New restoration of 1949 Kurosawa film Stray Dog (野良犬) in Pittsburgh, July 24 - 26.

A new restoration of 1949 Kurosawa film Stray Dog (野良犬) will play in Pittsburgh on July 24 through 26, the first in a series of five classic Kurosawa films at the Harris Theater July through September.

A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo's sweltering streets for the "stray dog" whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami's own dark side. Starring Toshiro Mifune, as the rookie cop, and Takashi Shimura, as the seasoned detective who keeps him on the right side of the law, Stray Dog (Nora Inu) goes beyond a crime thriller, probing the squalid world of postwar Japan and the nature of the criminal mind.

Tickets for the film are available online. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in downtown's Cultural District (map).

2009 Japanese animated movie Summer Wars (サマーウォーズ) in Pittsburgh in 4K, July 27 - 29.

The 2009 Japanese animated movie Summer Wars (サマーウォーズ) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters in 4K from July 27 through 29.

Kenji is a shy, part-time moderator for OZ, the virtual reality world that powers everyday life, until pretty and popular Natsuki recruits him to be her fake boyfriend. While posing as an affluent suitor to Natsuki’s family, Kenji finds that a rogue A.I. program has stolen his online identity, and Kenji is accused of hacking OZ and causing real-world catastrophes. As the destruction in OZ throws Natsuki’s family into disarray, Kenji must unite his newfound connections to overcome an impending cyber apocalypse. Against a backdrop of stunning countryside vistas and virtual spaces bursting with color, Summer Wars is a timeless epic that explores life in the digital age from Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda (BELLE).

It is scheduled to play locally (so far) at the Cinemark in McCandless and Robinson. Tickets for the July 27 and 29 shows in Japanese with English subtitles and the July 28 show dubbed in English are available online.

Health Department shuts down newly-opened Enson Market and Ineffable Cà Phe.

The Health Department has shut down the new Enson Market and Ineffable Cà Phe, a large Asian grocery chain and Vietnamese coffee shop that soft-opened in Point Breeze on June 7, according to an article on the inspection report by Patch.

In a July 10 inspection, one dead mouse was discovered in the basement.

Too many large flies to count observed in the fish preparation room and in the vegetable prep area

in the rear hallway.

Red liquid was observed leaking from beef box pooling on floor of the walk-in freezer in between the

meat and fish prep areas.

The manager was observed scrubbing cooked pork snout and cheek with a stainless steel scrubber in the ware-washing sink in hot foods kitchen. Live and dead clams were observed commingled in a single tray at fresh fish counter.

Jay Som performing in Pittsburgh, December 12.

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jay Som will perform in Pittsburgh on December 12.

WHERE, YOU ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY ASKING, HAS JAY SOM BEEN? …six years ago, in 2019, Melina Duterte released Anak Ko, the expansive third album from the project that had quickly grown far beyond its so-called bedroom pop origins into something resembling an actual band. But when a shuttered touring industry scrapped Jay Som’s ambitious 2020 plans, Duterte realized she had long needed a reset from the road after several years of constant pivots between touring and writing. She decided to splurge on herself and her lifelong interest in recording, funneling her government stimulus check into a piece of dream gear—a vintage Neve console. She committed herself to manuals and online tutorials. Five years later, a Grammy for her work on The Record by boygenius, the band she subsequently joined as a touring member. Yes, Jay Som itself has been on a bit of a break; Duterte, however, has perhaps been busier than ever.

When Duterte reckoned the time had come to revisit Jay Som, she did not pretend to be hidebound by the project’s past. Instead, she let the half-decade of life she’d lived and work she’d done since releasing Anak Ko filter not only into her songs but also her process. But she also opened up her music to herself and her memories, writing songs that revisited the sounds of her youth with the benefit of her experiences as a musician, producer, and performer. She was neither shy about her influences nor limited about where they might lead her. And so no previous Jay Som album sounds quite like the new Belong, a gripping 11-song set about self-definition and, well, belonging, that floats between supercharged power-pop hits and hazy ballads, between electronic curiosities and lighters-up anthems. It is a map of the first 31 years of Duterte’s life, all leading to the present that is Belong.

Jay Som will perform at Spirit Lounge, 242 51st St in Lawrenceville (map). TIckets for the 21+ show are now available online.

Annual "Ihaw-Ihaw at Halo Halo & Bake Sale" fundraiser for Philippine-American Performing Arts of Greater Pittsburgh, August 10 at North Park.

The Philippine-American Performing Arts of Greater Pittsburgh will present its annual "Ihaw-Ihaw at Halo Halo & Bake Sale" fundraiser on August 10.

Taste authentic homemade Filipino cuisine! Join us with your familiy and friends, and don't forget to pick up delicious desserts from our bake sale!

It runs from 12 to 6 pm---or until food runs out---at the Rose Barn at North Park (map).

JJ Panda / Yoyo Panda reopens in Allison Park, this time led by Yotea & Yoka Kitchen team.

JJ Panda, which existed in Duncan Manor at various times the last couple years, reopened as JJ Panda / Yoyo Panda on July 9. This incarnation is run by the team behind Yotea & Yoka Kitchen in North Oakland. It is located at 1701 Duncan Ave. in Allison Park (map).

Comedian Fumi Abe at Bottlerocket Social Hall, July 18.

Japanese-American comedian Fumi Abe will perform at the Bottlerocket Social Hall on July 18.

Fumi Abe is a Japanese-American stand-up comedian/writer based in Los Angeles who recently made his TV debut on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

He has written for NPR’s “Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!”, was part of the 2020 Comedy Central Digital Creators Program, and is currently a staff writer on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

He produces and hosts a comedy podcast titled "Asian Not Asian", which was most recently included in Vulture’s Comedy Podcast Roundup as well as The AV Club’s Podcast series highlights.

The show starts at 8:00 pm and tickets are available online. Bottlerocket Social Hall is located at 1226 Arlington Ave. in the Allentown neighborhood (map).

US Translation Company hiring experienced Japanese-English interpreter for medical topics.

US Translation Company is hiring for a Japanese-English interpreter in the Pittsburgh area experienced in consecutive interpretation for medical topics. Those qualified and interested can contact Chloe at chloe@ustranslation.com or (801) 393-5300. Founded in 1995, US Translation Company (USTC)

is a leading provider of translation, interpretation, and localization services, helping organizations communicate effectively across global markets.

Compilation film JUJUTSU KAISEN: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death in Pittsburgh, July 16 and 17.

The compilation film JUJUTSU KAISEN: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on July 16 and 17. A synopsis of the movie and a summary of the event, from the distributor:

Before they were enemies, Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were high school classmates and friends. The two powerful sorcerers are tasked with protecting Riko Amanai, a student who has been designated to be sacrificed as the Star Plasma Vessel, until she can fulfill her duty. Pursued by a religious cult and other curse users, they are the only sorcerers capable of carrying out such a difficult task – but this mission will set their destinies, and challenge the two sorcerers in ways unimaginable.

The beloved and deeply emotional “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death” arc from the global phenomenon JUJUTSU KAISEN returns to the big screen, reaching all new heights for fans and newcomers alike.

. . .

JUJUTSU KAISEN: Hidden Inventory / Premature Death – The Movie comes to North American theaters nationwide beginning July 16th. The theatrical compilation feature returns to the widely beloved “Hidden Inventory / Premature Death” story arc of the globally acclaimed JUJUTSU KAISEN series, which focused on the younger days of fan-favorite characters Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, who shared a deep bond that was tested by one fateful mission. Featuring newly remixed sound for an immersive theater experience, and an all-new acoustic version of Tatsuya Kitani’s “Where Our Blue Is,” this high-quality adaptation, which captivated audiences during its original broadcast, reaches new heights—bringing the powerful story back to the big screen.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Asian Studies Center at University of Pittsburgh hiring Director of the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia.

In spite of the strategic hiring freeze at the University of Pittsburgh in place since March 10, the Asian Studies Center is hiring a Director of the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia.

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh seeks an experienced leader to direct one of seven coordinating sites of the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia (NCTA). In its 27th year, NCTA expands education about East Asia at K-12 level through professional development, curriculum development, and resource dissemination. The Director leads programming for K-12 educators across an 11-state region.