FRESA's Pop Asia Showcase, December 4 at Pitt.

Pitt's FRESA---Fresh Entertainment by Student Artists---will host its Pop Asia Showcase on December 4.

It's time for our end of semester showcase! Come and support our students as we cover some of this year's biggest K-pop and C-pop hits, by BTS, BlackPink, EXO, Red Velvet, Twice and more! Enjoy dancing and singing covers, refreshments and raffles!

Pitt Fresh Entertainment By Student Artists (FRESA) is a student group celebrating Asian cultures through music. Our club performs dance and vocal covers of music in the Korean, Japanese, and Chinese entertainment industries. Our students work hard to represent these cultures through performances, so please come and support!

It runs from 4:30 to 7:30 pm in the O'Hara Student Center Ballroom (map) and is free and open to the public.

Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) playing in the Pittsburgh area, December 4 and 5.

The 2001 Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) will play in select theaters as part of its 15th anniversary, and it will appear in several places in western Pennsylvania on December 4 and 5.

"Japan, Ink: Global Flows of 'Deviant' Body Modification" at Pitt, November 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host John Skutlin, a Pitt graduate and a PhD candidate at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and his talk "Japan, Ink: Global Flows of 'Deviant' Body Modification", on November 28.

Japan boasts a rich history of tattooing that flourished most visibly in the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), when generations of horishi tattoo artists hand-carved intricate full-body tattoos of magnificent dragons, intrepid carp, and courageous heroes upon the flesh of the country’s working classes. In spite of this time-honored tradition, having a tattoo in Japan can prevent one from entering onsen (hot springs), public baths, pools, beaches, and gyms, and can even hinder employment and marriage prospects. Also, tattoo artists are technically punishable under Japanese law for “practicing medicine without a license.” Tattoos have earned increasing acceptance in the U.S. and Europe, with some polls estimating that 1 in 5 American adults have been inked, and similar numbers showing up in the U.K. Why then, in the face of the globalization of tattoo culture, has the stigma against tattooing persisted in Japan, and where did it originate? With increasing numbers of young people in Japan choosing to go under the needle as a fashion statement, how do they cope with the stigma and negotiate the meanings of their body modifications? As the Tokyo 2020 Olympics approach, the subject of tattooing is increasingly coming into Japan’s public spotlight. This talk uses the example of tattooing and other forms of body modification to examine the ways in which systems of “body power” – cultural, social, and institutional frameworks of control over the body – in Japan are both reinforced and challenged by global flows of “deviant decorative body modification,” such as tattooing, piercing, and cosmetic surgery.

John M. Skutlin is an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh's East Asian Languages & Literatures department and a current PhD candidate in Japanese Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Having previously researched and written about goth subculture in Japan, his ongoing research project focuses on global flows of body modification in Japan from a cultural anthropological perspective.

The talk will be held from 4:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Steelers의 김장.

Saveur magazine visits Korea in its profile of various sauces, and makes reference to "the Pittsburgh of Korea" and its professional soccer team, the Pohang Steelers. The team adopted the name in 1997, and the city---a hub of industry and steel---has been called the "Pittsburgh of Korea" for decades. The Steelers' website published photos on the 21st of the team participating in a local gimjang (김장), the annual late-autumnal preparation of kimchi.

“Innovative Online and EFL Education Examples from China and Colombia” symposium lecture at Pitt, December 7.

The Institute for International Studies in Education at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education will present “Innovative Online and EFL Education Examples from China and Colombia” as the next installment of its Fall 2016 symposium series. The three presentations by visiting scholars in the IISE are:

* “Designing MOOCs in a Chinese Social Network Environment” by IISE Visiting Scholar, Dr. Xiufang Ma
* “A Reverse Mentoring Program in Elementary Levels during the Practicum in Monteria, Colombia” by IISE Visiting Scholar, Luis Mario Viaña Patrón
* “A Study on Cultivating Pragmatic Competence of Chinese EFL Learners” by IISE Visiting Scholar, Xiaoyan Xu

The symposium runs from 12:00 to 1:30 pm in 5604 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

1993 Studio Ghibli film Ocean Waves (海がきこえる) in Pittsburgh, and the US, for the first time in January

The 1993 Studio Ghibli film Ocean Waves (海がきこえる) will play at the Row House Cinema from January 20 through 26, 2017, as part of the theater's Young Love series. The distributor provides a summary:

Rarely seen outside of Japan, Ocean Waves is a subtle, poignant and wonderfully detailed story of adolescence and teenage isolation. Taku and his best friend Yutaka are headed back to school for what looks like another uneventful year. But they soon find their friendship tested by the arrival of Rikako, a beautiful new transfer student from Tokyo whose attitude vacillates wildly from flirty and flippant to melancholic. When Taku joins Rikako on a trip to Tokyo, the school erupts with rumors, and the three friends are forced to come to terms with their changing relationships.

Ocean Waves was the first Studio Ghibli film directed by someone other than studio founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, as director Tomomi Mochizuki led a talented staff of younger employees in an adaptation of Saeko Himuro’s best-selling novel. Full of shots bathed in a palette of pleasingly soft pastel colors and rich in the unexpected visual details typical of Studio Ghibli’s most revered works, Ocean Waves is an accomplished teenage drama and a true discovery.

Ticket information and showtimes have not yet been announced. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Banh Mi & Ti now open in Lawrenceville.

via Banh Mi & Ti Facebook page.

The newest Vietnamese sandwich shop, Banh Mi & Ti, soft opened on November 16. It's located at 4502 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map), in what was formerly Jack + Jules.

Documentary The Eagle Huntress in Pittsburgh, from November 25.

The Eagle Huntress, the 2016 documentary about a 13-year-old girl training to be an eagle hunter in Mongolia, will play at the Harris Theater from November 25 through December 8.

Ikebana with CMU's Japanese Student Association, November 18.

Carnegie Mellon University's Japanese Student Association will host an ikebana session on Friday, November 18 as part of the JSA's Culture Month.

For our last event in JSA's Culture Month, we will showcase Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arrangement, in Doherty Hall 2302. More than just putting flowers in a pot, this art is a disciplined, intricate practice that translates the beauty one might see on a painting to real life. You will also be making your very own display to keep! If you are taking a Japanese course in CMU, then extra credit will be given for attendance!

Ikebana (生け花) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, and a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together. Ikebana often emphasizes other areas of the plant, such as its stems and leaves, and draws emphasis toward shape, line, and form. Though ikebana is a creative expression, it has certain rules governing its form. The artist's intention behind each arrangement is shown through a piece's color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the usually implied meaning of the arrangement.

The event runs from 5:00 to 6:30 pm in Doherty Hall 2032 (map).

North Korean Film Festival at Pitt, November 18 and 19.

Program of events for Friday, November 18.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host a North Korean Film Festival on November 18 and 19. On Friday the 18th, the films An Emissary Unreturned and Bulgasari will play in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium (map) at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, respectively. On Friday the 19, Flower Girl will play at 2:00 and Fate of Kum Hui and Un Hui will play in Auditorium A of the University Club (map).

An Emissary Unreturned and Pulgasari will comprise a Shin Song-ok and North Korean Cinema program with Princeton University's Steven Chung on Friday the 18th, while Flower Girl and Fate of Kum Hui and Un Hui will comprise a North Korean Cinema and China in the Cultural Revolution Era program.

Singaporean film Apprentice (徒刑) in Pittsburgh, November 19.

The the 2016 Singaporean film Apprentice(徒刑) will play on at the Regent Square Theater on November 19 as part of this year's Three Rivers Film Festival.

Noodle Uchi now open in Oakland.

Noodle Uchi is now open at 415 S. Craig St. (map) in Oakland. It offers a build-your-own ramen bowl, and is owned by Ting Yen of Oakland's Sushi Fuku and Fuku Tea.


Menu via Noodle Uchi's Facebook page.

Signage first went up in August in the space that used to be Maximum Flavor Pizza shop.

Ahn Trio in Pittsburgh, November 28.

The Ahn Trio will perform at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland on November 28.

Hailed as "exacting and exciting musicians" by the LA Times, the three sisters of the Ahn Trio (Lucia on the piano, Angella on the violin, and Maria on the cello) have earned a distinguished reputation for embracing 21st century classical music with their unique style and innovative collaborations.

Tickets are currently available online at $39 and $45, though $15 student rush tickets will be available at the door with a valid student ID.

Singer, actor Xiao Yu in Pittsburgh for 52hz, I Love You premiere.

via event's Facebook page.

Attendees at the Pittsburgh screening of the new Taiwanese musical film 52hz, I Love You on November 5 at Carnegie Mellon University had a meet-and-greet with one of the stars, singer Xiao Yu (小玉) of the band Cosmos People (宇宙人). Several of the movie's stars are traveling the US and Canada for the film's North American tour.

Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) playing in Pittsburgh, December 4 and 5.

The 2001 Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) will play in select theaters as part of its 15th anniversary, and it will appear in several places in western Pennsylvania on December 4 and 5.

Sumo Showdown in Pittsburgh, January 21.

Suno Showdown, a sumo competition featuring Japanese wrestlers and local celebrities, will take place in Pittsburgh on January 21.

The Young Presidents Organization Pittsburgh Chapter will host this unforgettable charity event benefiting the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh. Sumo is one of the most popular sports in Japan, and we’re ecstatic to be bringing it to Pittsburgh to benefit our region’s youth. Sumo matches were originally held to raise money to construct shrines, temples or to replace bridges, but this January a Sumo match will be held to raise money for the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh in conjunction with our celebrity partners’ charities. Professional Sumo wrestler will be flown in to compete along side local CEOs and celebrities.

The event takes place on January 21 at 7:00 pm at Stage AE on the North Shore (map). Tickets are currently available online and range from $35 to $100 for adults.

Blogilates: Fitness Class and Lecture at Pitt, November 13.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Students Alliance will host a Fitness Class and Lecture with Asian-American fitness entrepreneur Blogilates on November 13.

Cassey Ho, also known by the alias Blogilates, is an Asian-American social-media fitness entrepreneur with a YouTube channel with over 3 million subscribers. She is considered an Internet personality and a rising YouTube star nationally and internationally. Come take part in a special fitness class instructed by Cassey and stay after to hear her speak about her experiences about how being Asian-American shaped her journey to where she is today!

PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN YOGA MATS TO THE EVENT.

After the fitness class and lecture, there is an exclusive Meet & Greet for VIP Members of the Asian Students Alliance. Anyone can buy a membership during ASA Office Hours (Tuesday, 12-6pm) in WPU 609 or during ASA November GBM & Social for $10.

The event runs from 6:30 to 9:30 pm in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room (map). The event is free for Pitt students with valid student ID, and tickets for all others are $10. Tickets are available in the William Pitt Union Ticket Office through November 10.

Japanese Tea Ceremony at Carnegie Mellon, November 11.

The Carnegie Mellon University Japanese Student Association will host a Japanese Tea Ceremony on Friday, November 11.

The Japanese tea ceremony, Sado (茶道), also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha (抹茶), powdered green tea. The tea ceremony involves preparing powdered tea for guests according to custom and enjoying its austere taste quietly and serenely. Influenced by Zen Buddhism, the tea ceremony seeks to purify the mind and attain oneness with nature.

This event is a part of JSA's Culture Month, where we showcase the rich, unique culture of Japan in an assortment of performances, ceremonies and food. Join us as we celebrate culture in the month of November!

The event runs from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in Danforth Lounge of the Cohen University Center on Forbes Ave.

New restoration of 1985 film Tampopo (タンポポ) at Hollywood Theater, November 12 - 14.

A new restoration of the 1985 Japanese movie Tampopo (タンポポ) will play at the Hollywood Theater from November 12 through 14.

"Does Social Conflict Decrease Trust: Evidence From China's One Child Policy", November 14 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Economics will host department Ph.D. candidate Yi Han and her brownbag seminar, "Does Social Conflict Decrease Trust: Evidence From China's One Child Policy", on November 14. The talk runs from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in 4716 Posvar (map), and is free and open to the public.

"Jade and settlement: development of social complexity at Lingjiatan" at Pitt, November 11.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Anthropology will host Dr. Wu Weihong of Anhui Province of Archaeology and his talk "Jade and settlement: development of social complexity at Lingjiatan" on November 11 as part of the department's colloquium series. The talk starts at 3:00 pm in 3106 Posvar (map) and is free and open to the public.