form from SEVENTEEN — including scenes from their live concerts, interviews released for the first time, and many behind-the-stage stories.

It is scheduled to play so far at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown public celebration, April 16, featuring concerts, performances, food, walking tour, and more.

OCA Pittsburgh will host its public celebration of Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown on April 16, featuring music, food, performances, and an Asian market.

Starting at 1pm on April 16, 2022 we will be commemorating the Chinese Americans who first came to Pittsburgh in the 1880's and the Chinatown district they built in downtown Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on Preservation and Museums’ board members as well as other elected officials throughout the state will be on hand for the unveiling of the plaque declaring the landmark.

This is a free outdoor event with cultural performances and music, cultural crafts and activities, Lion Dance teams, and an Asian marketplace. Cantonese-American Suave Pav will be on hand to bring his new wavy Soulection of afrobeat, trap, and Brazilian baile to his open format DJing for the afternoon.

Earlier in the day at 12pm there is a walking tour of historic Chinatown spaces with Shirley Yee. Folks interested in this 45minute tour should meet at 519 Court Place.

As part of the day's celebration, we are very excited to present rappers jason chu and Alan Z who will perform Face Value, their new album centering 170+ years of Asian American history.

African American bilingual Mandarin rapper and Fulbright scholar MC Tingbudong will be performing his project Viral 001, a multimedia conversation between China and Black America.
Cultural performances from local organizations include:
-Steel Dragon Martial Arts Lion Dance Team
- OCA Performance Ensemble
- Win Win Kung Fu Cultural Center
- Zang Taekwon- Do
- Yang Jing Chinese Ensemble
- Ruby Jain Dance Academy
- YuGe Women's Choir
- Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (BCAP)

The event runs from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at 520 Third Ave. (map). For more information about Pittsburgh's Chinatown, which was largely displaced by the construction of the Boulevard of the Allies, please see this 2019 Next Pittsburgh profile or this 1959 article on the "end of the road for Chinatown." The city's historic Chinatown footprint was granted a state historical marker in March 2021, with a dedication ceremony scheduled for (and cancelled) last September.

Part of the festivities is a concert by jason chu, Alan Z, and MC Tingbudong, visiting Pittsburgh as part of their "Chinatown Tour." A profile of the artists, from their publicists:

Rapper/activist jason chu has been recognized by the Mellon Foundation, OCA Greater Los Angeles, the LA City Department of Cultural Affairs, BBC, NBC Asian America, and more as a leading voice in Asian American culture. He tours extensively nationwide, centering empathy and storytelling in his work.

Rapper/singer Alan Z is a mainstay in the Atlanta hip-hop scene with a national audience earned from performing coast-to-coast, while building a dedicated online following. He’s been seen going viral on Instagram and TikTok with rap verses about Asian American history and social issues. Credits on Wu Assassins (Netflix), iZombie (The CW), Sony Music Entertainment.

Rapper, multimedia artist, and revolutionary Jamel Mims aka MC Tingbudong is on the front lines of resistance against mass incarceration. In 2008, Mims received a Fulbright Scholarship to compile a multimedia ethnography on the hip hop subculture in Beijing. He works as a Mandarin teacher and leads workshops for Chinese teachers on using hip hop pedagogy in the classroom. His work has been featured in the New York Times and on CBS.

The concert starts at 3:00 pm.

"VSA Coffeehouse with Professor Diana Khoi Nguyen," April 9 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Vietnamese Student Association will host a VSA Coffeehouse with Professor Diana Khoi Nguyen on April 9.

Join the Vietnamese Student Association for a poetry workshop with Professor Diana Khoi Nguyen that will explore expressions of Vietnamese identity.

It runs from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall, and is free and open to the Pitt student community.

New Michelle Yeoh film Everything Everywhere All At Once in Pittsburgh, from April 7.

The new Michelle Yeoh film Everything Everywhere All At Once will open in Pittsburgh on April 7.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can't seem to finish her taxes.

So far, showtime information has been announced for the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill on April 7 through 11, and the AMC Loews Waterfront on April 8, though more times are likely to come shortly.

2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0) to remain in Pittsburgh through (at least) April 11.

The 2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 17, will remain here through at least April 11. From the distributor:

When they were children, Rika Orimoto was killed in a traffic accident right before the eyes of her close friend, Yuta Okkotsu. "It's a promise. When we both grow up, we'll get married." Rika became an apparition, and Yuta longed for his own death after suffering under her curse, but the greatest Jujutsu sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, welcomed him into Jujutsu High. There Yuta meets his classmates, Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, and finally finds his own determination. "I want the confidence to say it's okay that I'm alive! While I'm at Jujutsu High, I'll break Rika-chan's curse." Meanwhile, the vile curse user, Suguru Geto, who was expelled from the school for massacring ordinary people, appears before Yuta and the others. "This coming December 24th, we shall carry out the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons." While Geto advocates for creating a paradise for only jujutsu sorcerers, he unleashes a thousand curses upon Shinjuku and Kyoto to exterminate all non-sorcerers. Will Yuta be able to stop Geto in the end? And what will happen when breaking Rika's curse...?

It will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront, Cranberry Cinema, and Moraine Point Cinemas on various days, tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

CMU's Awareness of Roots in Chinese Culture (ARCC) Spring Theater presents "The Rickshaw Boy, (骆驼祥子)" April 16.

Carnegie Mellon University's ARCC Spring Theater presents "The Rickshaw Boy" on April 16.

Join ARCC as we present one of the largest cultural shows on CMU campus! This Spring, we present a retelling of The Rickshaw Boy (骆驼祥子), a story set in 1920s China detailing the life of a rickshaw boy named Xiangzi as he comes to terms with the harsh realities of life. Enjoy a wide selection of songs, traditional dances, and more!

Tickets are $6 presale or $8 at the door.

Doors open at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 7:30 in the Rangos Ballroom (map). Tickets are now available online.

Matsuri 2022, April 16 at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Japanese Student Association at Carnegie Mellon University's annual Matsuri will be held on April 16 this year, with a theme of "East vs. West (関東 vs. 関西)."

Originally a sacred ceremony of the Shinto belief, now a day full of street food, games, and joyful performances, Matsuris are of great importance to the Japanese people, its culture, and its tradition.

We want to share a snippet of this eventful festival here in Pittsburgh, right on the Carnegie Mellon campus. Try a taste of freshly-made Japanese food, play traditional games, and enjoy a range of performances in our annual celebration of Japanese culture!

This year’s Matsuri will be on April 16th, from 10AM-5PM, located at Merson Courtyard (right outside of the Cohon University Center). Get ready for some authentic culture and fun!

Theme: East vs. West (関東 vs. 関西)
This year’s Matsuri is inspired by Eastern and Western Japan - more specifically, the Kanto (関東) and Kansai (関西) regions. Japan’s Eastern and Western cities have many cultural differences, whether it's the cooking styles for Japanese foods, the dialects used by the residents, or even which side one stands on the escalator. We wanted to bring awareness to these differences and celebrate them through this year’s theme.

It runs from 10 am to 5 pm, and tickets for food and games are now available online.

2021 documentary Ascension (登楼叹) in Pittsburgh, April 7.

The 2021 documentary Ascension (登楼叹) will play in Pittsburgh on April 7 as part of this year's Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival.

Jessica Kingdon’s observational documentary Ascension delves into the “Chinese dream” and contemporary Chinese identity, primarily in its relation to social conditions, economic standing, and innovation. Captivating vignettes of the day-to-day lives of individuals shed light on the sharp differences that exist within the expanding social stratification. This documentary captures each level of capitalism as it exists in China, and the relentless pursuit of productivity that extends from the top of the power structure down to the individual level. Kingdon fixates on the impact of capitalism on the individual, and on the interconnected nature of the system as a whole. As the film moves across the social spectrum, the viewer is able to see how each level acts as a support for the next, and how mobility between levels is almost impossible.

It plays at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) from 7:30 pm, and tickets are available online.

"We Learn: Korean Learning Circle" continues online and in-person at Carnegie Library Oakland, Saturdays through April (at least).

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library Main Branch in Oakland will host "We Learn: Korean Learning Circle" on Saturdays through April: April 2, 9, 16, and 23.

We will cover the basic level to the intermediate/advanced levels. Based on the level of students, we can adjust course materials. Not only the Korean language, our tutors are always happy to share Korean cultures as well.

It runs from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. It's free and open to the public, but registration is required. The library is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map) and is accessible by buses 28X, 54, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D, and 93.

"From Indonesia to Pittsburgh: New Music for the University Gamelan," April 8 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music will present "From Indonesia to Pittsburgh: New Music for the University Gamelan" on April 8.

Sundanese composer, performer, and educator Ismet Ruchimat joins the University of Pittsburgh Gamelan for an evening of contemporary music and dance from Indonesia. Join us for a program featuring traditional music and world premieres of new compositions by Ruchimat with dance choreographed and performed by guest artist Maya Caturistayu.

The event starts at 8:00 pm at Bellefield Hall and will also be streamed on the department's Youtube page. The concert is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Those who are not Pitt faculty, staff, or students will receive guest access to the building if they register in advance.

2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0) to remain in Pittsburgh through (at least) April 7.

The 2021 animated Japanese film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 17, will remain here through at least April 7. From the distributor:

When they were children, Rika Orimoto was killed in a traffic accident right before the eyes of her close friend, Yuta Okkotsu. "It's a promise. When we both grow up, we'll get married." Rika became an apparition, and Yuta longed for his own death after suffering under her curse, but the greatest Jujutsu sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, welcomed him into Jujutsu High. There Yuta meets his classmates, Maki Zen'in, Toge Inumaki, and Panda, and finally finds his own determination. "I want the confidence to say it's okay that I'm alive! While I'm at Jujutsu High, I'll break Rika-chan's curse." Meanwhile, the vile curse user, Suguru Geto, who was expelled from the school for massacring ordinary people, appears before Yuta and the others. "This coming December 24th, we shall carry out the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons." While Geto advocates for creating a paradise for only jujutsu sorcerers, he unleashes a thousand curses upon Shinjuku and Kyoto to exterminate all non-sorcerers. Will Yuta be able to stop Geto in the end? And what will happen when breaking Rika's curse...?

It will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront, Cranberry Cinema, Hollywood Theater, Waterworks Cinema, and Moraine Point Cinemas on various days, tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.