2024 Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival (匹兹堡中华文化节将), September 21 in Mellon Park.

The 2024 Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival (匹兹堡中华文化节将) will be held September 21 in Mellon Park (map). Presented by the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center, it will run from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and feature vendor booths, cultural performances, music, food, and more. The festival grounds at Mellon Park---the southern portion, near the Rose Garden, not the northern portion near the baseball fields and spray park---are in Point Breeze near the intersectiosn of the Shadyside and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods.

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from September 14 through November 16.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from September 14. 

Sushi Atarashi location in Robinson, with revolving sushi belt, opening on Monday, September 16.

A new Sushi Atarashi is opening in Robinson on Monday, September 16, with a revolving sushi belt. The new restaurant was announced back in April, and its social media has documented the construction journey. It will open at 12:00 pm on its first day, and guests can receive 10% off their order by completing a survey. Sushi Atarashi is a small local chain of build-your-own sushi roll restaurants, formerly known as Sushi Fuku, with several locations in the area, and the new Robinson restaurant is locaated at 210 McHolme Dr. (map).

1981 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam in Pittsburgh, October 2 and 6.

The 1981 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam will play in Pittsburgh on October 2 and 6, part of the three-part AXCN Gundam Fest showing the films compiled from the initial Gundam TV series.

In Universal Century year 0078, the space colony Side 3 declares itself the Principality of Zeon and launches a war of independence against the Earth Federation. Eight months have passed since the war entered into a deadlock. Learning of a secret plot by the Federation Forces, the Zeon Forces launch reconnaissance followed by an attack against Side 7. A young boy by the name of Amuro gets wrapped up in the war, and by coincidence ends up piloting the mobile suit Gundam and defeating the enemy. The Federation’s White Base, having lost its proper crew in the battle, escapes from Side 7 with forces still in training and civilians both.

It plays locally, in Japanese with English subtitles, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online. The other two films derived from the Gundam series will play in Pittsburgh later in October.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck at Ross Park Mall, September 28.

via @HellyKittyCafeTruck

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will return to Ross Park Mall on September 28.

Hello Pittsburgh! The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to Ross Park Mall on Saturday 9/28! Come say hello to us between the Cheesecake Factory and LL Bean from 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).

2023 Korean film A Normal Family (보통의 가족) added to SCREENSHOT: ASIA film festival, September 28.

The 2023 Korean film A Normal Family (보통의 가족) will play in Pittsburgh on September 28, a recent addition to the SCREENSHOT: ASIA film festival.

Based on the novel The Dinner, the film explores the limits of personal morality in a time of familial crisis. Two brothers, Jae-wan and Jae-gyu, are worlds apart when it comes to their moral views. While Jae-gyu prioritizes his patients’ well-being, Jae-wan is a slick lawyer racking up successes wherever he can. Meanwhile, Jae-wan’s shy son and Jae-wan’s rebellious daughter get into their own legal troubles, which throws a wrench into each brothers’ worldview. Over several increasingly tense dinners, the brothers find themselves questioning their bond, their children, and their own senses of right and wrong in the world. This tense thriller pushes the limits of the men’s characters, and, as the nights progress, the brothers and their wives each reach surprising, different resolutions that set off an eventual catastrophe.

It will play at 2:00 pm in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on the University of Pittsburgh campus (map) and tickets are available online.

Smile Thai & Sushi coming soon to Oakland.

Signage is now up for Smile Thai & Sushi, coming soon to Oakland in the spot long occupied by Spice Island Tea House. The new spot was hinted at in Spice Island's online goodbye message back in July, excerpted below:

We have vacated Atwood Street in Oakland, and new owners with a new Thai concept have taken over the space. Since we closed regular service back in September last year, we’ve been looking for a fitting restauranteur to take over the space so that Atwood Street would remain an interesting and diverse food destination in Oakland. We wish the new owners much success, and we hope that you will support them once they open for business.

Smile Thai & Sushi will be located at 253 Atwood St. (map).

Kpop group Loossemble (루셈블) in Pittsburgh, October 14.

The Korean girl group Loossemble will perform in Pittsburgh on October 14, part of a nine-city US tour this fall. Tickets for the show at Roxian Theatre are still available. The five-member group debuted in September 2023 but missed Pittsburgh on their inaugural eight-city tour last year.

Concert film TAEYONG: TY TRACK IN CINEMAS in Pittsburgh, October 16 and 19.

The upcoming concert film TAEYONG: TY TRACK IN CINEMAS, with Taeyong from the Korean group NCT, will play in Pittsburgh on October 16 and 19.

Experience the unparalleled talent of NCT’s TAEYONG in his first solo concert 'TY TRACK' on the big screen! Dive into the mesmerizing world of TAEYONG, experiencing his diverse music and captivating performances. 'TY TRACK' presents a stunning array of music and vibrant stages that showcase TAEYONG's unique artistic vision, all presented on a cinematic scale. Witness the journey behind the scenes as TAEYONG prepares for his groundbreaking concert. Step onto the stage with him, and hear the heartfelt stories he has longed to share. 'TAEYONG: TY TRACK IN CINEMAS' is a deep dive into the music, the artist, and the incredible journey that has shaped his path.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront, though additional theaters are likely to be announced later. Tickets are available online.

Upcoming film Jung Kook: I Am Still in Pittsburgh, from September 18.

The upcoming film Jung Kook: I Am Still will play in Pittsburgh from September 18.

Jung Kook of BTS, the '21st Century Pop Artist,' ascended to global stardom with his debut solo single 'Seven (feat. Latto)' in July 2023. Achieving unprecedented success, Jung Kook became the first Asian solo artist to top the Billboard HOT 100, Global 200, and Global 200 Excl. US charts. His singles 'Seven,' '3D (feat. Jack Harlow),' and 'Standing Next to You' all reached the top 10 of the Billboard HOT 100, making him the only K-pop solo artist to achieve this feat. His album ‘GOLDEN’ also made history by staying on the Billboard 200 for 24 consecutive weeks. Through exclusive, unseen interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, alongside electrifying concert performances, this brand new film showcases Jung Kook’s eight-month journey, capturing his unwavering dedication and growth. Join Jung Kook as he shares his remarkable rise to fame and heartfelt moments with ARMY around the world in 'JUNG KOOK: I AM STILL'.

It runs select dates through September 29. Jung Kook: I Am Still is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

US Steel hiring Executive Assistant, remote based in Pittsburgh; "Japanese language skills a huge plus."

US Steel is hiring an Executive Assistant for a position remote but based in Pittsburgh. The ad identifies that "Japanese language skills are a huge plus."

U. S. Steel is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace culture and celebrate the diversity of our employees.

We are seeking a highly organized and proactive Executive Assistant to provide comprehensive support to the VP of Finance and Strategy, the Chief Labor Relations Officer, and the VP of Government Affairs. The ideal candidate will excel in managing complex calendars, coordinating travel arrangements, organizing events, and handling expense reports. This role requires exceptional attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.

University of Pittsburgh hiring Instructor of Korean.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring an Instructor of Korean.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for the position of full-time instructor for its Korean language program, pending budgetary approval. The appointment will begin in the fall of 2025. The candidate must hold an MA degree in teaching Korean as a second language, foreign language teaching, applied linguistics, or a related field by the time of appointment and possess broad competence in teaching Korean language courses. The new hire will be expected to teach six Korean courses at all levels, including both lectures and recitations, per year. The successful candidate must possess native or near-native competence in all skill areas of Korean and English and should have at least two years of experience teaching Korean language courses at a North American institution of higher education, preferably in person. Other duties may include mentoring students, holding office hours, developing teaching materials as needed, performing normal service duties in the Department, and working with other Asia specialists in the Department and on campus.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, as well as an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree in East Asian Studies. We provide quality Korean language instruction to our students through a high number of contact hours (5 hours per week at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year levels) and low maximum enrollments for our courses (maximum 12 students in recitation classes). Our programs are also supported by the University of Pittsburgh’s National East Asian Resource Center and Asian Studies Center.

Applicants should submit a letter of application, CV, teaching demonstration video of a Korean language class, evidence of teaching ability (e.g., student teaching evaluations), sample syllabus for one course, statements of teaching philosophy, and diversity and inclusion, and the names and contact information for three persons able to provide confidential professional letters of recommendation (we do not need the letters themselves at this time, but we do need the names of the recommenders). Questions may be directed to Kelly Britcher, Faculty Actions and Recruitment Coordinator (ksb85@pitt.edu). Deadline for the receipt of applications: November 8, 2024. 

More information is available on the full job ad.

I Bowl (一碗面) now open in Squirrel Hill.

A little while ago paper went up on the windows at 2209 Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill, the home shared by Mr. Egg's Kitchen and Teppan BBQ (and, from 2006 to 2020, the home of Ka Mei). Signage recently went up for I Bowl (一碗面), a noodle restaurant currently open for take-out only. A look at their menu, via Fantuan delivery service; ordering in-store is done via a kiosk near the door.

Running Dish, an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and revolving sushi place, coming soon to Pittsburgh / Homestead.

Local news has reported that Running Dish, an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and revolving sushi place, is one of two new restaurants slated to come soon to the Waterfront, located in Homestead just across a bridge from Pittsburgh. WPXI says it "has signed a lease and is in the permitting phase" while Patch says it will be located across from Starbucks. Running Dish will be one of six all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ places that either opened in 2024 or are set to open in the near future, and will be one of three revolving sushi places in the area, besides Kura Sushi and the soon-to-open Atarashi in Robinson.

“Except for the Oriental slant to his eyes, he was American”: Asian American Adoptees and the Myths of Postracialism," September 13 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Communication will Carnegie Mellon University's Sarah Hae-In Idzik and her talk “Except for the Oriental slant to his eyes, he was American”: Asian American Adoptees and the Myths of Postracialism" on September 13.

The transnational adoptee, Eleana Kim (2010) has written, is often considered the figure of “postnational cosmopolitanism” (267) par excellence. Products of transnational movement and visible elements of “blended international families,” and yet almost invisibly absorbed into white US life, foreign adoptees have for decades been figures around which the hopes of postracial progressivism have coalesced. Yet just as scholars have critiqued attitudes of postracialism as continuing to perpetuate inequality through the liberal disavowal of racism as a structuring element of US life (see Watts 2021, Squires 2014, Bonilla-Silva 2018[2003], Omi and Winant 2015[1986], Halualani 2011, Eng 2010), so, too, have critical adoption scholars noted the limitations on these optimistic treatments of adoptees and their experiences of race in the US. This paper examines the contradictions of postracial discourse in the case of Asian American adoptees, asking what work the insistence in minimizing adoptees’ racial difference has done since the 1950s, when transnational adoption was institutionalized. Following Pate (2014) and Woo (2019), who note that the political project of racial tolerance in the form of Asian adoption, necessary for the US’ expansionist aims in Asia during the Cold War, was predicated on the absorption and assimilation of Asian adoptees into white families, I explore postracial and assimilationist ideology around adoption as a form of intimization of power, and further, as one significant way in which Asian Americans are racialized through discourse. This talk thus explores interdisciplinary connections between scholarship on postracialism, critical adoption studies, Asian American studies, and critical rhetorics of race.

The talk runs from 3:00 to 4:45 pm in 602 Cathedral of Learning.

James Welker talks "Feminists, Lesbians and Queer Girls’ Manga" September 12 at Carnegie Mellon.

James Welker will give a talk on "Feminists, Lesbians and Queer Girls’ Manga/a>" at Carnegie Mellon University on September 12.

Join us for an enlightening guest lecture by James Welker, the author of Transfiguring Women in Late Twentieth-Century Japan: Feminists, Lesbians, and Girls’ Comics Artists and Fans (University of Hawaii Press, 2024). This groundbreaking book delves into the dynamic and overlapping communities of women and adolescent girls in 1970s and 1980s Japan who challenged traditional gender and sexual norms. The lecture will explore the ūman ribu (women’s liberation) movement, the rezubian (lesbian) community, and the world of queer shōjo manga (girls’ comics), highlighting how these groups redefined the concept of “women” by selectively appropriating Western ideas while remaining deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

Welker will provide a broad historical overview of these movements and offer insights into how acts of transfiguration reshaped what it meant to be a woman in Japan. Drawing from a vast archive of dictionaries, sexology texts, literature, magazines, comics and interviews, his book talk promises to be a rich exploration of how these communities forged new understandings of gender and sexual expression.

James Welker is a professor in the Department of Cross-Cultural Studies, Kanagawa University, Yokohama, Japan. His research focuses primarily on gender and sexuality in postwar and contemporary Japan, especially fan cultures, feminisms, and the LGBT(Q) community. He is the author of Transfigurations: Redefining Women in Late Twentieth-Century Japan (forthcoming).

The talk starts at 5:00 pm in Carnegie Mellon University, Posner Hall 343 (map).

Korea-United States Journalists Exchange, September 20 at Pitt.

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh will host a Korea-United States Journalists Exchange on Friday, September 20.

The Korea-United States Journalists Exchange, launched by the East-West Center in 2005, is co-sponsored by the East-West Center, Korea Press Foundation, and Pacific Century Institute to increase public understanding of the two countries and their relationship.

The bilingual program offers opportunities for six to eight Korean journalists to visit the United States and for six to eight United States journalists to visit Korea. Following these study tours, all Korean and American participants meet at the East-West Center in Honolulu to share their experiences and new perspectives and to exchange opinions on how media coverage of each country can be improved.

A total of 209 journalists, including North Korean defector media, have participated in this program, and Americans have traveled inside North Korea on two different programs.

It runs from 2:15 to 3:30 pm in 4217 Posvar Hall (map) and registration is required.

Opening reception for 芸［Gei] : The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal at Contemporary Craft, September 13.

Contemporary Craft will host the exhibition 芸［Gei] : The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal from September 13, 2024 through January 18, 2025, featuring a host of Japanese and Japanese-American artists and performers. It begins with an Opening Reception on the 13th from 5:30 to 8:00 pm, free and open to the public.

芸［Gei]: The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal invites viewers to explore the captivating duality of Japanese Sogetsu Ikebana and craft, highlighting the profound cultural connections woven through these art forms. Ikebana (生け花, living flowers), the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, captures the fleeting beauty of nature. Conversely, we celebrate the eternal through masterful craft objects. These objects embody enduring skill and meticulous attention to detail. From exquisite ceramics to intricate metal and wood sculptures, these crafts echo with the wisdom and patience of their makers, preserving techniques practiced over generations while celebrating individuality and collaboration.

 

Featured artists Tadao Arimoto, Yoko Sekino-Bové, Carol Kumata, and Miwa Neishi engage in dialogue with Sogetsu Pittsburgh, led by Reiko Nakajima and Atsumi Sewell. Embracing the notion of living sculpture in Sogetsu Ikebana, this juxtaposition prompts contemplation of time, materiality, processes, culture, and heritage. Ikebana celebrates simplicity and imperfection, while traditional crafts speak of a lineage committed to perfection and continuity, enriching our understanding of tradition and innovation.

 

芸［Gei] uncovers connective networks bridging natural forces with disciplined artistry. Through a community of hands and dedicated practice, these mycelial connections energize a diverse spectrum of artistic spirits. Join us in contemplating the harmony between impermanence and eternity, where fleeting blossoms and timeless crafts weave a narrative of Japan’s rich cultural tapestry—connecting past, present, and future.

Special events include:

• Opening Reception - Friday, September 13, 5:30 - 8:00 pm. Free and open to the public.
• Artist-Led Guided Tour - Saturday, September 14, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Free, though registration is required.
• Sogetsu Ikebana: Fundamentals & Techniques with Sogetsu Pittsburgh - Saturday, October 5, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.
• 茶道 [Japanese Tea Ceremony] – A Talk and Demonstration by Yoko Motoyama - Saturday, October 19, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Free, though registration is required.
• Sogetsu Ikebana: Freestyle & Form with Sogetsu Pittsburgh - Saturday, November 9, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.
• Guided Tour – 芸 [Gei]: The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal - Saturday, January 18, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Free, though registration is required.

Contemporary Craft is a gallery and creative space that broadly states its mission as "To engage the public in creative experiences through contemporary craft.." It is located at 5645 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

New Chinese movie Upstream (逆行人生) in Pittsburgh, from September 13.

The 2024 Chinese movie Upstream (逆行人生) will play in Pittsburgh from September 13.

After suffering a number of disasters, including losing his job, having his savings wiped out and facing his father's high medical bills, Gao Zhilei (Xu Zheng) takes up a job as a delivery worker, dealing with long days and stomach-turning events. Amongst crazy customers, tight deadlines and competition among app companies, he manages to form strong bonds with his fellow workers. But in his quest for success, he must face a choice: keep the new friendships he's created or move to the next level in his new career by taking advantage of the new business world where he finds himself.

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

2024 Chinese movie Untouchable (逆鳞) in Pittsburgh, from September 12.

The 2024 Chinese movie Untouchable (逆鳞) will play in Pittsburgh from September 12.

Big brother Zun Fei and his gang of brothers are doing well in the underworld. However, when conspiracies arise and the brothers turn against each other, Zun Fei can only take up his gun and risk his life to face the threat.

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