1962 Japanese film Sanjuro (椿三十郎) in Pittsburgh, September 4 through 7.

The 1962 Japanese film Sanjuro (椿三十郎) will play in Pittsburgh from August September 4 through 7, the fourth in a series of five classic Kurosawa films at the Harris Theater July through September.

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Akira Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed Sanjuro. In this sly companion piece to Yojimbo, jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a "proper" samurai on its ear. Less brazen in tone than its predecessor but equally entertaining, this classic character's return is a masterpiece in its own right.

Tickets for the film are available online. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in downtown's Cultural District (map).

Four Japanese animated films at Row House Lawrenceville for Takahata Week, September 26 - October 2.

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville will present four Japanese animated films in "a celebration of Isao Takahata – one of Japan’s greatest directors/screenwriters" from September 26 through October 2. Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ), Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓), Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ), and The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) will comprise this fall's Takahata Week. Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

Koi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Monroeville to soft open August 28, hold a Grand Opening on August 30.

Koi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Monroeville has announced its soft opening on August 28 and its Grand Opening from August 30. It is located at 1782 Golden Mile Hwy (map), in what was most recently Golden Palace Restaurant. 

I started my journey as a private chef, bringing the excitement of hibachi cooking directly into people’s homes. Now, I’m thrilled to bring that same passion, flavor, and fun to this beautiful community with Koi Steakhouse & Sushi Bar.

In the past, I’ve also volunteered my time and skills as a chef to support local events and help those in need. I’m new to Monroeville, and I want to give back to the community. If you’re organizing any volunteering events, shelters, or community programs, feel free to reach out—I’d love to help.

Soft Opening: Thursday, Aug 28, 2025 @ 3 PM

Grand Opening: Saturday, Aug 30, 2025

Oak Shopping Center – 1782 Golden Mile Hwy, Monroeville, PA 15146

Grand opening Vouchers Valid only from 28th August to 5th September 2025

In addition to the restaurant, you can also book me as your private hibachi chef for parties and special occasions!

Visit Hiroshihibachi.com to learn more.

Please share this post with your friends and family—I can’t wait to serve you, both at Koi and at your own special gatherings!

The menu is hundreds of items long, consisting of a variety of hibachi items, poke bowls, sushi, rolls, standard Chinese and Thai entrees, boba tea, and more. 

'Our Robots Love the Dirty, Dull, and Dangerous!' An Ethno-Historiography of Human-Nuclear Relations and the technology of Distantiation, September 4 at Pitt.

via Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

The University of Pittsburgh's World History Center and Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Ryo Morimoto from Harvard University and his talk "'Our Robots Love the Dirty, Dull, and Dangerous!' An Ethno-Historiography of Human-Nuclear Relations and the technology of Distantiation" on September 4, part of the Industrial Heritage in Pittsburgh and Japan programming from September 3 through 5.

What is the ongoing global significance of the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima and its impact on Japan’s reputation as a leading robotics nation? Join anthropologist Dr. Ryo Morimoto (Harvard University) for a talk on the co-evolution of the international nuclear industry and robotics, from the development of gloveboxes and arm manipulators in the 1940s to modern applications of mobile robots—physical AIs—in the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F) and other radioactive sites.

The talk runs from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

2016 film Shin Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ) playing in Pittsburgh area in black and white, August 31.

An orthochromatic release of the 2016 film Shin Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ) will play in the Pittsburgh area on August 31.

In SHIN GODZILLA:ORTHOchromatic, Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s 2016 feature is reborn in stunning black and white. Released in Japan in 2023 in the leadup to Godzilla’s 70th anniversary, this version adds new dimensions to the film’s visual impact by rendering it in orthochromatic (“ortho” for short) black and white, a type of monochrome inspired by the texture of traditional orthochromatic film, characterized by starker contrasts and more pronounced blacks. The results are awe-inspiring and presents SHIN GODZILLA as never seen before.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark in Robinson at 6:30 pm, and tickets are available online. The 4K release of Shin Godzilla is playing locally here through at least the 27th.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck at Ross Park Mall, October 4.

via @HellyKittyCafeTruck

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will return to Ross Park Mall on October 4.

Hello Pittsburgh! The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to Ross Park Mall on Saturday, 10/4! Come say hello to us near The Cheesecake Factory & LL Bean between 10am-7pm and pick up some supercute treats & merch, while supplies last! See you there!

More information about the truck and its tours available via Sanrio. Ross Park Mall is located in Ross Township in the North Hills, just off McKnight Road (map).

First batch of films for 2025 SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival, running September 20 through 28, announced.

SCREENSHOT has announced the first batch of films for its 2025 SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival, running from September 20 through 28. The initial lineup consists of 12 films, with more to be announced later, including

• A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色) - 4K restoration of 1986 Hong Kong film
• A Useful Ghost (ผีใช้ได้ค่ะ) - 2025, Thailand
• Blue Sun Palace (蓝色太阳宫) - 2024, United States
• Daughter's Daughter (女兒的女兒) - 2024, Taiwan
• Missing Child Videotape (ミッシング・チャイルド・ビデオテープ) - 2024, Japan
• Mixed Modern (ミックスモダン) - 2025, Japan
• Pavane for an Infant (搖籃凡世) - 2024, Malaysia
• The Botanist (植物学家) - 2025, China
• Winter in Sokcho - 2024, France

Ticket and showtime information will be announced later, with screenings to be held around Oakland and the downtown Cultural District. SCREENSHOT: ASIA, which puts on the annual festival along with other Asian programming,

is a joint project from the Film and Media Studies Program and the Asian Studies Center that brings together students, faculty, and community members to create a shared awareness of Asian and Asian American experiences through contemporary film and media. Using film, video, and other on-screen arts, the series provides a forum to learn about Asian art, whether it is a classic work of cinema, a film by an emerging director, or a documentary addressing contemporary social concerns. The programming allows us to reflect on the importance of visual arts, current arts technology, and the place of cultural experiences in a global educational experience.

2008 Hayao Miyazaki film Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) in Pittsburgh, from August 23.

The 2008 Hayao Miyazaki film Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) will play in Pittsburgh from August 23 through 27, part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2025.

Ponyo is a spunky little goldfish who swims to the beat of her own tune. One day, Ponyo escapes the grip of her overbearing father and is found washed ashore by a human boy named Sosuke. But when Ponyo makes a wish to become human herself, she throws the entire balance of nature into turmoil. With direction from Academy Award® winner Hayao Miyazaki and a delightful score from Golden Globes® nominee Joe Hisaishi, Ponyo’s whimsical narrative and popping colors are masterfully woven with resonant themes of environmental preservation and self-actualization.

It plays locally at the Waterworks Cinema, the Chartiers Valley Luxury + PTX, and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online; please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Oakland's Smile Thai & Sushi closes.

Smile Thai & Sushi, which opened in October 2024 in the spot formerly occupied by Spice Island Tea House, appears to have closed over the summer. It opened with great fanfare, replacing the 29-year-old restaurant Spice Island, but was beset by poor health inspection reports and bad reviews.

Free "We Learn: Basic Japanese Language and Culture," Fridays at downtown Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, from October 3.

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

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's downtown branch will host "We Learn: Basic Japanese Language and Culture" on Fridays from October 3 through November 7, after the previous session ended on June 6.

Enjoy learning the basics of the Japanese language and culture from a certified, native Japanese instructor. We will learn greetings, etiquette and manners, survival phrases for traveling to Japan, visiting interesting tourist locations, and ordering food and shopping. We will also learn reading and writing – Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, Emoji, Anime and Manga. Each session is designed to be interactive and fun. The agenda can vary based on the interests of the students.

 

We Learn groups are volunteer-facilitated peer learning groups. We Learn Groups meet in person but use a hybrid model with online learning materials. This Group meets on Fridays: Oct 3, Oct 10, Oct 17, Oct 24, Oct 31, Nov 7.

Registration is required and can be completed online. The classes run from 11:00 am, and the library is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).

2025 movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限城編) in Pittsburgh area, from September 11.

The 2025 movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限城編) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from September 11.

The Demon Slayer Corps plunge into Infinity Castle to defeat Muzan. However, the remaining Hashiras and the Demon Slayers who survived Tanjiro's Final Selection are pitted against the remaining members of the Twelve Kizuki first.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Classic Westmoreland and the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, and the North Hills. Tickets are available online.

Moochi & You, a new dessert place featuring mochi donuts, corndogs, and boba, set to open August 15 in Bellevue.

Moochi & You, an Asian dessert place, is set to open in Bellevue tomorrow. It will be located at 601 Lincoln Ave. (map), in what was most recently Valkyrie Doughnuts.

The shop, located in the heart of the neighborhood, will feature donuts as well as Korean corn hot dogs. Also on the menu will be classic boba, also known as bubble tea, a popular Asian drink that often consists of a milky sweet tea and tapioca pearl balls.

Moochi & You will offer a variety of flavors.

Moochi & You uses Ghirardelli chocolates and top the donuts with pistachios, Oreos and other goodies. The hot dogs are all beef and they have spicy options.

Also on the menu will be coffee and different tea flavors. All of the tea is brewed fresh. The fresh milk tea is made with organic whole milk.

Signage went up earlier this summer. The Moochi & You owner was one of the co-founders of China Star in the North Hills, which expanded to a second location in Squirrel Hill that eventually rebranded to become Sichuan Gourmet.

Tickets still remain for "Joe Hisaishi Conducts the PSO," September 13 and 14.

Japanese conductor and composter Joe Hisaishi will conduct the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) on September 13 and 14.

Globally renowned award-winning composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, Joe Hisaishi, make his long-awaited debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Hisaishi, who is best known for his epic concert works as well as enchanting film scores, takes to the podium to conduct his own compositions including a new concert version of music from the 2023 Golden-Globe winning Studio Ghibli Film, “The Boy and the Heron,” and the US Premiere of Hisaishi’s work, The End of the World. The PSO will be joined onstage by the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.

The suite The End of the World by Joe Hisaishi was inspired by his visit to New York in the fall of 2007. He began composing the work in 2008. The suite explores the theme of "anxiety and chaos" resulting from the collapse of world order and values caused by the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Joe Hisaishi says : “I am honored to join Pittsburgh Symphony this Fall for the first time. The centre of the concert, my End of the World Suite was written for the people of the USA and I’m excited to make the US premiere of this work in Pittsburgh alongside pieces that reflect on this mood as well as new music which I hope this audience will enjoy”

The performances will be September 13 at 7:30 pm and September 14 at 2:30 pm at Heinz Hall in downtown's Cultural District (map). Tickets are available online.

1963 Japanese film High and Low (天国と地獄) in Pittsburgh, August 14 to 20.

The 1963 Japanese film High and Low (天国と地獄) will play in Pittsburgh from August 14 through 20, the third in a series of five classic Kurosawa films at the Harris Theater July through September.

Shoe company exec Toshiro Mifune is in the midst of a mortgage-everything takeover battle when the phone rings with a giant ransom demand for his son — but then in walks... Adapted from an Ed McBain 87th Precinct novel, this is the ultimate kidnap movie, with Kurosawa at the peak of his filmmaking powers: moral battles rage in a first hour almost totally confined to a single room jammed with distraught family, cynical advisers, and recorder-wielding cops led by super-cool detective Tatsuya Nakadai; the de rigueur money transfer aboard the Shinkansen (bullet train); sweaty police conferences shot in deep focus; a near-invisible drug pass in a jammed dance hall; and the jailhouse interview punctuated by the heaviest steel door closing in film history. High and Low is a virtuoso work that’s also a deeply moral one, exploring the meaning of “justice” in a society defined by vast economic disparity.

Tickets for the film are available online. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in downtown's Cultural District (map).

University of Pittsburgh to host Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in December.

The University of Pittsburgh will host the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) on December 7, offering a rare opportunity for test-takers in and around western Pennsylvania. Registration is set to open August 13 for the highest level, N!, with other levels to open throughout the month.

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) was developed in Japan, and has been offered since 1984 in countries all around the world as a means of evaluating the proficiency of non-native learners of Japanese.

1988 film Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓) in Pittsburgh, August 10 - 12.

The 1988 film Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from August 10 through 12, the next installment of Ghibli Fest 2025. A synopsis, from the distributor:

When an American air raid kills their mother in the final days of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his 4-year-old sister Setsuko are left to fend for themselves in the devastated Japanese countryside. After falling out with their only living relative, Seita does his best to provide for himself and his sister by stealing food and making a home in an abandoned bomb shelter. But with food running short, the siblings can only cling to fleeting moments of happiness in their harsh reality.

Based on the personal accounts of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki, Grave of the Fireflies is hailed as one of the most stunning contributions to animation and cinematic history. Deftly depicting the beauty of the human spirit as well as its devastating cruelty, Grave of the Fireflies is a singular work of art from Academy Award-nominated director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, Waterworks Cinema, Chartiers Valley Luxury 14, and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

1959 film Hiroshima mon amour in Pittsburgh, August 10.

Remembering Hiroshima, Imagining Peace will host a screening of the 1959 film Hiroshima mon amour on August 10.

A special screening hosted by Remembering Hiroshima, Imagining Peace, a group dedicated to creating events that commemorate the tragic atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. This screening will feature a short introduction by the group, and following the screening they will host a panel discussion.

A cornerstone of the French New Wave, the first feature from Alain Resnais is one of the most influential films of all time. A French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) engage in a brief, intense affair in postwar Hiroshima, their consuming mutual fascination impelling them to exorcise their own scarred memories of love and suffering. With an innovative flashback structure and an Academy Award–nominated screenplay by novelist Marguerite Duras, Hiroshima Mon Amour is a moody masterwork that delicately weaves past and present, personal pain and public anguish.

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

2024 Japanese film Cloud (クラウド) in Pittsburgh, August 15 - 21.

The 2024 Japanese film Cloud (クラウド) will play in Pittsburgh from Auguat 15 through 21.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse) delivers one of his most chillingly prescient films with this riveting fusion of social satire, techno-thriller, and survival-action. Yoshii (Masaki Suda), a T-shirt factory worker, supplements his income by flipping merchandise online—dubious medical devices, counterfeit designer handbags, collectible figurines—until disgruntled customers begin organizing against him on an anonymous message board. As his profits grow and he quits his day job (even hiring an assistant), he becomes the target of a coordinated vendetta that ratchets into something increasingly brutal, absurd, yet eerily plausible. At once a pulse-pounding provocation and a cautionary tale for our atomized, hustle-economy era, Cloud—Japan’s official submission for the 97th Oscars—is a genre-bending vision of virtual grievances mutating into real-world terror, orchestrated with Kurosawa’s signature precision and nerve.

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

Shin Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ) in 4K, in Pittsburgh-area theaters from August 13.

The 2016 Japanese movie Shin Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ) will play in 4K in Pittsburgh-area theaters from August 13.

Something has surfaced in Tokyo Bay. As the Prime Minister of Japan pleads with the public to remain calm, a horrific creature of tremendous size makes landfall in the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Then it evolves. The government scrambles to assemble a task force to research and combat the monster. The next morning, an envoy from the US Department of State delivers a folder of classified documents bearing the name: “GODZILLA.” From visionary directors Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno, Shin Godzilla offers a thrilling origin story to one of cinema’s greatest creations. Propelled by astounding visual effects and rapid-fire dialogue, Shin Godzilla is equal parts pulse-pounding action film and venomous political satire, worthy of the franchise’s towering history.

It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson and the AMC Westmoreland 15 in Greensburg, and tickets are available online.

Togyu Asian Barbecue and Bar in Cranberry to hold Grand Opening today, August 4.

Togyu Asian Barbecue and Bar in Cranberry, which ran its soft opening from July 23 through August 3, will hold its Grand Opening today, August 4, from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. It is located in the Cranberry Mall spot formerly occupied by Lumberjaxes Axe Throwing (map).

Welcome to Togyu Asian Barbecue & Bar—Pittsburgh’s premier destination for refined Korean and Japanese-style barbecue. Conceived by two brothers with a profound appreciation for the artistry of authentic Asian cuisine, Togyu was born from a desire to introduce an elevated culinary experience unlike any other in the city.

Drawing inspiration from the vibrant dining culture of cities like Seoul and Tokyo, we’ve curated an environment where elegance meets tradition.

Guests are invited to indulge in the highest quality Angus Prime beef, expertly paired with the freshest locally sourced vegetables, all prepared to perfection at the table. Every detail is designed to enhance the senses—from the richness of the ingredients to the ambiance that surrounds each meal.

Initially announced in March, it is one of several all-you-can-eat Korean-style BBQ places announced for the Pittsburgh area in the last couple years, but the first for Cranberry.