Work progresses on Sokoya, a Japanese izakaya coming to East Liberty.

Work progresses on Sokoya, a Japanese izakaya coming soon to East Liberty. It will be located at at 135 S. Highland Ave. (map), where Patron was until November 2025. We first covered the space in February, when paperwork referred to its sushi bar.

1954 movie Godzilla (ゴジラ) at Row House Hollywood, November 1, 4, and 5.

The 1954 movie Godzilla (ゴジラ) will return to Pittsburgh from November 1, ahead of the debut of the latest in the franchise Godzilla Minus Zero (ゴジラ-0.0) playing in the area from November 5.

Before Godzilla fought Kong or Mothra in 4K, he rose out of the sea and changed sci-fi films forever as an allegory for the follies of a nuclear world. We’re showing the very first film in the iconic franchise. See Ishirô Honda’s original smash hit classic that brought to life the unstoppable dinosaur-like creature hell-bent on destroying Tokyo.

It plays at the Row House Hollywood theater in Dormont November 1, 4, and 5, and tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

1985 Japanese film Tampopo (タンポポ) at Row House Hollywood, from November 20.

The 1985 Japanese film Tampopo (タンポポ) will play at the Row House Hollywood on November 20, 22, and 25.

This humorous and endearing ‘Japanese Noodle Western’ is and ode to the joys of food. When a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles, the widowed owner begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the “art of noodle-soup making.”

Tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

Freshworks: lys scott, November 6 and 7 at Kelly Strayhorn Theater.

The Kelly Strayhorn Theater will present "Freshworks: lys scott" on November 6 and 7.

Growing up in a small town, lys scott (she/they) discovered that living authentically sometimes meant being called the “Crazy Girl.” As a first-generation LGBTQIA+ Thai American artist, lys brings their fearless storytelling and multidisciplinary performance style together in chronicles of a crazy girl. This performance in progress invites audiences inside lys’s inner world – a whimsical, nonlinear journey exploring the liberation of individuality, sexuality, and relationships with their immigrant family.  

Embracing musical spontaneity, theatrical performance, and media design, each scene reveals a new layer of their emotions, rooted in identity, resilience, and self-discovery.

Shows run from 7:30 to 9:00 pm both nights, including a post-show discussion, and tickets are available online. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater is located at 5941 Penn Ave. in East Liberty (map). 

Japanese metal idol group Broken by the Scream performing in Harrisburg, April 2027.

The Japanese metal idol group Broken by the Scream will perform in Harrisburg on April 30, 2027, part of next year's "World Tour" in North America. Tickets for the show at the Capital City Music Hall go on sale October 30 at 10:00 am.

Ebisu Life Store Grand Opening in Cranberry scheduled for November 14; soft opening date TBA.

The Pittsburgh area's second Ebisu Life Store will hold its Grand Opening on November 14, according to an Instagram post yesterday that has some video clips of the massive space. It will be located in Cranberry Township, at 20217 Route 19 Suite 203 in a former Party City in a strip mall near the Walmart at the intersection of Route 19 and Old Freedom Rd. Ebisu Japanese Life Store is a Chinese chain specializing in Japanese goods, with its stores featuring cosmetics, snacks, homegoods, stationary, gacha machines, plushes, models, collectibles, Pokemon cards, and more. It opened its first area location in Squirrel Hill in October 2024.

Pittsburgh Taiko Beginner Classes, November 15, 22, December 6, 13.

Pittsburgh Taiko will hold its next installment of Beginner Classes from November 15.

Learn taiko drumming with Pittsburgh Taiko!

On Sunday mornings starting November 15, Pittsburgh Taiko will hold a four-week introductory class. This class is for people who are interested in joining our performing group or anyone who wants to just give taiko a try.

Taiko combines energetic hits with calm focus, balances group unity with individual expression, and requires both power and subtlety.

Each class is from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at our studio in Bellevue.

Dates and times for the four-week course:

Class 1: Sunday, November 15, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Class 2: Sunday, November 22, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Class 3: Sunday, December 6, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Class 4: Sunday, December 13, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
No experience is necessary! If you recently took one of our workshops, this will be a more in-depth study of some of the topics we introduced there.

These classes are designed for adults and older kids (high school or older). Discounted rates are available for full-time students and JASP members.

Note that our studio is a masked space, and unfortunately it is not accessible to folks who can't climb stairs.

A set of frequently-asked questions are answered on the Pittsburgh Taiko website. The cost is $40 for high school students, college students, and Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania members, and $50 for the general public, and registration is completed online.

2006 Korean monster movie The Host (괴물) in Pittsburgh, November 21 and 23.

The 2006 Korean monster movie The Host (괴물) will play in Pittsburgh on November 21 and 23.

Careless American military personnel dump chemicals into South Korea's Han River. Several years later, a creature emerges from the tainted waters and sinks its ravenous jaws into local residents. It abducts Hyun-seo (A-sung Ko) the daughter of Kang-du (Kang-ho Song), who works at a food-stand on the banks of the river. The government announces that the monstrous thing is the Host of an unidentified virus. Having feared the worst, Kang-du receives a phone call from his daughter who is frightened, but very much alive. Kang-du soon makes plans to infiltrate the forbidden zone near the Han River to rescue his daughter.

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

1989 Japanese animated movie Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) at Rangos Giant Cinema, December 28.

The 1989 Japanese animated movie Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) will play at the Rangos Giant Cinema on December 28.

Being able to fly isn’t always easy. Sometimes you need to take long walks and look at the scenery. Teenage witch Kiki leaves home for the traditional year of independence to practice her craft. The change is harder than expected but with help from her new friends, her community, and the discovery of her inner strength, Kiki discovers she’s more capable than she knew. Join us on Mon., Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. for “Kiki’s Delivery Service.”

The show starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are available online. The Kamin Science Center, formerly known as the Carnegie Science Center, is located at 1 Allegheny Ave. on the North Shore (map).

Concerts from TXT, Enhypen, SEVENTEEN, BTS in Pittsburgh, from October 24 for HyBe CINEFEST.

Several concert films from Korean pop groups will be in Pittsburgh-area theaters from October 24 through 31 as part of an HyBe CINEFEST series of movies.

• October 24 - 31 - HYBE Cheering Party 
• October 24, 25 - BTS ARIRANG in Buenos Aires: Live Viewing
• October 24, 29, 30 - TOMORROW X TOGETHER WORLD TOUR 'ACT : TOMORROW'
• October 25, 27, 28 - ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR 'BLOOD SAGA' 
• October 26, 28, 31 - SEVENTEEN World Tour New_
• October 30, 31 - BTS ARIRANG in Sao Paolo: Live Viewing

Tickets are available online.