2018 animated film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう) in Pittsburgh, July 22.

The 2018 Japanese film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう) will play at the Southside Works Cinema on July 22.

2018 Hanami (花見) with Pittsburgh Sakura Project, April 22 at North Park.

Photo by Kazuko Macher, who placed second in the 2013 Photo Contest.

The Pittsburgh Sakura Project will host its annual hanami (花見, cherry blossom viewing) on April 22.

Come enjoy the Pittsburgh Sakura Project cherry blossoms in North Park. Meet near the Boathouse, receive a map of the planting area, take a self-guided tour, and have light refreshments. Meet other people who love cherry blossoms. Take photos (you can submit them to the 2018 Pittsburgh Sakura Project North Park Cherry Blossoms Photo Contest).

Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し) in Pittsburgh-area theaters, from April 22.

The 2002 Studio Ghibli film The Cat returns (猫の恩返し) will play in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2009 on April 22, 23, and 25 as this month's installment of the GKIDS Ghibli Fest. The distributor provides a summary:

In this sequel to Whisper of the Heart, a quiet suburban schoolgirl, Haru, is pitched into a fantastical feline world and must find her inner strength to make her way back home. Walking with her friend after a dreary day at school, Haru eyes a cat with a small gift box in its mouth attempting to cross a busy street. The cat fumbles the package in the middle of the road as a truck is rapidly bearing down. Haru manages to scoop the cat away to safety. To her amazement, the cat then gets up on its hind legs, brushes itself off, and thanks her very politely.

Strange behavior indeed, but this is nothing compared to what happens later that evening when the King of Cats shows up in a feline motorcade replete with vassals, maidens, and even Secret Service cats. In a show of gratitude for saving his son’s life, the king cat showers Haru with gifts – including a large supply of individually wrapped live mice – and decrees that she shall marry the cat prince and come to live as a princess in the secret Kingdom of Cats.

The movie will play at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The April 22 and 25 shows are dubbed in English, while the April 23 show is subtitled.

Legendary Women: Giō and Hotoke in Japanese Cultural History, April 18 at Pitt.

Hotoke Gozen by Kiyochika Koboyashi, 1897.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host Dr. Roberta Strippoli of the University of Binghamton and her talk "Legendary Women: Giō and Hotoke in Japanese Cultural History" on April 18. It starts at 12:00 pm in room 119 of the Cathedral of Learning (map), and is free and open to the public.

US premiere of Yabin Wang Dance's "Moon Opera," November 3 at Byham Theater.

Photo by Wang Ning, via Yabin Wang's Behance page.

Yabin Wang's "Moon Opera" will make its US premiere in Pittsburgh on November 3, according to the Pittsburgh Dance Council 2018-2019 schedule released on Saturday.

Yabin Wang is China’s superstar. One of the most promising and pioneering choreographers in contemporary dance in China, her work was commissioned by English National Ballet and was performed by the company at Sadler’s Wells for their prestigious She Said series. Westerns know her best for her incredible dance in the film House of Flying Daggers.

In her newest work, Moon Opera, she has collaborated with a multi-disciplinary team of award-winning designers and composers to unveil a dramatic modern-day story of an artist. Through the lens of Chinese culture, contemporary dance tells the story of a Peking Opera performer struggling between her dreams of artistic stardom and the harsh realities of maintaining her traditional role as a woman in society.

Tickets go on sale August 10. The Byham Theater is located at 101 6th Street in downtown's Cultural District (map).

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, April 17.

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on May 16 at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese for children and their parents or caregivers. For children age birth – 5 and their caregivers.

It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

Peak sakura season in Pittsburgh: cherry blossoms at the Japanese garden in Shadyside.

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom today at the Japanese garden at UPMC Shadyside.

“New Housewives” in Contemporary China: Through the Lens of Chen Hengzhe, April 20 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host Dr. Hua Huang and the lecture "'New Housewives' in Contemporary China: Through the Lens of Chen Hengzhe" on April 20.

Chinese, Japanese films continue in Pittsburgh through April 19.

The 2017 Chinese animated film Have a Nice Day (大世界) and the ten films comprising the Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival will continue in Pittsburgh through April 19.

"We pho realz": Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen coming soon to East Liberty.

Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen, a new Vietnamese restaurant, is coming soon to 216 N. Highland Ave. in East Liberty (map).