Day of the Western Sunrise rough-cut screening at Melwood Screening Room, June 12.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers just announced that a rough-cut screening documentary Day of the Western Sunrise will play at the Melwood Screening Room on June 12.

Keith Reimink is screening a rough cut of his new feature length documentary "Day of the Western Sunrise."

"Day of the Western Sunrise" tells of real life story the Japanese tuna trawler Daigo Fukuryu Maru, or the Lucky Dragon No. 5, and it's 23 man crew. On March 1st, 1954, the fishermen onboard the Lucky Dragon survived the biggest explosion ever caused by man, the Castle Bravo thermonuclear test in the Pacific Ocean. That's just the start of the story. Through survivor interviews and beautiful animation the film tells how their lives were forever changed while showing the long-term impact of this devastating event.

In 2015 Keith traveled to Japan to interview the surviving crew members of the Lucky Dragon, their families, and to visit their fishing village.

Members of the Pittsburgh Japanese-speaking community were involved in some of the scenes. A reception starts at 7:00 pm and the movie starts at 8:00. Tickets are $5, and the theater is located at 477 Melwood Ave. in Oakland (map).

Jessica Yu's 2007 movie Ping Pong Playa part of Cinema in the Park this August.

The 2018 Cinema in the Park lineup was announced today and the 2007 movie Ping Pong Playa is among the selections. Rotten Tomatoes provides a summary:

Christopher "C-dub" Wang is a suburban guy who sports an urban swagger, waxes political on all things Asian American, and clings to pipe dreams of a career as a pro basketball player. Blaming genetics for his failure to make the NBA, C-dub lives at home, works a dead-end job, and squirms in the shadow of his older brother, Michael, a doctor and ping pong champion. When the Wang family livelihood is threatened by a rival ping pong player's attempts to lure the kids away, C-dub begins to take things more seriously. With the National Golden Cock Tournament coming up and an injured Michael unable to defend his title, C-dub must become the player he pretends to be and defend his family's ping pong dynasty.

The movie will play at Schenley Park's Flagstaff Hill on August 8 and at Observatory Hill's Riverview Park on August 11. Movies start at dusk and are free and open to the public.

Attack on Titan Season 2 the Movie: The Roar of Awakening (進撃の巨人 ～覚醒の咆哮~) in Pittsburgh, July 10 and 11.

The 2018 movie Attack on Titan Season 2 the Movie: The Roar of Awakening (進撃の巨人 ～覚醒の咆哮~) will play at the Southside Works Cinema on July 10 and 11.

Pitt's Katz Graduate School of Business hiring bilingual Mandarin-English administrative assistant for summer work.

The University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English administrative assistant for a summer position.

The University of Pittsburgh is seeking an Administrative Assistant. The administrative assistant will perform general clerical work and serve as an MS student “ambassador” to recent graduates (alumni), incoming/current students and applicants, with a preference for those with Mandarin language skills as well as strong English skills. The position requires exceptional communication skills, as the successful candidate will utilize not only social media and email, but may speak in front of groups of incoming students during Orientation events and activities. This position requires strong teamwork skills, as they will be an integral part of the MS Program Office team over the summer.

The position will report to Director, MS Programs. Will perform duties as supervised by Assistant Director, MS Programs.

Pitt hiring part-time Summer East Asian Language Study (SEALS) Lab Supervisor.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring a part-time Summer East Asian Language Study (SEALS) Lab Supervisor.

The University of Pittsburgh is seeking a language lab supervisor. The candidate will supervise students during required language lab hours for the Japanese summer intensive language program, referred to as SEALS (summer east Asian language study). Additionally, the candidate will ensure that all students are using the software correctly, enforce rules that students use video and audio files correctly, record student attendance, answer questions, and assist lead instructors as needed.

The pay is $10 per hour and the anticipated workload is 10-15 hours per week.

1992 Hayao Miyazaki film Porco Rosso (紅の豚) in Pittsburgh, May 20, 21, 23.

The 1992 Hayao Miyazaki film Porco Rosso (紅の豚) will play at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters on May 20, 21, and 23 as part of this year's GKIDS Ghibli Fest. The distributor provides a summary:

This unsung treasure from Hayao Miyazaki nestles a tale of morality and identity inside a soaring airborne adventure — a tribute to early aviation and the reckless flyboys whose home was the open sky.

Set in a mid-war Italy swept by fascism, the film follows the life of Marco, a world-weary flying ace-turned bounty hunter who plies his trade above the waters of the Adriatic. Somewhere along the way a curse has transformed Marco’s head into the head of a pig, reflecting his loss of faith in humanity. Marco meets his polar opposite in the innocent and energetic 17-year-old Fio, an aspiring airplane designer, and the two are catapulted into an airborne adventure pursued by air pirates, the Italian army, and an egotistical American flying ace.

The movie will play with English subtitles on May 21, and will be dubbed in English on May 20 and 23. Area Cinemark theaters currently scheduled to show Porco Rosso are in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson.

Enka singer Jero to go on hiatus from music career.

via @jeroenka

Pittsburgh native Jero (Jerome White), who found fame in Japan as an enka singer, announced via his official blog that he is going on hiatus from his music career to return to a job in Information Technology. A 2003 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Jero has toured and performed in Japan since releasing his first single in 2008. Enka is a style of music that remains popular in Japan with older generations (similar to Korean trot), and thus Jero---as a young, black American man---provided a contrast to the typical trot singer.

Japanese garage-rock band The Molice in Pittsburgh, May 18.

via @molice.music

Japanese band The Molice will play in Pittsburgh on May 18 as part of their US tour. The band describes itself:

While many Japanese bands are the product of management hired producers and stylists, Molice are the band’s own unique brew of rock. Drawing inspiration from 70’s punk’s DIY spirit, 80’s new wave stylish power pop and 90’s unchained indies guitar rock, the band has hammered out their own sound. Their name draws on a number of musical inspirations as well- the Police, and the “mo” of Jim Morrison, Mo Tucker, and Morissey.
The band cites the Pixies, Police, and Doors as their main inspirations, but incorporate elements of goth, classical, dance, shoegaze,and post-hardcore as well. Listening to the range of music on albums challenges fans to completely define their style.

The Molice is joined by Y La Bamba, Garter Shake, and Boiled Denim. The show starts at 9:00; Howlers is located at 4509 Liberty Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, May 15.

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).

2004's Mindgame (マインド・ゲーム) at Row House Cinema, June 8 through 15.

The 2004 Japanese film Mindgame (マインド・ゲーム) will join Haikara-san ga Tōru (はいからさんが通る) and Lu Over The Wall (夜明け告げるルーのうた) at the "Wild Animation" series at the Row House Cinema in June. The distributor summarizes the Masaaki Yuasa film:

Buckle in and prepare to surrender yourself to an exhilarating and wildly entertaining ride. Cult classic Mind Game is an explosion of unconstrained expression – gloriously colorful mages ricochet in rapid fire associations,like Masaaki Yuasa’s brain splattered onto the screen in all its goopy glory. Audiences will begin to grasp what they are in for early on as loser Nishi, too wimpy to try to save his childhood sweetheart from gangsters, is shot in the butt by a soccer-playing psychopath, projecting Nishi into the afterlife. In this limbo, God – shown as a series of rapidly changing characters – tells him to walk toward the light. But Nishi runs like hell in the other direction and returns to Earth a changed man, driven to live each moment to the fullest.

A fourth film is yet to be announced, and ticket information is forthcoming. Ticket and showtime information is not yet available. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Carla Ching's Nomad Motel in Pittsburgh, May 12 through June 3.

Nomad Motel by playwright Carla Ching will run at the Southside's City Theater from May 12 through June 3.

In the not-so-sunny side of California, Alix bounces between motel rooms, taking care of her brothers for her mostly MIA mother. Her classmate Mason is a budding songwriter trying to keep off the radar of his absent father’s Hong Kong mafia friends. Together, they must learn to scrape by without giving up their dreams. This world premiere is a coming-of-age tale about making something out of nothing in the land of plenty.

General admission tickets start at $38, though some cheaper options are available throughout the run. The City Theater is located at 1300 Bingham St. on the Southside (map).

Japanese movies Haikara-san ga Tōru (はいからさんが通る), Lu Over The Wall (夜明け告げるルーのうた) at Row House Cinema for "Wild Animation" series in June.

Two Japanese animated films will comprise a "Wild Animation" series at the Row House Cinema from June 8 through 14. A third movie will be announced later, but the two Japanese films so far include Haikara-san ga Tōru (はいからさんが通る) in its Pittsburgh premiere and the 2017 film Lu Over The Wall (夜明け告げるルーのうた), which makes its Pittsburgh premiere on May 11.

Ticket and showtime information is not yet available. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Monroeville-based Prop Ocean hiring 产品经理, 物流市场专员.

Monroeville-based Prop Ocean Co. recently announced openings for two Chinese-speaking positions: Product Manager (产品经理) and Logistics Market Specialist (物流市场专员).

Masaaki Yuasa animated film Lu Over The Wall (夜明け告げるルーのうた) in Pittsburgh, May 11.

The 2017 Japanese animated movie Lu Over The Wall (夜明け告げるルーのうた) will open across the US on May 11, and will play locally throughout the week at the AMC Loews Waterfront. The distributor provides a summary of the Masaaaki Yuasa film:

From visionary anime auteur Masaaki Yuasa comes a joyously hallucinogenic but family-friendly take on the classic fairy tale about a little mermaid who comes ashore to join a middle-school rock band and propel them to fame. Kai is talented but adrift, spending his days sulking in a small fishing village after his family moves from Tokyo. His only joy is uploading songs he writes to the internet. When his classmates invite him to play keyboard in their band, their practice sessions bring an unexpected guest: Lu, a young mermaid whose fins turn to feet when she hears the beats, and whose singing causes humans to compulsively dance – whether they want to or not.

As Kai spends more time with Lu, he finds he is able to tell her what he is really thinking, and a bond begins to form. But since ancient times, the people in the village have believed that mermaids bring disaster and soon there is trouble between Lu and the townspeople, putting the town in grave danger. Winner of the Grand Prize at the prestigious Annecy Animation Festival and an official selection of Sundance 2018, Lu Over the Wall is a toe-tapping, feel-good demonstration of Yuasa’s genre-mixing mastery that will leave you humming long after you leave the theater.

The film opened in Japan on May 19, 2017. Tickets are available online via Fandango. 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.

English dub of Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel 1. presage flower (劇場版 Fate / stay night [Heaven's Feel] 第一章「presage flower」) in Pittsburgh, June 5 and 7.

Tickets went on sale today for the English dub of Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel 1. presage flower (劇場版 Fate / stay night [Heaven's Feel] 第一章「presage flower」), which will play locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson on June 5 and 7.

WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring finance tutors for Chinese students in US.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced openings for finance tutors (金融类辅导老师) to Chinese students in the US.

The academic support department of Wholeren Education is looking for talented, experienced tutors in FINANCE for high school and college level Chinese international students in the US. We help both struggling and gifted students reach their full potential by supplementing the instruction they receive in class and guiding them toward study practices and aides that can help them excel. Tutors work with individual students one-on-one, though we occasionally organize group activities for students who are studying the same material. Most of the time, we provide our students with online tutoring unless the tutor is located in the same area with the student. Our team offers compassionate, motivating assistance to students, and we expect our new hires to do the same. If you have experience tutoring students, please submit an application.

Chinese Calligraphy Workshop for All Ages, downtown on May 17.

"Chinese calligrapher," by David Boté Estrada (Creative Commons).

The downtown branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host a Chinese Calligraphy Workshop on May 17.

A Chinese calligraphy expert will show us pictures of her home in China, give background on the art of calligraphy, and lead a Chinese calligraphy workshop for all ages!

The event runs from 4:00 to 5:30 pm and is free and open to the public. The library is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).

"A Taste of Taiwan" cooking demo, May 24.

The Pittsburgh chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans will present another "A Taste of Taiwan" cooking demonstration on May 24.

Watch award-winning master chefs Huang Ching Long and Li Chi Chao as they showcase the ancient techniques of Taiwanese cooking. Learn and WATCH the chefs focus on light, natural flavors and simple preparations including innovative ways to meet the demands of healthy vegetarian cooking. Then sit down to enjoy this special cuisine with your old friends and maybe meet some new ones!

Tickets are $35 a person and are available online. The event will be held at the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland (map).

Tarentum dermatology office with Japanese garden among "Pittsburgh's Coolest Offices."

Via Pittsburgh Business Times.

The Pittsburgh Business Times features Tarentum's Rabkin Dermatopathology Laboratory PC in this week's "Pittsburgh's Coolest Offices" section.

The lab is surrounded by a rose garden, a traditional Japanese garden with a tea house and koi ponds, and a Zen Dry Garden. The windows overlook these gardens and the green hills of the Allegheny River Valley.

WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring physics (高阶物理辅导老师), GRE/GMAT tutors.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced two openings for tutors to work with Chinese international students in the US: physics and GMAT/GRE.

Whither, Lucky Nine?

Lucky Nine (好運來), a Taiwanese restaurant that sort-of opened in Squirrel Hill in mid-January, remains closed after being shut down by the Allegheny County Health Department on February 5 for food safety violations and for operating without a permit.

The subject facility was ordered and posted closed for the following: Open and operating without a valid ACHD Health Permit, Failure to obtain final plumbing approval. Plans not submitted for approval prior to equipment installation; Inadequate refrigeration; Lack of mop/utility and food preparation sinks; Food stored outdoors; and Equipment in disrepair.

Initially a sign on the door pointed to reopening, but now only an orange closed sign remains.