7th annual Tomodachi Festival at Carnegie Library in Oakland, April 28.

The Main Branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host the 7th annual Tomodachi Festival on Saturday, April 28.

Tomodachi is a Japanese word meaning “friends.” Help us celebrate the spirit of friendship through activities, art and food that showcase Japan, its people and rich history. Activities will include Kamishibi storytelling, singing and dancing, origami art, kimono try-ons, and Japanese inspired refreshments.

“Tomodachi Festival” adopts the spirit of celebrating children's’ happiness. Its takes a place in the Children's section in the Carnegie-Main in Oakland, and we design the festival joyful for all ages. Especially this year, Kamishibai Guys and Tomodachi Festival Ambassador are brilliant!

"Storytime: Chinese and English" at Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill, April 28.

The Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host its next "Storytime: Chinese and English" on April 28.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Chinese. For children birth – 5 years and their caregivers.

It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am and is free and open to the public. The Carnegie Library branch in Squirrel Hill is located at 5801 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by buses 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, and 74.

The Beauty of Chinese Dance, April 28 at Carson Middle School.

The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans will present The Beauty of Chinese Dance on April 28 at Carson Middle School.

This special performance presented by the OCA Performance Ensemble features classical Chinese dance performances, Martial Arts demonstrations, and Chinese Yoyo by the OCA Performance Ensemble, Friends4dance, Pittsburgh Chinese School, Win-Win Kung Fu Cultural Center, and Tzu Chi Academy. Prices: $5 Students/Seniors; $8 OCA Members; $10 General. Tickets available by mail and at the door. Contact info@ocapghpa.org for more information.

The performance runs from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Carson Middle School is part of North Allegheny School District and is located in the North Hills suburb (map).

HCL Technologies hiring Bilingual Japanese Product Analyst for position onsite at Google.

HCL Technologies is again hiring a Bilingual Japanese Product Analyst for a position working onsite at Google in Larimer. The posting, via Monster.com:

Billingual Japanese Product Identity Analyst is a full-time job through HCL America, Inc. onsite at Google Pittsburgh. This position requires entrepreneurial drive to contribute to the long-term growth of online shopping by performing in-depth research, analyzing product specification data, using highly technical internal tools and processes to manage and enhance a large repository of knowledge about products. It is part of a fast-paced environment, partnering closely with operations and engineering teams.

Upcoming movie Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern Part One (はいからさんが通る) in Pittsburgh, June 10.

The film adaptation of the long-running animated TV series Haikara-san ga Tōru (はいからさんが通る) will play in Pittsburgh on June 10. A synopsis from the distributor:

During the Taisho era of 1918, 17-year-old Benio Hanamura thrives on bucking tradition. As a boisterous and quarrelsome tomboy, Miss Hanamura leads a life of kendo and tree-climbing adventure with her best friends Tamaki and Ranmaru. Benio determines to find love on her own, though her family has other plans. Benio will encounter tests of love, independence, and friendship during wartime.

Tickets for the 7:00 pm show, subtitled in English, are available online. The theater is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

2018 animated film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう) in Pittsburgh, July 22.

The 2018 Japanese film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう) will play at the Southside Works Cinema on July 22.

2018 Hanami (花見) with Pittsburgh Sakura Project, April 22 at North Park.

Photo by Kazuko Macher, who placed second in the 2013 Photo Contest.

The Pittsburgh Sakura Project will host its annual hanami (花見, cherry blossom viewing) on April 22.

Come enjoy the Pittsburgh Sakura Project cherry blossoms in North Park. Meet near the Boathouse, receive a map of the planting area, take a self-guided tour, and have light refreshments. Meet other people who love cherry blossoms. Take photos (you can submit them to the 2018 Pittsburgh Sakura Project North Park Cherry Blossoms Photo Contest).

Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し) in Pittsburgh-area theaters, from April 22.

The 2002 Studio Ghibli film The Cat returns (猫の恩返し) will play in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2009 on April 22, 23, and 25 as this month's installment of the GKIDS Ghibli Fest. The distributor provides a summary:

In this sequel to Whisper of the Heart, a quiet suburban schoolgirl, Haru, is pitched into a fantastical feline world and must find her inner strength to make her way back home. Walking with her friend after a dreary day at school, Haru eyes a cat with a small gift box in its mouth attempting to cross a busy street. The cat fumbles the package in the middle of the road as a truck is rapidly bearing down. Haru manages to scoop the cat away to safety. To her amazement, the cat then gets up on its hind legs, brushes itself off, and thanks her very politely.

Strange behavior indeed, but this is nothing compared to what happens later that evening when the King of Cats shows up in a feline motorcade replete with vassals, maidens, and even Secret Service cats. In a show of gratitude for saving his son’s life, the king cat showers Haru with gifts – including a large supply of individually wrapped live mice – and decrees that she shall marry the cat prince and come to live as a princess in the secret Kingdom of Cats.

The movie will play at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The April 22 and 25 shows are dubbed in English, while the April 23 show is subtitled.

Legendary Women: Giō and Hotoke in Japanese Cultural History, April 18 at Pitt.

Hotoke Gozen by Kiyochika Koboyashi, 1897.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host Dr. Roberta Strippoli of the University of Binghamton and her talk "Legendary Women: Giō and Hotoke in Japanese Cultural History" on April 18. It starts at 12:00 pm in room 119 of the Cathedral of Learning (map), and is free and open to the public.

US premiere of Yabin Wang Dance's "Moon Opera," November 3 at Byham Theater.

Photo by Wang Ning, via Yabin Wang's Behance page.

Yabin Wang's "Moon Opera" will make its US premiere in Pittsburgh on November 3, according to the Pittsburgh Dance Council 2018-2019 schedule released on Saturday.

Yabin Wang is China’s superstar. One of the most promising and pioneering choreographers in contemporary dance in China, her work was commissioned by English National Ballet and was performed by the company at Sadler’s Wells for their prestigious She Said series. Westerns know her best for her incredible dance in the film House of Flying Daggers.

In her newest work, Moon Opera, she has collaborated with a multi-disciplinary team of award-winning designers and composers to unveil a dramatic modern-day story of an artist. Through the lens of Chinese culture, contemporary dance tells the story of a Peking Opera performer struggling between her dreams of artistic stardom and the harsh realities of maintaining her traditional role as a woman in society.

Tickets go on sale August 10. The Byham Theater is located at 101 6th Street in downtown's Cultural District (map).

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, April 17.

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on May 16 at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese for children and their parents or caregivers. For children age birth – 5 and their caregivers.

It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

Peak sakura season in Pittsburgh: cherry blossoms at the Japanese garden in Shadyside.

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom today at the Japanese garden at UPMC Shadyside.

“New Housewives” in Contemporary China: Through the Lens of Chen Hengzhe, April 20 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host Dr. Hua Huang and the lecture "'New Housewives' in Contemporary China: Through the Lens of Chen Hengzhe" on April 20.

Chinese, Japanese films continue in Pittsburgh through April 19.

The 2017 Chinese animated film Have a Nice Day (大世界) and the ten films comprising the Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival will continue in Pittsburgh through April 19.

"We pho realz": Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen coming soon to East Liberty.

Two Sisters Vietnamese Kitchen, a new Vietnamese restaurant, is coming soon to 216 N. Highland Ave. in East Liberty (map).

New Korean restaurant Soju now open in Garfield.

A new Korean restaurant called Soju has recently opened in Garfield. Named after the ubiquitous (and cheap) Korean alcohol, Soju describes itself as

Family-owned restaurant/bar featuring Korean-American Cuisine

and is located at 4923 Penn Ave. (map).

Asians and Asian Americans Uniting for Change, April 13 at Pitt.

Several Asian and Asian-American organizations at the University of Pittsburgh are collaborating to present "Asians and Asian Americans Uniting for Change" on April 13 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in room 407 Cathedral of Learning.

Exploring topics like Asians in Graduate Study, Asian Activism in America, Asian American Political Identity, and the History of Asians in the American Labor Movement.

CMU Summit on US-China Innovation and Entrepreneurship, April 13 - 15; International Career Fair on the 14th and 15th.

Carnegie Mellon University will host the 7th annual CMU Summit on US-China Innovation and Entrepreneurship from April 13 through 15.

The CMU Summit operates on a regular basis to host events ranging from tech webinars, tech talks, to Job Fair, and Startup Bootcamp. The annual CMU Summit Conference is one of the largest, top-tier Innovation and Entrepreneurship conferences held by university students in the United States. Each year, we host panel discussions that address cutting-edge issues in various technology and business fields. We also host the New Venture Competition during the annual conference, showcasing innovation ideas of high-potential startup teams. In addition, we provide financing and talents recruiting channels and mentorship programs for early stage startups, and pair them up with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors across the US and China.

Additional information about the summit and its panels is available on the official website. Highlights for the general public include the International Career Fair on the 14th and 15th.

Career Fair is one of the most distinctive and popular events in the history of CMU Summit. The world-class talents that CMU has nurtured will be gathering together to start the journey of contributing to the society and the business world.

Mental Health Awareness Session for International Students, April 16 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program and the Global Citizen Lab will present a Mental Health Awareness Session for International Students on Monday, April 16.

We would like to raise mental health awareness, discuss the stigma against mental health, and introduce you to different resources available on campus.

Snacks will be provided.

The event will start at 9:00 pm in room 630 of the William Pitt Union (map), and is free.

Poet Li-young Lee at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, April 26.

Via World Literature Today.

Asian-American poet Li-young Lee, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, will speak at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall on April 26. An introduction, from Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures:

Celebrated poet Li-Young Lee returns with a breathtaking new volume about the violence of desire and the peace of love.

The Undressing is a tonic for spiritual anemia; it attempts to uncover things hidden since the dawn of the world. These mysterious, unassuming poems investigate the human violence and dispossession increasingly prevalent around the world, as well as the horrors of growing up as a child of refugees. Lee draws from disparate sources, including the Old Testament, the Dao De Jing, and the music of the Wu Tang Clan. While the subjects of these layered, impassioned poems are wide-ranging, their driving engine is a burning need to understand our collective human mission. Read the title poem from The Undressing online.

Author Min Jin Lee to return to Pittsburgh in April 2019.

via minjinlee.com

The Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Series announced its 2018-2019 Ten Evenings lineup last night, and bestselling Korean-American author Min Jin Lee is scheduled to speak at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland on April 1. Lee read from her book Pachinko at the City of Asylum in February.

PACHINKO follows one Korean family through the generations, beginning in early 1900s Korea with Sunja, the prized daughter of a poor yet proud family, whose unplanned pregnancy threatens to shame them all. Deserted by her lover, Sunja is saved when a young tubercular minister offers to marry and bring her to Japan.

So begins a sweeping saga of an exceptional family in exile from its homeland and caught in the indifferent arc of history. Through desperate struggles and hard-won triumphs, its members are bound together by deep roots as they face enduring questions of faith, family, and identity.

Single tickets for the April 1, 2019 talk will go on sale July 5.