Free "We Learn: Survival Japanese (Tourist to Beginner Level)" Fridays at downtown Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Fridays in May from May 1.

"Osaka, Japan" by Pedro Szekely (Creative Commons).

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's downtown branch will host "We Learn: Survival Japanese (Tourist to Beginner Level)" on Fridays from May 1 through May 29.

Enjoy learning the basics of the Japanese language and culture from a certified, native Japanese instructor. We will learn greetings, etiquette and manners, survival phrases for traveling to Japan, visiting interesting tourist locations, and ordering food and shopping. We will also learn reading and writing – Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, Emoji, Anime and Manga. Each session is designed to be interactive and fun. The agenda can vary based on the interests of the students.

We Learn groups are volunteer-facilitated peer learning groups. 

The classes run from 11:00 am, and the library is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).

1985 Akira Kurosawa film Ran (乱) presented on 35 mm film, May 2 and 3 at Row House Hollywood.

The 1985 Akira Kurosawa film Ran (乱) will play at the Row House Hollywood in Dormont on May 2 and 3.

Akira Kurosawa brilliantly reimagines Shakespeare’s King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.

These screenings will be presented on 35 mm film and tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN GOYANG: LIVE VIEWING in Pittsburgh, April 11.

BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN GOYANG: LIVE VIEWING will be held in Pittsburgh-area theaters on April 11.

Pop Royalty BTS returns to the global stage with their highly anticipated world tour, marking their first large-scale tour in approximately four years. Spanning 34 cities across the world with a total of 82 shows, the tour opens with landmark concerts in Goyang, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, marking a new record for the most tour dates by a K-pop artist. Don’t miss your chance to experience two full-length concerts, presented live in cinemas worldwide. Titled ARIRANG, BTS’s world tour accompanies their fifth full-length album, which reflects the group’s identity through honest introspection and universal emotions such as longing and deep love, woven into music that defines them on their own terms. Featuring a spectacular 360-degree in-the-round stage design, the show delivers an immersive experience that places audiences at the very center of the performance. Share the electrifying moments of BTS’s defining cultural comeback together on the big screen worldwide.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Shows are 4:00 pm and 7:45 pm, and tickets are available online.

2025 Japanese animated movie ChaO (チャオ) in Pittsburgh, from April 9.

The 2025 Japanese animated movie ChaO (チャオ) will play in Pittsburgh from April 9.

In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence. Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue. Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings. Crafted over 7 years by the acclaimed STUDIO4°C and veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, ChaO is an inventive and genre-defying delight bursting with color and character. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, ChaO’s singular narrative is an ode to boundless love.

It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville and, from the 10th, at the Row House Hollywood in Dormont.

2025 documentary Queer as Punk in Pittsburgh, April 11.

The 2025 film Queer as Punk will play in Pittsburgh on April 11, a collaboration between SCREENSHOT: ASIA, JADED, and Aquarius (AQUARIUS (Alliance of Queer Underrepresented Asians in Recognition of Intersectionality to Uphold Solidarity). A synopsis, from the Singapore International Film Festival:

Openly queer punk-rock band Shh… Diam! turns up their music against rising conservatism and political upheaval in Malaysia.

Since meeting at a pool party in 2009, Faris, Yon and Yoyo have become a household name for their daring and snarky anthems celebrating queer desire and rage. Just as Faris begins his gender transition, Yon prepares to welcome a child and Yoyo considers migration, Malaysia escalates its rhetoric on purity and begins enacting corporal punishment on LGBTQ individuals. Through it all, the trio endeavours to continue their song.

Queer as Punk is a frank and immersive look at the private lives of the Shh… Diam (Malay for “keep quiet”) members on their world tour. More than a document of the times, the documentary elucidates and affirms the choice to leave for safety, or stay to continue resisting.

The free screening starts at 11:00 am at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map) and is followed by a Q&A with AQUARIUS.  

K-POP FUN FACTORY, a family-friendly Kpop event, April 12 at Enclave.

Enclave will host K-POP FUN FACTORY, a family-friendly K-pop fest, on April 12.

family fest! Live DJ, dancers, face painting, photo booth & meet-and-greet with Rumi — Sunday, April 12th, 12PM–3PM

Get ready for an unforgettable family-friendly K-Pop event in Pittsburgh! 🎤✨
K-POP FUN FACTORY is the ultimate interactive kids and family experience combining music, dance, entertainment, and magical moments all in one high-energy celebration. Join us on Sunday, April 12th from 12:00 PM–3:00 PM at Enclave (1602 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh) for a vibrant afternoon designed for K-pop fans, families, and young performers alike.

This exciting Pittsburgh kids event features a live DJ spinning upbeat tracks, professional K-pop dancers leading an interactive dance-along, colorful face painting, and a fun photo booth to capture memories. Plus, don’t miss the exclusive meet-and-greet with The Lead Huntress, where kids can say hello, take photos, and experience the magic up close. It’s the perfect weekend activity for families looking for fun things to do with kids in Pittsburgh.

ONE OK ROCK Detox Japan Tour 2025 at Nissan Stadium, in Pittsburgh from April 30.

The concert film ONE OK ROCK Detox Japan Tour 2025 at Nissan Stadium will play in the Pittsburgh area April 30, May 2, and May 4.

ONE OK ROCK DETOX JAPAN TOUR 2025 AT NISSAN STADIUM IN CINEMAS unleashes the raw pulse of a career-defining night—documenting the band’s commanding takeover of Japan’s iconic Nissan Stadium—where thunderous riffs, soaring vocals, and 70,000 voices collide into something electric, forging an unbreakable bond between the band and their worldwide legion of fans.

It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口) in Pittsburgh, from April 10.

The 2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口) will play in Pittsburgh from April 10.

A man becomes increasingly desperate when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station, needing to complete a mission to get out.

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

SILENT: Asia presents 1926 Japanese silent film A Page of Madness (狂った一頁), April 14 at Pitt.

SILENT: Asia, part of the University of Pittsburgh's SCREENSHOT: ASIA film festival and programming, will present the 1926 Japanese silent film A Page of Madness (狂った一頁) on April 14. A synopsis from the Row House Cinema, where the film played in 2021:

Set within the walls of a mental asylum in Japan, the film follows the story of a janitor (Masao Inoue) who takes a job at the institution in order to be closer to his wife (Yoshie Nakagawa), a former performer who has been institutionalized after suffering a mental breakdown. As the janitor navigates the eerie corridors of the asylum, he encounters a cast of characters haunted by their own inner demons, including patients, doctors, and nurses.

It will play at 6:30 pm in Frick Fine Arts (map) and is free and open to the public.

Shoku Next Door soft opens in Cranberry.

Shoku Next Door has soft opened in Cranberry Mall, after work began last autumn.

We’re your new neighborhood spot for quality sushi and casual dining. Grab a quick take-out on busy days or relax and dine in with friends — always delicious, always welcoming. Stop by and discover your next favorite sushi place, right next door!

It has a menu featuring sushi, hibachi and ramen, and is located in space 103 of Cranberry Mall (map).