Journey to the West Book Series Debut, October 4 in Squirrel Hill.

A pair of local authors are releasing a series of books aimed at learners of Chinese that retells the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, and an event celebrating its release will be held on October 4 in Squirrel Hill.

1979 Hayao Miyazaki film Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城) in Pittsburgh area, September 14 and 19.

Hayao Miyazaki's 1979 directoral debut, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城), will play at Pittsburgh area Cinemark theaters on September 14 and 19. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut film, LUPIN THE 3RD: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO is coming to U.S. cinemas nationwide for the first time ever this September for a special two-day event. Lupin and Jigen successfully rob a casino of millions, but only to find that the money is counterfeit. Lupin notices how well the money is forged and decides to make his next target the possible source of the forgery, Cagliostro. They enter the country and run into a car chase between a group of men after a girl in a wedding dress. Lupin, who loves girls, decides to abruptly make a detour to assist the bride in her escape. They successfully outrun the men but have an accident. Lupin goes unconscious but wakes up to find a ring with the royal crest of Cagliostro in a white glove from the bride.

This exciting two-night event also features never before seen special footage with creator comments.

The movie is set to play at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Pittsburgh Mills. Tickets for the September 14 English-dubbed shows are available online, as are tickets for the September 19 English-subtitled screenings.

Live-action Tokyo Ghoul (東京喰種) movie in Pittsburgh in October.

The new live-action movie Tokyo Ghoul (東京喰種) will play at the Southside Works Cinema from October 16 through 19.

English/Korean Language Social Hour September 13 at Pitt; English/Japanese on September 27.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and the English Language Institute will present two Language Social Hours in September that bring together Japanese- and Korean-speaking students studying English and for Pitt students learning Japanese and Korean.

The English/Korean Language Social Hour will take place on September 13 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map), and will feature ELI students from Chosun University (조선대학교) in Gwangju, South Korea. The English/Japanese hour on September 27 will feature students from Yasuda Women's University (安田女子大学) in Hiroshima, Japan. Refreshments will be provided, and both events are free and open to the public.

First meeting of Pitt's Go club, August 29.

By Jaro Larnos (Creative Commons).

Some faculty at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures have started a go club, and the first meeting is tomorrow, August 29. From the Department's Facebook page:

The University of Pittsburgh Go Club will be holding meetings every Tuesday from 7:00 to 9:30pm in room 114 of the O’Hara Student Ballroom through fall semester. Anyone interested in the game of go is welcome. The first meeting will be this Tuesday, August 29th.
If you have questions, you can email Stephen Luft (luft@pitt.edu) or James Zhu (jiz144@pitt.edu).

Zen's Noodle House to bring Japanese ramen to Oakland.

Zen's Noodle House has been "coming soon" to Oakland since November 2014. Recently, though, it appears it actually is coming soon: the kitchen is set up and furniture is in place. This week a new sign was added to the facade at 3531 Forbes Ave.: "Japanese ramen" has replaced "Hand Drawn Noodle".


November 2016 and November 2014.

Free Chinese, Japanese, Korean classes in Pittsburgh.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is an invaluable source of free and enriching programming for people of all ages. Most relevant to this site are the free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean courses at an increasing number of branches. The start of a new school year is an excellent time to revisit this list of free courses available for children, complete novices, high-beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced speakers.

Highest-grossing Chinese film of all time Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2) to remain in Pittsburgh through August 30.

Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2), which became the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time earlier this month, will stay in Pittsburgh at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater through at least August 30. A synopsis of the movie, released in China on July 27 and in Pittsburgh on July 28, from the distributor:

The Wolf Warrior is back, bigger and badder than ever, in this action-packed sequel to the 2015 blockbuster hit. With his career in tatters, China’s deadliest Special Forces operative has settled into a quiet life on the sea. But when he crosses paths with a sadistic band of mercenaries terrorizing innocent civilians, he must reaffirm his duty as a soldier and save the day once again. Fists (and bullets, tanks, missiles and much more) will fly in this adrenaline-fueled tour de force of bravura action filmmaking, all culminating into a climactic battle between the Wolf Warrior and the mercenary leader (Frank Grillo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War).

Tickets and showtimes are available from Fandango. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

No Game No Life Zero (ノーゲーム・ノーライフ ゼロ) coming to Pittsburgh theaters in October.

The upcoming Japanese anime No Game No Life Zero (ノーゲーム・ノーライフ ゼロ) will play at Cinemark theaters in the Pittsburgh area on October 5th and 8th. A synopsis from the distributor:

Six thousand years before Sora and Shiro were even a blink in the history of Disboard, war consumed the land, tearing apart the heavens, destroying stars, and even threatening to wipe out the human race. Amid the chaos and destruction, a young man named Riku leads humanity toward the tomorrow his heart believed in. One day, in the ruins of an Elf city, he meets Shuvi, a female exiled "Ex-machina" android who asks him to teach her what it means to have a human heart. In select movie theatres nationwide, this two-day event also includes exclusive content featuring special footage of members of the cast and crew of No Game No Life Zero.

Korean cyclists raising awareness of "comfort women" in US bike tour pass through Pittsburgh.

via 3A Project.

Two Korean university students are biking across the US to raise awareness of "comfort women", the euphemism for sex slaves used by the Japanese military during World War II. Today's Pittsburgh City-Paper has a profile.

“We want to raise this issue in the U.S. because the U.S. is the center of the media world,” said Young. “We don’t want to see this tragedy in any other [country].”

According to a June NBC News profile, Ha Joo-Young is a 25-year-old student from Kyung Hee University and Jo Yong-Joo is a 21-year-old from Yonsei University.