New restoration of 1973 Japanese animated movie Belladonna of Sadness (哀しみのベラドンナ) at Hollywood Theater, May 20 - 22.

The Hollywood Theater will show the a 4K restoration of the 1973 Japanese animated movie Belladonna of Sadness (哀しみのベラドンナ) on May 20, 21, and 22.

30% off Guerrero Ceramics products through June 5.

Guerrero Ceramics is offering 30% off products through June 5 with promo code CHINA. Artist and arts educator Jeff Guerrero makes Japanese-inspired items:

I study the Japanese language and the Japanese tea ceremony. I'm licensed to study the way of tea by the Urasenke school through the Philadelphia branch.

My interest in Japanese pottery stems from when I first started making pottery. I was fortunate enough to spend considerable time with two celebrated Shigaraki potters during their month-long residency in the studio where I work. Later, I became friends with a Japanese-American potter who taught me much of what I know.

The RiCECOOKERS at Three Rivers Arts Festival, June 9.

via The RiCECOOKERS Facebook page.

The RiCECOOKERS, an indie rock band comprised of four Japanese musicians currently based in New York, will play at the Three Rivers Arts Festival on June 9. The festival website summarizes the group:

The members staked their claim to fame when a famous Japanese film director Yukihiko Tsutsumi saw their performance by chance and immediately decided to use their song for his upcoming television drama series in Japan.

Though their fame grew in Japan at first, they had set their aim to make it in the United States. They have chosen to live in Brooklyn, while continuing to work on creating music and capturing the audience with their authentic, yet multi-faceted music.

Their music is described as “alternative rock”, which is mainly said to have been a product of influence by the grunge music of the 90s. However, they are not the 3-chords-talks-all kind of guys. They have added true musical skills acquired by attending Berklee, as well as adding a hint of Japanese melody. With this recipe, they have evolved the alternative genre to the music for the listeners in 21st century.

The RiCECOOKERS will play from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on the Dollar Bank Main Stage at Point State Park (map). The concert will be free and open to the public, as are all other performances in the festival.

Asian Pacific Heritage Day, Jung-ho Kang Bobblehead Day, August 11 at PNC Park.

August 11 will be Asian Pacific Heritage Day at PNC Park. The first 20,000 fans will receive Jung-ho Kang Bobbleheads. Kang (강정호) is an third baseman from South Korea who has made a big impact in just over one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is the second Korean to play for Pittsburgh in the regular season, and the first position player to do so.

Finding Mr. Right 2 (北京遇上西雅图 2) in Pittsburgh through May 18.

The 2016 Chinese movie Finding Mr. Right 2 (北京遇上西雅图), also called Beijing Meets Seattle II: Book of Love, will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater through May 18.

Did you know the local "In God We Trust" politician wrote an insightful book on North Korea?

State representative Richard Saccone is in the news again for his quest to put "In God We Trust" in American classrooms. The Saint Vincent College professor and Pittsburgh native has been on this mission since 2013, he is best known to this site for his 2006 book Living With The Enemy about his year living and working in North Korea (which followed 13 years in South Korea). The title is facetious, and it's a book on the country that, uncommonly for the genre, provides insight without being judgmental or condescending. "My intention is for the reader", he writes on page 8,

to come away with a better understanding of the people of North Korea. My experience confirmed the most effective way to deal with North Koreans is to suspend our preconceived judgment for a moment and attempt to think as they do, to understand their perspective more clearly.

Mongolian-inspired "nomadic folk metal" band Tengger Cavalry in Lawrenceville, June 3.

The nomadic folk metal band Tengger Cavalry will play at the newly-reopened Belvedere's Ultra-Dive on June 3. The band's Facebook page describes the New York based group thus:

TENGGER CAVALRY have been turning heads in the music world since the band’s inception in 2010 they blend the nomadic music tradition of Central Asia with heavy metal, creating a unique genre of music known as Nomadic folk metal. Having sold out Carnegie Hall in a legendary performance and been featured in CNN, Vice, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal and the Village Voice, among countless others, the band is ready to take on the world.

Tickets for the 8:00 pm show are not yet available, but those interested can RSVP online. Belvedere's Ultra-Dive is located at 4016 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

Korean troupe Bereishit Dance Company (브레시트무용단) in Pittsburgh, March 4, 2017.

via FocusNews.

The Pittsburgh Dance Council released its 2016-17 schedule over the weekend, with Korean dance troupe Bereishit Dance Company (브레시트무용단) among the performers.

In this first-ever Korean dance presentation for Pittsburgh Dance Council, the Seoul troupe Bereishit presents contemporary work that draws upon eastern Asian culture. Witness Bereishit’s amazing display of space and rhythms choreographed with kinesthetic clarity and power. Elements of street dance and multimedia add to Bereishit’s potency.

Sport meets dance in the rigorous male duet BOW, inspired by the Korean tradition of archery. The intensely physical Balance and Imbalance juxtaposes the dancers alongside some of Korea’s most revered traditional storytelling genre drummers and pansori vocalists.

Tickets are not yet available for the March 4 event.

New restoration of 1973 Japanese animated movie Belladonna of Sadness (哀しみのベラドンナ) at Hollywood Theater, May 20 - 22.

The Hollywood Theater will show the a 4K restoration of the 1973 Japanese animated movie Belladonna of Sadness (哀しみのベラドンナ) on May 20, 21, and 22.

1974 Japanese martial arts movie The Streetfighter (激突！殺人拳) at Row House Cinema from June 10.

The Row House Cinema will show the 1974 Japanese martial arts movie The Streetfighter (激突！殺人拳) as part of its Four Degrees of Tarantino film series from June 10 through June 16. The Montreal Film Journal provides a summary of the movie that starts Sonny Chiba and that influenced Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films:

There are two intercrossing storylines in “The Street Fighter”, both revolving around Terry Tsurugi, a half-Japanese, half-Chinese man who created a martial arts style combining karate, Chinese boxing and dirty street fighting! A man for hire for anyone who can afford him, Tsurugi helps death row convict Junjou (Makashi Ishibashi) to escape, but when Junjou’s siblings fail to pay him, Tsurugi kills the brother and sells the sister as a prostitute! Sooner or later, this will lead to a confrontation between Terry and a rightfully infuriated Jonjou, but in the meantime Tsurugi also finds the time to get on the Yakuza mob’s bad side by getting in their way as they try to manhandle the heiress of an oil company to sign it over to them. This sounds like a lot of plot, but it’s thankfully rushed through and most of the running time is packed with the most insane, goriest martial arts scenes you’ll ever see!

Wikipedia says it was the first movie to receive an X rating in the US due to violence. It last played in Pittsburgh in 2013.

Showtimes and tickets will be available online later. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).