Opening reception for Jordan Wong (WONGFACE)'s PRACTICE +/-, February 28 at The Portal.

The Portal Art Gallery will host an opening reception for a new exhibition by Jordan Wong (WONGFACE) titled PRACTICE +/- on February 28. From the artist:

PRACTICE +/- builds upon my recent "Play is Infinite" exhibition at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (on view until May). This body of work furthers my imaginative exploration of the Ultimate Self, the endless possibilities of leveling up in life, and the transformative power of play.

The opening reception will be held 5:30 to 7:30 pm on the 28th, and The Portal is located at 6425 Penn Ave in Bakery Square (map).

New Vietnamese restaurant coming soon to Oakland.

Signage went up a little while ago for a new Vietnamese restaurant "bringing the taste of Vietnam to Oakland." It seems to be called Vietnam Vietnam 9 and is located at 338 S. Bouquet St. (map), in what was most recently Beta Bytes. Window signage advertises pho, banh mi, bun bo hue, com dia, bun, chao, heo kho, and bo kho.

The side streets of Oakland, and S. Bouquet would qualify in spite of being a somewhat busy thoroughfare connecting campus to residential areas, have grown bland over the years, with fewer retail and restaurants. This corner of Oakland hasn't had a Vietnamese restaurant in decades, and the general Oakland area hasn't had one since a series of short-lived Vietnamese spots on N. Craig St. in what is now Bomb Chicken.

Annual Matsuri at Carnegie Mellon, February 23.

The Japanese Student Association at Carnegie Mellon University will present its annual Matsuri on February 23, from 12:00 to 6:00 pm in the Rangos Ballroom on the 2nd floor of the Cohon University Center (map).

We are excited to announce CMU JSA’s major event of the year, our spring Matsuri! This year’s theme is 縁日（Ennichi）. Translated literally, it means a day of connections and signifies a major festival in Japan.

Join us on February 23rd, from 12-6 PM in the Cohon University Center Rangos Ballroom to play some traditional Japanese games, eat winter-themed Japanese foods, and watch performances from both university students and local Pittsburgh performers.

Feel free to reach out over Instagram or through our website cmujsa.com/matsuri for more information! We look forward to seeing you there!

本格的な冬の寒さも退け暖かい陽が戻ってきたなか、いかがお過ごしでしょうか。カーネギーメロン日本人学生会です。

この度は2月23日に我々が開催する祭りの広報、又ご参加をおねがいしたく連絡させていただいております。テーマは「縁日」ということでこのピッツバーグの冬のなか少しでも日本の夏を思い出していただくことを願いこのイベントを主催しています。日本での祭りを模した食べ物や遊び、パフォーマンスを用意させていただきます。お子様も大歓迎ですのでもしよろしければご家族での参加などを楽しみにしています。場所はカーネギーメロン大学の Cohon University Center の2階にあるRangosという部屋、開場は昼の12時、閉場は午後6時とさせていただきます。

当日にお会い出来るのを楽しみにしています。

New time for Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Parade on Sunday, February 16.

Organizers have moved the start time of the Lunar New Year Parde through Squirrel Hill from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in the hopes of finding warmer weather. The relatively new annual tradition returns in 2025 after taking 2024 off. The parade moves up Murray Ave. from Phillips Ave. to Forbes Ave. (map).

New Chinese movie Detective Chinatown 1900 (唐探1900) remains in Pittsburgh through February 19.

The 2025 Chinese movie Detective Chinatown 1900 (唐探1900), which opened in Pittsburgh on January 31, will stay here through at least February 19.

In 1900, a white woman was murdered in Chinatown in San Francisco, and the suspect was a Chinese man. The murder caused social shock, and people demanded the closure of Chinatown.

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

Win-Win Kung Fu in Squirrel Hill now accepting applications for six-week summer camp for kids' martial arts, fitness, culture, and language training; $30 discount for registration by April 30.

Win-Win Kung Fu Culture Center's annual summer camp returns for six weeks of programming in July, and the school is now accepting applications. 

 Camp Schedule:

• Week 1: July 7 – 11
• Week 2: July 14 – 18
• Week 3: July 21 – 25
• Week 4: July 28 – August 1
• Week 5: August 4 – 8
• Week 6: August 11 – 15

 Location: Squirrel Hill Studio – 2705-2707 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
 Time: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (optional extended care until 5:30 PM)
 Ages: 5 – 15 years

 What to Expect

 Learn Kung Fu/Wushu/Tai Chi from champion masters
 Train in martial arts fundamentals
 Boost focus, fitness, and confidence with intensive training
 Dive into Mandarin language, Chinese culture, games, and movies
 Have fun in a supportive and engaging environment

 Tuition & Registration

• $240 per 5-day week (Save $30 when you register by April 30!)
• 10% discount for siblings
• New students: One-time $90 registration fee (includes a pair of training shoes, T-shirt, and training pants)
• Free registration for current Win-Win students
• Only 25 spots per week – First Come, First Serve!

 How to Register
 Current Win-Win students: Complete the selection form and submit a 20% tuition deposit.
 New students: Fill out the registration form, sign the waiver, complete the selection form, and submit a 20% tuition deposit along with the $90 registration fee.

Seats fill up fast, so don’t miss out on a summer of fun and learning!

For questions or to register, call (412) 336-8898 or email masters [at] winwinkungfu.com.

The studio is located at 2705 Murray Ave., on the ground floor of the Morrowfield building in Squirrel Hill South (map). 

2025 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival lineup announced.

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville has announced the lineup today for its annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, running this year from March 14 through March 27.

• Ghost Cat Anzu (化け猫あんずちゃん) - March 14, 15
• Ghost Killer (ゴーストキラー) - March 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
• Yojimbo (用心棒) - March 15, 16, 18, 19, 20
• Baby Assassins: Nice Days (ベイビーわるきゅーれ ナイスデイズ) - March 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
• Versus (ヴァーサス) - March 15
• Samurai Marathon (サムライマラソン) - March 16, 17, 18, 19,.20
• Akira (アキラ) - March 17
• Kill! (斬る) - March 20
• Ice Cream Fever (アイスクリームフィーバー) - March 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
• Onibaba (鬼婆) - March 21, 22, 24, 25
• The Hidden Fortress (隠し砦の三悪人) - March 21, 22, 23, 25, 26
• Look Back (ルックバック) - March 21
• The Colors Within (きみの色) - March 21, 22, 24, 25, 26
• Cha Cha (チャチャ) - March 22, 24, 26
• Red Beard (赤ひげ) - March 23
• Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (座頭市千両首) - March 26

Single tickets, ticket packages, and showtime information is now available online. Additional films and special events may be added later. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

2025 Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海) in Pittsburgh, from February 13.

The 2025 Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海) will play in Pittsburgh from February 13.

After the catastrophe, although the souls of Nezha and Aobing were saved, their bodies would soon be shattered. Taiyi Zhenren planned to use the seven-colored lotus to rebuild their bodies.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, and the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, and tickets are available online.

1985 Japanese animated movie Vampire Hunter D (吸血鬼ハンターD) in Pittsburgh for 40th anniversary, April 9, 10, and 13.

The 1985 Japanese animated movie Vampire Hunter D (吸血鬼ハンターD) will play in Pittsburgh on April 9, 10, and 13 to mark its 40th anniversary. A synopsis from the distributor:

Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents special 40th anniversary screenings of the cult classic Vampire Hunter D. In the year 12,090 AD, technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world, leaving the land desolate and despotic. The remnants of humanity are scattered into small communities and live in fear of vampires who compose the ruling Nobility. When Count Magnus Lee tastes the blood of Doris Lang, she is forcibly chosen to be his next wife. In an effort to escape her ill-gotten fate, she hires a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D, who comes from a peculiar lineage.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront, though more locations are likely to be announced in the future. Tickets are available online.

New Japanese animated movie Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning (機動戦士 Gundam GQuuuuuuX - Beginning - ) in Pittsburgh, from February 27.

The new Japanese animated movie Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from February 27. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Amate Yuzuriha is a high-school student living peacefully in a space colony floating in outer space. When she meets a war refugee named Nyaan, Amate is drawn into the illegal mobile suit dueling sport known as Clan Battle.

Under the entry name “Machu,” she throws herself into fierce battle day after day, piloting the GQuuuuuuX. Then an unidentified Gundam mobile suit pursued by both the space force and the police appears before her, along with its pilot, a boy named Shuji.

Now their world is about to enter a new era.

The first-ever major collaboration between studio khara, the studio behind the EVANGELION Series, and SUNRISE, the historic home to the Mobile Suit Gundam animated works, brings together an all-star creative team for a groundbreaking new entry to the Gundam universe. Directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL), with a screenplay co-written by legendary screenwriter Yoji Enokido (Revolutionary Girl Utena) and acclaimed filmmaker Hideaki Anno (EVANGELION Series), Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is a stunning visual feast that will captivate fans, both old and new.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, though more theaters are likely to be added in the future. Tickets are not yet on sale.