Traditional Japanese New Year's bento boxes available for pre-order through Teppanyaki Kyoto.

Highland's Teppanyaki Kyoto (map) is now accepting pre-orders for traditional Japanese New Year's bento boxes.

We are selling the Japanese traditional New Year food(bento) osechi-ryori box. In order to reserve the Osechi Ryori bento boxes, you can give us a call (4124411610). This special will be available from December 18 to December 27(pre-order only). And the bento boxes will be available to pick up on December 30 or December 31. Call now so you can experience our traditional Japanese culture!

From University of Pittsburgh: "New Initiative Offers Courses, Lectures, Community Outreach in Taiwan Studies"

Taipei, by Heikki Holstila (Creative Commons)

December 17, 2020 press release

PITTSBURGH—A new initiative at Pitt’s Asian Studies Center (ASC) is putting the focus on Taiwan—an island whose history encapsulates important historical and cultural forces that helped to shape Asia.

“Centering Taiwan in Global Asia,” which will be rolled out next year, has three components:

• Two new courses in Taiwan Studies—Taiwan Diaspora: From Island to Home in a Global Context and The History of Modern Taiwan—will be offered. They will be taught by Shih-yung Liu, who obtained his PhD from Pitt in 2020 and taught for many years at Academia Sinica in Taiwan.

• A robust community engagement program that will help regional educators learn more about Taiwan’s culture and religion; provide teaching and lesson plans to as many as 460 K-12 teachers in other states, including those who teach under-represented students; and offer a new Global Asia website to teachers for lesson planning.

• A Taiwan Studies lecture and film series that will invite leading intellectuals to Pittsburgh to deliver lectures and meet with Pitt faculty, students and members of community groups. A Taiwanese film will be added to the ASC’s annual Screenshot Asia film festival.

ASC Director Joseph Alter said the Global Asia initiative will help to introduce the island’s unique culture and history to a broader audience of teachers, students and the general public.

“Understanding Taiwan means more than remembering a location on a map,” said Alter. “Recognizing Taiwan as emblematic of the historical and contemporary forces that connect Asia to the United States and the world will work to develop a stronger and nuanced understanding of what it means to be Taiwanese and build a deeper appreciation of its role in shaping modern Asia.”

Pitt’s ASC, which is part of the University Center for International Studies, provides more than 270 East Asian-focus courses taught by 137 faculty members and reaches about 8,540 students.

"In Conversation Online: Diane Severin Nguyen and Hannah Turpin," December 16 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

The Carnegie Museum of Art will present "In Conversation Online: Diane Severin Nguyen and Hannah Turpin" on December 16.

Join artist Diane Severin Nguyen and Hannah Turpin, Carnegie Museum of Art's Curatorial Assistant for Modern and Contemporary Art and Photography as they discuss Diane Severin Nguyen: Tyrant Star, the museum's latest online exhibition.

Filmed entirely in Ho Chi Minh City, Tyrant Star prompts viewers to consider the social, psychological, and spatial impacts of our time. The stitching together of differently sourced sounds with distinct visual chapters of trash-strewn landscapes, quiet interiors, and fragmented bodies suspend the viewer in an environment of solitude, longing, and uncertainty. The subtle movements highlight the ways our surroundings are alive, swelling with the memories of the past.

Tyrant Star is available online through February 14. The conversation on Deember 16 runs from 6:00 to 7:00 pm and the price is pay-what-you-wish. Those interested should sign up in advance.

Jasmine Cho, Norraset Nareedokmai among 2020 Squirrel Hill Treasures.

Artist, baker, and activist Jasmine Cho and Norraset Nareedokmai of Silk Elephant and KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery are among the 2020 Squirrel Hill Treasures, featured in this season's Squirrel Hill Magazine.

Fantuan / Just Order Enterprises Corp. (饭团) hiring Mandarin-speaking Business Developer.

Fantuan, a delivery service catering to Asian restaurants and groceries that expanded to Pittsburgh over the summer, is again hiring a Mandarin-speaking Business Developer.

Full Job Description

Fantuan was founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2014. With a mission of “life made easier,” the company is a one-stop platform providing food delivery (Fantuan Delivery), reviews (Fantuan Reviews), an errand service (Fantuan Rush), e-commerce and marketing services. Fantuan is one of the top Asian life-services platforms in North America, currently operating across Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and other metropolitan areas in Canada and the US.

Responsibilities

• Actively develop business partners and maintain relationships with existing businesses
• Correctly instruct customers to register, install and use merchant app
• Responsible for the offline promotions
• Complete specified monthly tasks on time

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙) to play in Pittsburgh-area theaters for film's 20th anniversary, December 6 and 9.

The 2000 martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (卧虎藏龙) will play in Pittsburgh area theaters in December to mark its 20th anniversary. From the distributor:

Winner of 4 2000 Academy Awards®, including Best Cinematography. Two master warriors (Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh) are faced with their greatest challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen. A young aristocrat (Zhang Ziyi) prepares for an arranged marriage, but soon reveals her superior ­fighting talents and her deeply romantic past. As each warrior battles for justice, they come face to face with their worst enemy — and the inescapable, enduring power of love.

Set against 19th-century China’s breathtaking landscape, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the action-packed, box-of­fice smash from two-time Best Director Academy Award® winner Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, 2005; Life of Pi, 2012) and featuring stunning martial arts choreography by Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix).

This special anniversary event includes an exclusive introduction from director Ang Lee.

It plays locally on December 6 and 9 at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Jackie Chan movie Vanguard (急先锋) continues in Pittsburgh through December 6.

The 2020 Jackie Chan film Vanguard (急先锋), which opened in Pittsburgh on November 19, will continue here through at least December 6.

Covert security company Vanguard is the last hope of survival for an accountant after he is targeted by the world's deadliest mercenary organization.

It will continue in Pittsburgh to the 6th at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online via Fandango. It remains at a half-dozen other local theaters on the 2nd and 3rd.

Pittsburgh artist Su Su among 10 finalists for 2020 Bennett Prize.

"Move Fork-ward"

Pittsburgh-based artist Su Su, originally from China, is among the 10 finalists for The Bennett Prize this year. From yesterday's press release:

Today 10 women from across the country who paint in the figurative realist style were named finalists for the $50,000 Bennett Prize, the largest art award ever offered solely to women figurative realist painters, and now in its second round of awards.

The 10 were selected from among 674 entrants, a number that surpasses the entrants in 2018, the inaugural year of The Prize. Endowed at The Pittsburgh Foundation by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, The Prize is designed to propel the careers of women artists.

“The response has yet again been incredible – exceeding our best hopes especially when so many women artists have had to contend with additional challenges related to the coronavirus – and the paintings submitted for consideration are stunning,” said Art Martin, director of collections and exhibitions at the Muskegon Museum of Art, where the finalists’ works will be presented from May 20 to September 12, 2021.

The winner of the $50,000 award will be announced at the exhibition opening. An exhibition of the finalists’ works will travel following the Muskegon Museum of Art showing. Stops in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee are planned and more venues will be added. Alongside the finalists exhibition, the winner of The Bennett Prize 1.0, Aneka Ingold, will present her solo show.

Robokyo Hibachi Express opens in Wexford.

Robokyo Hibachi Express opened in Wexford on November 15 and was listed among the county's newly-opened restaurants today. It served boxed hibachi meals to go and is open 3 to 8 pm Tuesday through Sunday.

We’re located next to Soergel Orchards just off of the Route 79 Wexford exit. Our hibachi dinner boxes are ready for you to pick up at the window or order online and pick up at our contactless designated parking spaces.

Hibachi dinner boxes start at $12 tax included. Robokyo Hibachi Express is take out only and we’ll soon have delivery available powered by DoorDash. We’re very happy to now serve you at both our Greensburg and Wexford locations!

It is located at 2569 Brandt School Rd. (map).

"In Conversation Online: Diane Severin Nguyen and Hannah Turpin," December 16 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

The Carnegie Museum of Art will present "In Conversation Online: Diane Severin Nguyen and Hannah Turpin" on December 16.

Join artist Diane Severin Nguyen and Hannah Turpin, Carnegie Museum of Art's Curatorial Assistant for Modern and Contemporary Art and Photography as they discuss Diane Severin Nguyen: Tyrant Star, the museum's latest online exhibition.

Filmed entirely in Ho Chi Minh City, Tyrant Star prompts viewers to consider the social, psychological, and spatial impacts of our time. The stitching together of differently sourced sounds with distinct visual chapters of trash-strewn landscapes, quiet interiors, and fragmented bodies suspend the viewer in an environment of solitude, longing, and uncertainty. The subtle movements highlight the ways our surroundings are alive, swelling with the memories of the past.

Tyrant Star is available online through February 14. The conversation on Deember 16 runs from 6:00 to 7:00 pm and the price is pay-what-you-wish. Those interested should sign up in advance.

Staff Pick Favorite: Yang Jin (杨瑾) & Friends, December 2 (online) with City of Asylum.

The City of Asylum will replay its February 2020 program Yang Jin (杨瑾) & Friends on December 2.

This holiday season, City of Asylum has swan-dived into our archives to bring you some of our most memorable programs for our new series “Staff Pick Favorites.’ Tonight, we’ll be revisiting an evening of world music with a cross-border concert featuring pipa virtuoso Yang Jin!

This program will feature extremely talented and passionate musicians from all over the world. Together they will explore the relationship between East and West through creativity and virtuosity. The program will feature songs spanning traditional music, world music, classical music & modern music combining Chinese, Middle Eastern, South American & other regional elements.

Featured Musicians:

Yang Jin (pipa, zhongruan, Guzheng), John Marcinizyn (Guitar), Dariush Saghafi (Santur), Yahya Golestan (Tar, Tomback), Mimi Jong (Erhu), Alejandro Pinzon (Bandoneon), David Bennett (Cello), Gina Ketter (Violin), Joe Sheehan (Piano), Jeff Berman (Percussion)

It runs online from 7:00 to 8:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Jackie Chan movie Vanguard (急先锋) continues in Pittsburgh through December 3.

The 2020 Jackie Chan film Vanguard (急先锋), which opened in Pittsburgh on November 19, will continue here through at least December 3.

Covert security company Vanguard is the last hope of survival for an accountant after he is targeted by the world's deadliest mercenary organization.

It plays locally at several theaters on different days, including AMC Loews Waterfront, Cranberry, Waterwork, Phoenix in Chartiers Valley, and the Cinemarks in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson. Tickets are available online via Fandango.

SAP Ariba hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Specialist for overnight call center position in Pittsburgh.

SAP Ariba hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Specialist, this time through a staffing agency. An excerpt from the job ad:

***Candidates must be fluent in both Mandarin and English***

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides inbound application and functional support for all relevant Ariba applications, both internally and externally, by way of email, webform and phone.

• Resolves 80% of issues without escalation.

• Respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner and within service level objectives.

• Successfully documents all requests through the CRM system while adhering to all documented procedures.

• Provides general assistance to other teams within Global Customer Support and Ariba.

• Conducts all customer interactions in a manner that presents Ariba in a positive light. Specialists are required to be respectful, fair, gracious and knowledgeable and to uphold the core values established by Ariba.

• Ensures that individual performance meets or exceeds the department standards.

• All other duties as assigned.

New Jackie Chan movie Vanguard (急先锋) in Pittsburgh, from November 19.

The 2020 Jackie Chan film Vanguard (急先锋) will play around Pittsburgh from November 19: a fan event will be held at select theaters on the 19th while the film will open in most theaters on the 20th.

Covert security company Vanguard is the last hope of survival for an accountant after he is targeted by the world's deadliest mercenary organization.

It's not quite clear what the fan event involves, but another theater says it includes a behind-the-scenes special of the film. The fan event will play locally at the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson, and the Movie Scoop theaters in Cranberry and Waterworks; tickets for it are available online.

The movie will play in Mandarin with English subtitles from the 20th at the above-mentioned theaters plus some screenings at the Chartiers Valley Luxury, the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Luxury South Pike, and the Cinemark in Monaca. Tickets are available online from Fandango.

Diane Severin Nguyen: Tyrant Star, online at Carnegie Museum of Art, November 18 through February 14.

An exhibition by Diane Severin Nguyen, Tyrant Star opens online today from the Carnegie Museum of Art.

This iteration of Carnegie Museum of Art’s online exhibition series features Tyrant Star, a 16-minute video work by artist Diane Severin Nguyen (American, b. 1990). It marks the first time that the work, a new acquisition, will be exhibited at CMOA.

Filmed entirely in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tyrant Star prompts viewers to consider how cultural touchstones like songs and shared histories are fragmented and woven together in new ways over time. The work unfolds in three chapters, beginning with a view of the metropolis set to Ca Dao, or Vietnamese folk poems, before shifting to an aspiring YouTube star performing a cover of “The Sound of Silence” and concluding with footage of children at a Ho Chi Minh City orphanage. Although each chapter focuses on different voices and perspectives, they are linked by messages of grief and care that remain unheard or misunderstood and by reminders of pain, isolation, and trauma. Nguyen’s camera captures trash-strewn landscapes, quiet interiors, and fragmented bodies, highlighting subtle movements that suggest our surroundings are alive, swelling with the memories of the past.

Diane Severin Nguyen: Tyrant Star is organized by Hannah Turpin, curatorial assistant for modern and contemporary art and photography.

It is available online at the CMOA's website through February 14, 2021.

Pittsburgh/Saitama Business Matching with Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO).

via @SaitamaCityPR

The Japanese External Trade Organization and Saitama City Foundation for Business Creation is looking to facilitate business connections between Saitama and its Sister City Pittsburgh. Those interested are requested to complete a Google Form.

Companies based in the Japanese city of Saitama, a Pittsburgh sister-city near Tokyo, are interested in connecting with Pittsburgh-based companies to explore mutual opportunities for sales, distribution, manufacturing, and joint research. The Saitama companies represent a variety of industries, but many are involved in creating components for medical devices or robotics. Pittsburgh/Saitama business connections are being facilitated by the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) in partnership with the Saitama City Foundation for Business Creation (SFBC). If there appears to be a good match, we will facilitate an introductory virtual meeting. If there is not a good match, we can retain your information for future opportunities with JETRO or Japanese companies. This is a great opportunity for Pittsburgh businesses interested in exploring international markets or looking for quality manufacturing options. If you would like to learn more or participate you can fill out this form, or contact Ryan O'Shea at Ryan@futuregrind.org.

Jasmine Cho honored as CommUNITY Champion.

Baker, author, and activist Jasmine Cho is recognized by WTAE news today as a CommUNITY Champion.

Cho said, "There's this representation and example of possibility when you see somebody whose story and whose face looks like yours."

Cho is Korean American. She studied art therapy at Carlow University and was part of designing a mural. She said the cookies help her in two ways. Baking them is therapeutic and decorating the cookies reconnects her to her heritage.

"Gathering these missing pieces of my personal identity. I feel like I'm on this continuous excavation of my history so there's a lot of mixed feeling between feeling very liberated and empowered but also very angry and sad that I didn't learn about these people sooner," said Cho.

Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute assistant professor ordered to remove mention of BTS from lecture on K-pop's soft power.

by Cindy Ord / WireImage

The South China Morning Post writes about Areum Jeong, an assistant professor at the Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute who was recently ordered to remove mention of BTS from a lecture on K-pop's soft power.

She had been expected to give a lecture about K-pop’s soft power at the university’s business school until a course coordinator told her to omit any mention of the BTS band, she said in an interview.

“I was offended that an academic institution was trying to censor a talk, especially because it’s based on nonsense spewed by nationalists,” said Jeong, who refused to give the lecture in the end. “I don’t self-censor.”

SCUPI was announced in 2013 as a joint partnership between Sichuan University and the University of Pittsburgh

Fan event for new Jackie Chan movie Vanguard (急先锋) in Pittsburgh, November 19.

Local Cinemark theaters are hosting a fan event for the 2020 Jackie Chan film Vanguard (急先锋), which will play around Pittsburgh from November 20.

Covert security company Vanguard is the last hope of survival for an accountant after he is targeted by the world's deadliest mercenary organization.

It's not quite clear what the fan event involves, but another theater says it includes a behind-the-scenes special of the film. The fan event will play locally at the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson, and tickets are available online. The movie itself will play at those theaters plus the Waterworks Cinema.

"Here and There: Anti-Racist Perspectives from Japan and Germany," November 16 (online) at Carnegie Mellon.

Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Modern Languages presents "Here and There: Anti-Racist Perspectives from Japan and Germany" on November 16. It runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.