Ambassador Gheewhan Kim and "Challenges in the Korean Peninsula: Nuclear, Trade and Economics", April 7 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Consul General of the Republic of Korea in New York Gheewhan Kim and his talk "Challenges in the Korean Peninsula: Nuclear, Trade and Economics" on April 7.

The Korean Peninsula currently faces many challenges. The biggest challenge is North Korea's continued development of nuclear and missile programs--ever-increasing threat not only to South Korea and its neighbors, but also the United States. In response, the United States and Korea agreed to deploy a missile defense system in South Korea. Opposing this alliance decision, China is taking a series of retaliatory measures against South Korea in trade, cultural exchanges, tourism, etc.

The sudden US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and growing nationalist sentiment has been increasing economic uncertainties in the Asia-Pacific region. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. What is a fair assessment of this agreement in terms of our common goals of economic growth and job creation?

The talk begins at 12:00 pm in the English Room (room number 144) on the first floor of the Cathedral of Learning (map). It is free and open to the public.

Inspired by Gamelan: Music by Indonesian and Western Composers, April 8 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of Music will present "Inspired by Gamelan: Music by Indonesian and Western Composers" at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium on April 8.

Pitt’s University Gamelan will present “Inspired by Gamelan: Music by Indonesian and Western Composers” on April 8th at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium. Gamelan comprises mainly percussion instruments including tuned gongs, metal-keyed instruments, and drums (as well as bamboo flute and voice). This instrumentation has a unique capacity to saturate the air with resonances that reach from rumbling lows to shimmering highs. The concert will feature student performers and two artists-in-residence: Endang Sukandar and Endang Rukandi.

General admission tickets are $8.50 in advance or $12 at the door; Pitt students are free and non-Pitt students and senior citizens pay $5 in advance or $8 at the door. The Frick Fine Arts building is located in Oakland (map), across from Schenley Plaza and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

Signage up for new Asian hair salon in Squirrel Hill.

Signage recently went up for InStyle Hair Salon, an Asian hair salon coming to 5815 Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill. It was most recently a Kidz & Company children's clothing store.

New noodle restaurant coming to Squirrel Hill.

A March 31 building permit at 2103 Murray Ave. (map), what was most recently Sree's Foods, indicates a new noodle restaurant is coming to Squirrel Hill.

Hit Japanese animated movie Your Name (君の名は) in Pittsburgh, from April 7.

The record-setting Japanese movie Your Name (君の名は) will be premiering across the United States on April 7, and will open in Pittsburgh at the SouthSide Works Cinema. The distributor provides a summary:

From director Makoto Shinkai, the innovative mind behind Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters Per Second, comes a beautiful masterpiece about time, the thread of fate, and the hearts of two young souls.

The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint.

When a dazzling comet lights up the night’s sky, it dawns on them. They want something more from this connection—a chance to meet, an opportunity to truly know each other. Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars?

Tickets and showtimes are available from the Southside Works Cinema website. The shows will be in Japanese with English subtitles except the first screening of the day, which will be dubbed in English. The theater is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the SouthSide Works shopping center (map).

How To: Asia - Chinese Papercutting at Pitt, April 5.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host the next in its How To: Asia series with a workshop on Chinese Papercutting on April 5.

As part of our How To: Asia series, Tiantian (Maggie) Lyu will teach students the folk art of papercutting.  Its history dates back more than two thousand years.  Participants will have a chance to create their own paper cuttings.

The event starts at 3:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

Documentary The Eagle Huntress at CMU, April 6.

The Eagle Huntress, the 2016 documentary about a 13-year-old girl training to be an eagle hunter in Mongolia, will play at the Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival on April 6. A brief synopsis from the distributor:

THE EAGLE HUNTRESS follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries.

Set against the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS features some of the most awe-inspiring cinematography ever captured in a documentary, giving this intimate tale of a young girl's quest the dramatic force of an epic narrative film.

While there are many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently reject the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan's father Nurgaiv believes that a girl can do anything a boy can, as long as she's determined.

The movie starts at 7:00 pm in the Jared L. Cohon University Center McConomy Auditorium (map) and includes an interaction with a live falcon from the National Aviary. Tickets are available online.

Poet and calligrapher Huang Xiang at Shaler North Hills Library April 6, Maridon Museum April 8.

Chinese poet and calligrapher Huang Xiang will appear at Shaler North Hills Library on April 6, part of its weekly Art and Inspiration series. Writes the Tribune-Review:

During Xiang's library appearance on April 6 he might show “Century Mountain Morph,” a video showcasing “The Century Mountain Project” and some videos highlighting his life, Rock said. Host Alyssa Sineni, Art and Inspiration executive director of programming and community outreach, will facilitate a dialogue between Xiang and the audience and possibly share her own poetry.

“He somehow transcends the language barrier,” Rock said. “Like, people feel an emotional reaction when he performs his poetry. You don't have to understand Chinese, but we always have an English version read also.”

The event starts at 7:00 pm and is free and open to the public. The library is located at 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd. (map).

Huang will be at the Maridon Museum in downtown Butler on April 8 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. His work will be on display from the 8th through June 3. A $10 donation is suggested for the April 8 event.

Squirrel Hill's Thai & Noodle Outlet to open March 31.

Squirrel Hill's Thai & Noodle Outlet is scheduled to open tonight, March 31.

Signage went up earlier in the month at 5813 Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill (map), in what was most recently Sukhothai Bistro. That replaced Cool Ice Taipei, a Taiwanese food place, back in June 2014.

"Natural and Unnatural Disasters 3/11, Asbestos, and the Unmaking of Japan's Modern World" at Pitt on April 3, IUP on April 4.

Dr. Brett L. Walker of Montana State University will speak at the University of Pittsburgh on April 3 and Indiana University of Pennsylvania on April 4 on "Natural and Unnatural Disasters: 3/11, Asbestos, and the Unmaking of Japan's Modern World":

At 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake devastated northeastern Japan and caused one of Earth’s most dangerous nuclear catastrophes. Along with an enduring nuclear legacy, it also left an estimated 25 millions tons of rubble, much of it contaminated with asbestos and other carcinogenic toxins. Indeed, when the tides of the devastating tsunami ebbed, the unnatural disaster of cleaning up Japan’s pulverized and aerosolized built environment remained. Now, every time a backhoe or shovel digs into this rubble, asbestos fibers are released into the environment to threaten human health.

Japan's history of asbestos use contrasts with many other industrialized nations. Although the United States EPA began phasing out asbestos in the 1970s, Japan continued to chrysotile asbestos until 2004. Indeed, asbestos was a critical fiber in the construction of Japan's modern built environment because of the culturally engrained fear of fire. Professor Walker will examine asbestos in the construction and, more importantly, destrucution of Japan's built environment, with a focus on the impact of the 3/11 disaster and the later clean up.

The event at Pitt starts at 3:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map). The event at IUP runs from 3:30 to 5:30 pm in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Rm. 225. Both are free and open to the public.

New Chinese movie The Devotion of Suspect X (嫌疑人X的献身) in Pittsburgh, from March 31.

The 2017 Chinese movie The Devotion of Suspect X (嫌疑人X的献身) will play at AMC Loews Waterfront from March 31, the date of its national premieres in China and the US. AMC provides a summary of the film, an adaptation of the 2005 Japanese novel:

Based on Keigo Higashinoas award-winning novel, THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X follows a professor (Wang Kai) assisting in a murder investigation, only to find that a longtime rival and friend (Zhang Luyi) from his early university days may be involved.

Tickets are available from the AMC website. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

Direct flights between Pittsburgh and China in the works?

Talk about burying the lede: a Tribune-Review story headlined by the cost of a trip to China hides the news that local airport officials are exploring the possibility of non-stop flights between Pittsburgh and China.

Allegheny County, Pittsburgh International Airport and tourism officials are traveling in China this week in the hopes of establishing air service between the airport in Findlay and China.

Bob Kerlik, airport spokesman, said the group includes County Executive Rich Fitzgerald; Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis; Bryan Dietz, the airport's vice president of air service development; Vince Gastgeb, the airport's vice president of government and community affairs; VisitPittsburgh CEO Craig Davis; and Idea Foundry CEO Mike Matesic.

. . .

The goal of the trip is to establish scheduled nonstop flights between Pittsburgh and China, which would likely take several years to finalize, he said.

In the shorter term, officials hope to establish chartered flights to China and pursue opportunities with tour operators.

2017 Korean Food Bazaar (제22회 선교바자회), May 6 in Shadyside.

Look for the 2017 Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh Korean Food Bazaar (제22회 선교바자회) on Saturday, May 6, from 10:00 to 4:00 pm. The highly-anticipated annual Korean food festival is in its 22nd year, and is held at 821 S. Aiken Ave. in Shadyside (map).

"A Comparative Study of Ethnic Minority-Serving Higher Education Institutions in China and the United States", April 10 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Institute for International Studies in Education will host PhD candidate and IISE Program Coordinator Weiyan Xiong and his talk "A Comparative Study of Ethnic Minority-Serving Higher Education Institutions in China and the United States" as part of this term's Symposium Series on April 10. The event runs from 12:00 to 1:30 pm 5640 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Dubbed version of Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -オーディナル・スケール) in Pittsburgh, April 23.

If you missed the Pittsburgh premiere of the Japanese animated movie Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン -オーディナル・スケール) on March 9, the Hollywood Theater in Dormont will show a dubbed-in-English version on April 23 The official site provides a plot summary of the movie, which opened in Japan in February:

In 2022, the world of virtual reality was upended by the arrival of a new invention from a genius programmer, Akihiko Kayaba, called NerveGear. It was the first full-dive system, and with it, came endless possibilities to VRMMORPGs.

In 2026, a new machine called the Augma is developed to compete against the NerveGear and its successor, the Amusphere. A next-gen wearable device, the Augma doesn't have a full-dive function like its predecessors. Instead, it uses Augmented Reality (AR) to get players into the game. It is safe, user-friendly and lets users play while they are conscious, making it an instant hit on the market. The most popular game on the system is "Ordinal Scale" (aka: OS), an ARMMORPG developed exclusively for the Augma.

Asuna and the gang have already been playing OS for a while, by the time Kirito decides to join them. They're about to find out that Ordinal Scale isn't all fun and games…

Tickets for the 2:00 pm show are available online for $15. The theater is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

2016 Korean zombie movie Train to Busan (부산행) at Pitt, March 31.

The 2016 Korean movie Train to Busan (부산행) will play at the University of Pittsburgh on March 31 as part of the Department of East Asian Language & Literatures' Korean Film Festival. A July 2016 New York Times review summarizes the 2016 hit zombie movie:

The setup is lean and clean. A flattened deer, mowed down in a quarantine zone in Seoul where some kind of chemical spill has occurred (echoes of Bong Joon-ho’s 2007 enviro-horror film, “The Host”), springs back to life. Then, in just a few swiftly efficient scenes, we meet a harried hedge-fund manager and his small, sad daughter (Gong Yoo and an amazing Kim Su-ahn), see them settled on the titular locomotive and watch in dismay as a vividly unwell last-minute passenger lurches onboard. And we’re off!

Sprinting right out of the gate, the director, Yeon Sang-ho, dives gleefully into a sandbox of spilled brains and smug entitlement. (“In the old days, they’d be re-educated,” one biddy remarks upon spying an undesirable fellow traveler.) As zombies chomp and multiply, an assortment of regular folks face them down while furthering an extended critique of corporate callousness. The politics are sweet, but it’s the creatures that divert. Eyes like Ping-Pong balls and spines like rubber — I’d wager more than a few chiropractors were required on the set — they attack in seizures of spastic energy. They’re like break-dancing corpses.

The movie will play from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

"Distant Reading and Modern Japanese Literature" at Pitt, March 30.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center is hosting the University of Chicago's Hoyt Long and his talk "Distant Reading and Modern Japanese Literature" on March 30. It starts at 3:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

"San Mao: Oasis or Mirage? The Phenomenon of the 'Chinese Woman of the Desert'" at Pitt, March 31.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures will present graduate student Sandi Ward's colloquium "San Mao: Oasis or Mirage? The Phenomenon of the 'Chinese Woman of the Desert'" on March 31.

San Mao (三毛, 1943-1991) was one of the most popular writers in the Chinese-speaking world during the 1970s and '80s. Her most popular works concern life with her Spanish husband in Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) and the Canary Islands. These tales portray San Mao as an independent, resourceful wanderer making a home for herself wherever she goes, and interacting with overlooked members of society. San Mao's self-depiction as a representative of Chinese culture spreading goodwill throughout the world found a receptive audience in 1970s Taiwan, with her fame spreading to mainland China in the 1980s. These waves of enthusiasm for San Mao's work were dubbed "San Mao Fever" or the "San Mao Phenomenon."

"San Mao: Oasis or Mirage? The Phenomenon of the 'Chinese Woman of the Desert'" explores San Mao's popularity using Raymond Williams' term "structures of feeling." Williams used "structures of feeling" to describe the state of experiences as they emerge and develop; they help identify a generation or a spirit of an era. I argue that San Mao and her readers shared an affinity with a particular structure of feeling emphasizing freedom, equality, and self-expression, at a time when readers in Taiwan and mainland China faced government oppression and isolation from the wider world. Meanwhile, critics disdained San Mao in part because they inherently lacked access to this structure of feeling.

The talk begins at 12:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

"K-pop: The Rise of the Machine" lecture and noraebang, March 31 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Daehwa: Korean Conversation Club will host Dr. Yun-oh Whang and the lecture "K-pop: The Rise of the Machine" on March 31. The event will include a noraebang ("singing room") experience. It runs from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm in room 548 of the William Pitt Union (map).

Chinese-Canadian movie Old Stone (老石) at CMU International Film Festival, March 30.

The 2016 Chinese-Canadian film Old Stone老石) will play in Pittsburgh on March 30, part of the annual Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival.

Old Stone follows the repercussions of a car accident in a society where life is cheap and compassion is ruinously expensive. Chinese taxi driver Lao Shi finds himself in a living nightmare after he reluctantly picks up a drunken passenger and must face the consequences of a car accident that permanently cripples a pedestrian. According to Chinese law, Lao Shi is required to assume financial responsibility for the injured pedestrian until the end of that individual's life. As he fights to save the life he once had and strives to do the right thing, Lao Shi is forced to act in ways contrary to his own identity and morals.

A panel discussion with Jinying Li, Assistant Professor of Film Studies at the University of Pittsburgh and Tae Wan Kim, Assistant Professor of Business Ethics at CMU will accompany the screening. The event starts at 7:00 pm in McConomy Auditorium in the Jared L Cohon University Center (map), and tickets are currently available online.

Chinese movie The Devotion of Suspect X (嫌疑人X的献身) in Pittsburgh, from March 31.

The 2017 Chinese movie The Devotion of Suspect X (嫌疑人X的献身) will play at AMC Loews Waterfront from March 31. AMC provides a summary of the film, an adaptation of the 2005 Japanese novel:

Based on Keigo Higashinoas award-winning novel, THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X follows a professor (Wang Kai) assisting in a murder investigation, only to find that a longtime rival and friend (Zhang Luyi) from his early university days may be involved.

Tickets are available from the AMC website. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.