Nakama, Sesame Inn again voted Best Japanese and Best Chinese places in the city by Pittsburgh Magazine readers.

The results of Pittsburgh Magazine's "Best of the 'Burgh" readers poll were announced today, with perennial winners Nakama and Sesame Inn again taking Best Japanese / Sushi and Best Chinese categories, respectively.

I joke about the results each year, saying that Nakama gets voted Best Japanese in Pittsburgh by Pittsburghers who don't know anything about Japanese food. However, in large part the design of the survey itself produce these results; when voting was open this spring the three nominees for "Best Chinese" were Sesame Inn, China Palace, and Jimmy Wan's, a list that ignores the bevy of new Chinese restaurants that have opened in the last few years.

Tanabata (Japanese star festival) at Carnegie Museum of Art, July 7.

"Sendai Tanabata," by Vanessa Smith (Creative Commons).

The Carnegie Museum of Art will host a Tanabata on July 7.

Celebrate the ones you love! Tanabata is a traditional Japanese day of celebration based on folklore surrounding the meeting of two lovers kept apart all but once per year. The day is a colorful and festive affair with fun for all!

The entire family can visit our Japanese print exhibition Hiroshige’s Tōkaidō Road, make a print to take home, add wishes to the Wish Trees, participate in a decoration contest, enjoy traditional music, create origami cranes, and sample Japanese cuisine in our courtyard.

It runs concurrent to the Hiroshige’s Tōkaidō Road exhibit, on display through July 22. The event is free with admission ($19.95 for adults, $11.95 for students with valid ID and children 3 to 18). The museum is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by buses 28X, 58, 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71B, 71D, 75, and P3.

1994 Isao Takahata film Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ) in Pittsburgh, from June 17.

The 1994 Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters for the first time since 2010 as part of this year's GKIDS Studio Ghibli Fest, from June 17. A summary from the distributor:

In this brilliant and often overlooked Studio Ghibli masterpiece from Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Isao Takahata, the forests are filled with groups of magical tanuki, mischievous raccoon-like animals from Japanese folklore that are capable of shape-shifting from their standard raccoon form to practically any object.

The tanuki spend their days playing idly in the hillsides and squabbling over food – until the construction of a huge new Tokyo suburb clears the nearby forest and threatens their way of life. In an effort to defend their home, the tanuki learn to transform into humans and start playing tricks to make the workers think the construction site is haunted, ending in a spectacular night-time spirit parade, with thousands of ghosts, dragons and other magical creatures descending on the city — in an abundance of fantastical characters that would not be matched on screen by Studio Ghibli until Spirited Away.

The film will play at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The June 17 and June 20 screenings will be dubbed in English, while the June 18 screenings will be subtitled.

Thai film Beautiful Boxer (บิวตี้ฟูล บ๊อกเซอร์), June 18 at City of Asylum.

The City of Asylum and ReelQ will present a screening of the 2003 Thai film Beautiful Boxer (บิวตี้ฟูล บ๊อกเซอร์) on June 18.

The Beautiful Boxer is the controversial 2003 biopic detailing the helter-skelter life of transgender (‘kathoey’) Muay Thai fighter, Nong Thoom. The film, while winning awards and nominations in Europe, Asia and America raised temperatures in Thailand where censors felt aggrieved by the extreme frontal nudity which made the film popular elsewhere.

Haikara-san ga Tōru (はいからさんが通る) at Row House Cinema, June 8 - 10; Lu Over The Wall (夜明け告げるルーのうた) at Row House Cinema, June 8 - 15.

Two Japanese films will play at the Row House Cinema next month as part of the "New Animated Films" series from June 8 through 15: 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). The distributors summarize the former:

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.

And the latter:

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.

Tickets and showtime information is available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Momoland's "Bboom Bboom" at this weekend's K-pop Class, June 9.

The weekly K-pop Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do Momoland's "Bboom Bboom" on June 9th. The class is held each Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, and the cost is $18 for a drop-in session. Yanlai Dance Academy is located at 2260 Babcock Blvd. in the North Hills (map).

Japanese-American film Oh Lucy! in Pittsburgh, from June 15.

The 2017 Japanese-American film Oh Lucy! will will play in Pittsburgh from June 15 through July 5. A Variety review summarizes the film, starring Shinobu Terajima and Josh Hartnett.

Set in some of the least picturesque corners of Tokyo, “Oh Lucy!” is a character study about a character rarely seen on film: a quietly miserable, single, middle-aged Japanese wage-slave. Setsuko (Shinobu Terajima) is a woman with few obvious qualities, and even fewer opportunities, friends, lovers, or interests. A withdrawn, chain-smoking loner in an office culture built on forced displays of camaraderie, her workday begins when she witnesses a suicide on the subway, and continues as she watches an aging employee on the verge of retirement soak up the condescending affection of her coworkers, all of whom are quick to make fun of her once she leaves the room. The subway jumper, the lonely old pensioner – it’s clear that Setsuko sees these as her two most likely options.

Sailor Moon R and Sailor Moon S movies in Pittsburgh, July and August.

Tickets went on sale today for two Sailor Moon movies that will play in the Pittsburgh area, Sailor Moon R (劇場版 美少女戦士セーラームーンＲ) and Sailor Moon S (劇場版 美少女戦士セーラームーンＳ). A note from the distributor about these 1990s films:

Sailor Moon, the beloved Guardian of Love and Justice, returns to the big screen for a special theatrical event! Following an encore presentation of the first movie (SAILOR MOON R- THE MOVIE), the Sailor Guardians unite once more to battle their chilliest adversary yet (SAILOR MOON S- THE MOVIE). The second week of showings will feature the classic anime's third movie (SAILOR MOON SUPERS- THE MOVIE) along with never-before seen in theaters short, "Ami's First Love." All features are presented uncut and true to the original Japanese version, with English dubbed and subtitled showings available.

Sailor Moon R will be screened in Japanese on July 28 and dubbed in English on July 30. Sailor Moon Super S will be screened in Japanese on August 4 and dubbed in English on August 6. The movies will play at the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. Tickets are currently available online.

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).

New date for Korean drumming group Tago in Pittsburgh: October 18.

via @TAGOpage

Korean drumming group Tago (타고) will perform in Pittsburgh on October 18, part of the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, and five days later than originally announced.

"Tago" means lighting up the world by beating drums. Tago creates shows based on a theme of "Buk," a Korean traditional drum. They play a mixture of Korean traditional instruments - from gigantic drums to small percussion - with martial arts movements. The music is sexy, intense, and sophisticated. Tago tries to make music which lasts long in people's hearts and memories.

Tago will perform at the Byham Theater at 8:00 pm. Tickets are now on sale starting at $25.

One-time screening of Masaaki Yuasa's Mind Game (マインド・ゲーム), June 8 at Row House Cinema.

The 2004 Japanese film Mindgame (マインド・ゲーム) will have a one-time screening at the Row House Cinema's New Animated Films series on June 8. 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.

Two other Japanese films, 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) , will run the duration of the series through June 15. Tickets for the 9:30 pm screening on June 8 are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Haikara-San: Here Comes Miss Modern Part One (はいからさんが通る) at Southside Works Cinema, 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 at the Southside Works Cinema 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).

Miao Wang's Maineland in Oakland, June 7.

The 2017 documentary Maineland will play at a resuscitated 3 Rivers Film Fest on June 7.

Filmed over three years in China and the U.S., MAINELAND is a multi-layered coming-of-age tale that follows two affluent and cosmopolitan teenagers as they settle into a boarding school in blue-collar rural Maine. Part of the enormous wave of "parachute students" from China enrolling in U.S. private schools, bubbly, fun-loving Stella and introspective Harry come seeking a Western-style education, escape from the dreaded Chinese college entrance exam, and the promise of a Hollywood-style U.S. high school experience. As Stella and Harry’s fuzzy visions of the American dream slowly gain more clarity, they ruminate on their experiences of alienation, culture clash, and personal identity, sharing new understandings and poignant discourses on home and country.

It plays from 7:00 pm at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland (map). Ticket information has not been announced yet.

Talk on Japanese gardens at Murrysville Community Center, June 7.

At Shofuso Japanese House & Garden in Philadelphia, 2013.

The Murrysville Garden Club will host professor Josh Belbo and his talk on Japanese gardening on June 7. From the Tribune-Review:

Adjunct professor Joshua Beblo , who holds a master's degree in landscape architecture from Penn State as well as a master's degree in education from Duquesne University, will present a program on Japanese gardens, which combine the basic elements of plants, water, and rocks with simple, clean lines to create a tranquil retreat, according to Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

The event starts at 10:00 am at the Murrysville Community Center (map) and is free and open to the public.

"Bubblepop: k-pop · j-pop · retro pop dance party," June 9.

Bubblepop, "a dance party for K-Pop, J-Pop, Mando-pop and everything else fun and cute," is back with its next event on June 9, the "K-pop, J-Pop, Retro Pop Dance Party."

Kawaii babes are playing your favorite international pop, disco and new wave at P-Town with psyched out karaoke-style visuals. Dress up is encouraged. Get weird and come dance your adorable asses off with us!

It runs from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am at P Town Bar in Bloomfield (map).

Spirited Away with Whiskey & Beer Tasting and Cosplay, June 23rd at The Oaks theater.

Oakmont's The Oaks Theater will play the Studio Ghibli classic film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) on June 23rd.

Join us for a great night of Anime and Cosplay!

Dress up and receive special prizes and specials at the bar.

This Show is all ages but you must have a valid ID to participate in the drink sampling

Construction underway on Philippine Nationality Room.

via Popi Laudico.

As reported in the Spring 2018 Nationality and Heritage Rooms News newsletter, construction began on the Philippine Nationality Room on May 3. And as reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday, it is planned for room 313.

Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? (打ち上げ花火、下から見るか? 横から見るか?) at Row House Cinema, too, this July.

The 2017 Japanese animated film Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? (打ち上げ花火、下から見るか? 横から見るか?), which will play at the Cinemark Theaters in Monroeville and Pittsburgh Mills from July 3, will also play at the Row House Cinema from July 6 through 12 as part of an "In Case You Missed It" series. There will be a timely preview screening on the 4th as well.

Pitt hiring two student workers for "Japan support, website development" for Tale of the Heike (平家物語 ) site.

The University of Pittsburgh is hiring student workers to build a website in support of a class on the epic Japanese text Tale of the Heike (平家物語 ). The pay is $12 per hour and those interested should apply through Pittsource.

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.

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.

EXO's Ko ko bop at this weekend's K-pop Class, June 2.

The weekly K-pop Dance Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do EXO's Ko ko bop on June 2. The class is held each Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, and the cost is $18 for a drop-in session. Yanlai Dance Academy is located at 2260 Babcock Blvd. in the North Hills (map).