Eastern Passage 东方之旅 coming to downtown Pittsburgh in April as part of Project Pop-Up.

According to the Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Center's newsletter, a retail store called Eastern Passage 东方之旅 is coming to the Park Building downtown (map), part of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's Project Pop-up.

Coming soon to downtown Pittsburgh! Eastern Passage 东方之旅 – a retail store specializing in Asian apparel, artisan crafts, and cultural souvenirs is scheduled to open in April 2026. Located in the historic Park Building at 355 Fifth Avenue, the store is part of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Project Pop-Up that will turn a vacant storefront into a vibrant cultural destination. We are particularly interested in promoting artworks and crafts by local artisans. Contact us for more information at [redacted].

匹兹堡市中心即将迎来新店开业！ 东方之旅 (Eastern Passage) 是一家专注于亚洲服饰、手工艺品及文化纪念品的零售店，将于 2026 年 4 月下旬开业。 该店坐落于第五大道355 号的历史性建筑Park Building，作为匹兹堡市中心伙伴关系 (Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership) “快闪项目” (Project Pop-Up) 的一部分，我们将把原本闲置的店面转变为充满活力的文化地标。 我们尤其注重推广本地艺术家和与手工艺人的作品。 欲了解更多详情，请联系我们：[redacted] 。

The email address listed in the newsletter has a typo and is invalid, hence my redaction. Project Pop Up

brings vibrancy and innovation to Downtown Pittsburgh by activating vacant storefronts with temporary retail pop-ups, interior window displays, and artistic window graphics. In collaboration with Downtown property owners—and with generous support from the Hillman Foundation—the program invites entrepreneurs, artists, makers, retailers, and creative teams to transform empty storefronts into engaging destinations.

This initiative supports Downtown’s economic revitalization by providing low-barrier opportunities for creative retail, art, and cultural activations that contribute to a more dynamic and welcoming streetlevel experience.

Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo, May 8 in North Hills.

Canadian rakugo comic storyteller Katsura Sunshine will perform in the Pittsburgh area on May 8.

Katsura Sunshine headlines Pittsburgh's newest comedy club experience for one night only!

A show of hilarity and culture in equal doses!

​Katsura Sunshine completed his grueling traditional apprenticeship in Rakugo comic storytelling under the great Rakugo Master Katsura Bunshi VI in 2011. His performances have delighted audiences throughout the world as well as all over Japan. Sunshine has graced the Broadway stage with a different delightful Japanese story each month since 2019, at the famous New World Stages in Manhattan. Come for an hour of laughter and leave with a piece of Japan in you heart!

He will perform at The Comedy Bar @ Remo's in the North Hills (map). The show starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are available online. Please note, the venue has a two item minimum it charges on top of the ticket fee.

Café Filipino returns April 25.

Café Filipino, a family-style Philippine Cuisine Experience from the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh, is resuming monthly programming from April 25.

The event is brought to you by Cafe Filipino, our initiative to feature talented cooks within our community and showcase their signature dishes. The plan is to offer this event by popular demand as a way for us to bring a consistent fine-dining Filipino food experience to Pittsburgh. This will be a periodic fundraising event to cover the operating costs of our Philippine Center and other Fil-Am PGH programs.

Dinners are held at the Philippine Center of Pittsburgh in West Mifflin (map) and tickets are available online.

ScottyCon 2026, the student-run anime and games convention at Carnegie Mellon University, March 28.

ScottyCon 2026, the student-run anime and games convention at Carnegie Mellon University, will be held on March 28.

Welcome to our sixth year of ScottyCon! We hope you enjoy CMU's one and only (and therefore best) anime and video gaming convention! We'll have a blast of events this year, ranging from panels, masquerade, artist alley, and much more.

Events include 14 panels, Artist Alley, game vendors, karaoke at night, a Masquerade, a manga library, and a performance from guest of honor Phoebe Chan, and more. ScottyCon runs from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm in the Jared L. Cohon University Center (map) and tickets are available online through March 25 (and at the door on the 28th).

ASIA POP LECTURE: "When Two Worlds Collide: K-pop Idols & Influencer Marketing," April 1 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Mathieu Berbiguier and his talk "When Two Worlds Collide: K-pop Idols & Influencer Marketing" on April 1, part of the Center's ASIA POP lecture series.

K-pop idols have long been perceived as the antithesis of authenticity, manufactured personas shaped by entertainment companies. Yet the global rise of influencer marketing, built on relatability and vulnerability, has pushed those same companies to rewrite the rules. Dr. Mathieu Berbiguier examines how Korean entertainment companies increasingly adopt influencer marketing codes — "authentic storytelling," mental health disclosure, and less scripted formats — to reshape the idol persona and deepen parasocial bonds with fans. Drawing on textual analysis and fan discourse, Dr. Berbiguier argues that the convergence of idol culture and influencer logics reveals less a collision than a mutual absorption, one that speaks to a broader, Euro-American-centered demand for authenticity in popular culture.

Dr. Berbiguier is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Korean Studies at Carnegie Mellon University. Since receiving his Ph.D. in Asian Languages and Cultures from the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Berbiguier's research has primarily focused on the nuances of K-pop culture, exploring power dynamics in fan communities and shedding light on how these interactions shape perceptions of authenticity in Korean popular culture.

The talk starts at 6:00 pm in 205 David Lawrence Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

2025 Japanese animated movie ChaO (チャオ) in Pittsburgh, from April 9.

The 2025 Japanese animated movie ChaO (チャオ) will play in Pittsburgh from April 9.

In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence. Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue. Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings. Crafted over 7 years by the acclaimed STUDIO4°C and veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, ChaO is an inventive and genre-defying delight bursting with color and character. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, ChaO’s singular narrative is an ode to boundless love.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, and tickets are available online.

Hyland Gallery Talk: Chūshingura 忠臣蔵：Musha-e 武者絵 and Kabuki-e 歌舞伎絵, March 27 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's University Library System will present "Hyland Gallery Talk: Chūshingura 忠臣蔵：Musha-e 武者絵 and Kabuki-e 歌舞伎絵" on March 27.

Join curator and Japanese and Korean Studies Librarian Hiroyuki Good to learn more about the exhibit Chūshingura: Musha-e and Kabuki-e! The exhibit explores the Akō Incident (1701–1703), in which 47 rōnin avenged their lord Asano Takumi no Kami after he was forced to commit seppuku for attacking Kira Kōzukenosuke in Edo Castle. This famous revenge story inspired the 1748 Kabuki play Kanadehon Chūshingura, which became one of Japan’s most enduring theatrical works. Featuring musha-e (warrior prints) of the 47 rōnin from the Barry Rosensteel Japanese Print Collection and a complete set of kabuki-e from the Japanese Theater Print Collection, the exhibit highlights the lasting cultural impact of Chūshingura in print and performance.

Each warrior print in this exhibition is accompanied by an introductory text about the individual depicted. Hiro has worked to transcribe and translate these cursive scripts using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude, and the results of this effort will also be presented.

All prints are part of the Archives & Special Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System. 

The talk runs from 11:00 to 11:30 in Hillman Library's The Hyland Gallery Archives & Special Collections Exhibits on the third floor (map).

Korean movie The King's Warden (왕과 사는 남자) stays in Pittsburgh through March 23.

The 2026 Korean movie The King's Warden (왕과 사는 남자), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 13, will stay here through March 23.

In a remote mountain village of 15th-century Joseon, a humble headman, Heung-do, hears a rumor that any village hosting an exiled nobleman will be blessed with abundance and fortune. Hoping to bring prosperity to his impoverished community, he eagerly submits a petition to host one—unaware that his guest is none other than the fallen monarch, the deposed boy-king Danjong. While an unlikely bond begins to form between the dethroned ruler and the man assigned to watch over him, the quiet village finds itself drawn into the perilous undercurrents of royal intrigue—where loyalty and survival collide.

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

Krunchy Bird Korean Fried Chicken opens in Mt. Lebanon.

Krunchy Bird Korean Fried Chicken, offering Korean-style chicken sandwiches, wings, and tenders, has opened in Mt. Lebanon. It is located at 325 Mt. Lebanon Blvd. (map), in the former Oya Sushi location.

4K restoration of 1989 Japanese animated movie Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) stays in Pittsburgh through March 25.

A 4K restoration of 1989 Japanese animated movie Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便), which opened in the Pittsburgh area from March 12, will stay here through (at least) March 25.

It is a tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and fly off into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her new journey with her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside village, where her unique skills make her an instant sensation. Don’t miss this delightfully imaginative and timeless story of a young girl finding her way in the world[.]

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

2026 Chinese movie Pegasus 3 (飞驰人生3) remains in Pittsburgh through March 25.

The 2026 Chinese movie Pegasus 3 (飞驰人生3), which opened in Pittsburgh on February 27, will remain here through at least March 25. It is the highest-grossing film in China in 2026 thus far, and is the 11th-highest-grossing film in China of all time.

After the final stage at Bayanbulak, Zhang Chi (played by Shen Teng) is invited to compete in a brand-new event, the “Muchen 100 Rally,” as the head coach of the team. The once “wild” racer now steps onto the international stage. Facing a completely new course filled with top-tier competitors, Sun Yuqiang (played by Yin Zheng) and Ji Xing (played by Zhang Benyu) once again fight side by side with Zhang Chi. Powerful drivers such as Lin Zhendong (played by Huang Jingyu) are also invited to join, and a team built on top-level speed and shared belief is formed. However, Zhang Chi soon realizes that the true challenge does not seem to come from the race itself. Beneath the surface, tensions are rising beyond the track, casting uncertainty over their high-speed journey ahead.

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

Self-Chef Mongolian Stir-Fry and Sushi to open in Castle Shannon on March 18 now open in Castle Shannon.

Self-Chef Mongolian Stir-Fry and Sushi will open in Castle Shannon on March 18 is now open in Castle Shannon, in the former Linden Grove spot. Signage went up in the fall at 1100 Grove Road (map).

The menu, posted on their official site, features primarily sushi, sashimi, rolls, and Japanese appetizers and desserts at this point:  

2025 Amy Wang film Slanted stays in Pittsburgh through March 25.

The 2025 Amy Wang film Slanted, which opened in Pittsburgh on March 12, will remain here through March 25.

As a senior in high school, Joan Huang idolizes winning Prom Queen as the embodiment of popularity, beauty and the ultimate form of acceptance into American life. In her relentless pursuit for the crown, she undergoes an experimental racial transformation to become White and win Prom Queen. However, what she thought was a dream come true soon reveals itself to be an emotional and physical nightmare. "Slanted" offers a searing and unapologetically satirical view on race and the uncomfortable journey of learning to love.

It plays locally now at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson through the 19th, and the AMC Loews Waterfront after that, and tickets are available online.

Bong Joon Ho film Okja (옥자), Hayao Miyazaki film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ) at Row House Cinema, from April 17.

The 2017 Bong Joon Ho film Okja (옥자) and the 1984 Hayao Miyazaki film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ) will play at the Row House Lawrenceville from April 17, part of its "Touch Grass" series focused on "eco-conscious, sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, nature-friendly cinema."

Okja's last theatrical run here was in 2017, part of a Bong Joon Ho film fest at the Row House Lawrenceville.

Bong Joon Ho’s magical film follows a young girl named Mija who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named Okja.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Windhas a theatrical run around once a year in Pittsburgh.

After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.

Note: Shows marked as English have audio dubbed in English. All other shows have audio in Japanese and subtitles in English.

The movies play through April 23, and tickets are available online. The Row House Cinema is a single-screen theater located at 4115 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

Work progresses on second KuJiRa location in Bridgeville, after briefly taking "Nami" name.

Work progresses on a second KuJiRa restaurant, coming soon to Chartiers Valley Shopping Center in Bridgeville. KuJiRa is an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant in Shadyside.

This was first teased in an October 2025 social media post by Legacy Realty, but when I visited the spot in December signage was up for Nami Japanese Kitchen & Bar. However, maybe the Nami signage was a ruse to keep the location partially hidden until more permanent signage could go up; the banner features a whale--kujira is Japanese for whale--and the same font as the temporary Kujira signage from 2023.

A huge local restaurant trend in 2023 and 2024 was planning---and sometimes opening---all-you-can-eat hotpot and Korean-style BBQ places, while a trend for 2025 was opening all-you-can-eat sushi places: 8 Star in Gibsonia, Let's Sushi in Wexford, and Koi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Monroeville opened over the past year, and Oyoshi in East Liberty is still under construction. KuJiRa will be located in the former Vocelli's Pizza (map).

Chinese Culture Summer Camp with Yanlai Dance Academy, August 3 - 7 and August 17 - 21.

Yanlai Dance Academy in the North Hills will host two sessions of Chinese Culture Summer Camp for kids ages 5 - 11. One session will span from August 3 through 7, another from August 17 through 21, and both run 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. The camps "include Chinese folk dance, paper crafts, art and more!"

Those interested in registering should contact PACCL.edu at gmail.com. Yanlai Dance Academy is a dance school in the North Hills that has long specialized in traditional and contemporary Chinese dances for all ages, as well hosting as Kpop sessions and adult dance troupes. It is located at 2260 Babcock Blvd. (map).

Bombing Pot coming soon to The Waterfront.

Bombing Pot, an all-you-can-eat sush, Chinese-style hot pot, and Korean-style BBQ place, is coming pretty soon to the Waterfront, according to the shopping center's social media. When it was announced for the area in September 2024 it was known as Running Dish, a concept with a Sterling, VA location from the team behind Sushi Bomb in Robinson. It is listed in the directory in the spot across from Starbucks formerly occupied by Versona, Charming Charlie, and American Eagle.

1985 Jackie Chan movie Police Story (警察故事) in Pittsburgh, from April 10.

The 1985 Jackie Chan movie Police Story (警察故事) will play at the Row House Lawrenceville from April 10, part of its Live Action Cartoons film series.

Jackie Chan plays a Hong-Kong cop, who scores his first big hit by single-handedly capturing and arresting a big drug- lord. When he’s framed for murder, he has to clear his name, whilst keeping himself from getting killed or arrested, and keeping his girlfriend from leaving him.

It plays from April 10 through 16, and tickets are available online. The Row House Cinema is a single-screen theater located at 4115 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

2026 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, March 13 through 26 at Row House Lawrenceville.

The annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival will run from March 13 through March 26 at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville. This year's festival is comprised of 12 films around the theme of Cult Cinema of Japan.

• Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル) - March 20 through March 26
• Burst City (爆裂都市 BURST CITY) - March 26
• Funeral Parade of Roses (薔薇の葬列) - March 20 through March 26
• His Motorbike, Her Island (彼のオートバイ、彼女の島) - March 15 through March 19
• House (ハウス) - March 14 through March 19
• Kokuho (国宝) - March 14 through March 19
• Lady Snowblood (修羅雪姫) - March 14, 16, 17, 18, 19
• Scarlet ( 果てしなきスカーレット) - March 14 through March 19
• Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space - March 13
• Tetsuo: The Iron Man (鉄男) - March 14
• The Night is Short, Walk on Girl (夜は短し歩けよ乙女) - March 20 through March 25
• Yukiko a.k.a (雪子 a.k.a) - March 21, 22, 25

There are a number of special events these two weeks as well:

• Watermelon and Banana Night w. House - March 14
• Kokuho w. Sake Tasting - March 15
• Gari Shoyu Sando Company Pop Up - March 17, 21, 22
• Japanese Snack Pack with Scarlet - March 17
• Battle Royale w. an Intro - March 20
• Cult-O-Rama Secret Cinema: JFF Edition! - March 20
• Pittsburgh Kyūsha Japanese Car Show - March 21
• Closing Night with Burst City - March 26

The Row House Cinema is a single-screen theater located at 4115 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

"Haunted Play: Memory and Resistance in Taiwanese Horror Games," March 17 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Chee-Hann Wu and her talk "Haunted Play: Memory and Resistance in Taiwanese Horror Games" on March 17.

Taiwanese horror is a rising genre that has claimed an important space in Taiwanese popular culture, particularly in the video game industry since the debut of Detention in 2017. Video games associated with such aesthetics often incorporate elements of Taiwan's local religions, cultures, and mythologies. Furthermore, such horror is evoked not only by fear of the unknown, but also by the unsettling feeling of being forced to live under duress. Although mostly implicit, many Taiwanese horror games contain hints of historical references to the 228 Incident and the White Terror under Martial Law. Malevolent monsters and ghosts become physical incarnations of state-sanctioned violence perpetrated by perpetrators, dehumanized accomplices, and those who were arrested, executed, or silenced.