2019 Makoto Shinkai film Weathering With You (天気の子) in Pittsburgh, January 15 and 16.

The 2019 Makoto Shinkai film Weathering With You (天気の子) will play in and around Pittsburgh on January 15. From the distributor:

GKIDS proudly presents the highly-anticipated new film from director Makoto Shinkai and producer Genki Kawamura, the creative team behind the critically-acclaimed, global smash hit Your Name. The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if to suggest his future. He lives his days in isolation, but finally finds work as a writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky…

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, Southside Works Cinema, and Cinemark in Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. Shows at 7:00 pm on the 15th will be dubbed in English, while those at 8:00 pm are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Lunar New Year Celebration, January 19 at Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh will hold its annual Lunar New Year Celebration on January 19.

In ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on the Lunar New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one.

Come kick off the Lunar year 4718, the Year of the Rat, at MuseumLab!

Activities include:

• Live performances by:
• Yan Lai Dance Academy
• Purple Bamboo Chinese Ensemble
• Steel Dragon Lion Dance Team
• Discover WongFace, an augmented reality mural by artist Jordan Wong in Tech Lab
• Chinese calligraphy with Ming Rui
• Learn about Korean traditions and games with the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center
• Vietnamese Five Fruit Tray tradition - Taste some of our favorite fruits!

Performance Schedule Coming Soon!!

The celebration is free with museum admission ($16 for adults, $14 for kids aged 2 through 18, and free for infants under 2). The museum is located at 10 Children's Way on the Northside (map), though the celebration will be in a newer adjoining space called MuseumLab.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) at Row House Cinema, January 31 - February 6.

The acclaimed 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충), will play at the Row House Cinema from January 31 through February 6. From the movie's official site.

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

These showings are part of Oscar Prep Week and tickets and showtime information will come soon. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

GlobalPittsburgh happy hour with visitors from South Korea, February 6.

The next GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays happy hour on February 6 will welcome visiting English teachers from Korea National University of Education, who are studying at Pitt's English Language Institute.

Join us for an informal evening with globally-minded friends and visiting teachers from the Korea National University of Education who will be coming here for training at the English Language Institute, University of Pittsburgh. Meet people from around the world, practice your language skills and citizen diplomacy! Kids welcome!

The happy hour runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Roland's Seafood Grill in the Strip District (map). Tickets are required, though the link to purchase does not currently work.

My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ヒーローズ:ライジング) in Pittsburgh, February 26.

While tickets for the 2019 animated movie My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ヒーローズ:ライジング) will not go on sale until the end of this month, the Southside Works Cinema recently announced it will show the film in Pittsburgh on February 26. From the distributor:

Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they finally get to do real hero work. The place is so peaceful that it’s more like a vacation … until they’re attacked by a villain with an eerily familiar Quirk! Now, Deku and his friends are the island’s only hope.

Tickets and showtime information is not yet available.

Chinese Language & Culture Club Meeting, Mondays at Pitt from January 13.

Chinese Dim Sum, by Lezlie (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Language & Culture Club Meeting will meet this term on Mondays from January 13. The meetings are open to the Pitt student community, and located in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall (map).

Tzu Chi Chinese New Year Blessing Ceremony, January 12 at Pitt.

The Tzu Chi Academy, along with the University of Pittsburgh Chinese Heritage Room Committee, will hold a Chinese New Year Blessing Ceremony and festival on January 12 at Pitt. The event starts at 2:30 pm in the ALumni Hall ballroom (map).

2020 Pittsburgh Chinese New Year Gala, January 18 in Wexford.

The Chinese Association for Science and Technology - Pittsburgh Chapter (CAST-P) and Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center (PCCC), among others, will host the 2020 Pittsburgh Chinese New Year Gala on January 18 at North Allegheny Senior High School.

Sushi Kim 2 Go coming to N. Craig St. in Oakland.

Earlier this month we read that Sushi Kim is closing in the Strip District after 30 years in business, but there plans to open a smaller restaurant in Oakland. That restaurant, Sushi Kim 2 Go, will be located at 312 N. Craig St. (map), in a spot that has been empty for a number of years. The building is owned by a Korean family that operates the dry cleaning business next door.

Documentary Nailed It!, about Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American nail salons throughout the US, at Pitt on February 1.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 2019 documentary Nailed It! on February 1 as part of an Exploring the Asian Diaspora series. From the official site:

In virtually every city, state and strip mall across the U.S., women get their nails done in salons likely owned by Vietnamese entrepreneurs. How did this community come to dominate an $8 billion dollar nail economy? Nailed It takes viewers from Los Angeles to the Bronx to meet the diverse people and relationships behind this booming and enigmatic trade. Nailed It premiered on PBS in May 2019, and is the highest streamed film of the America Reframed series. Uncover the real history of the Vietnamese nail salon!

It runs from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map). Those who wish to attend must register via this link.

Pitt hiring Visiting Lecturer for Japanese Literature and Culture Program for 2020-2021 academic year.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring a Visiting Lecturer in Japanese for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures of the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for the position of Visiting Lecturer for its Japanese Literature and Culture Program, pending budgetary approval. The appointment will begin on September 1, 2020 and end on April 30, 2021. The successful candidate must hold a PhD by the time of appointment and possess broad competence in teaching Japanese studies courses in literature, popular culture, performance, theater, translation studies, or media and film. The successful candidate will teach six undergraduate courses per year, five courses from the aforementioned areas and one course in her/his area of expertise. The candidate should have experience teaching Japan studies courses at a North American institution. Other duties may include mentoring students, normal service duties in the Department, and working with other Asia specialists in the Department and on campus.

Guest Chef Dinner with Chef Nor of KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery, January 23 in Hazelwood.

Community Kitchen Pittsburgh will host an evening with Chef Nor of KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery and Silk Elephant on January 23 as part of its regular Guest Chef Dinner series.

Pitt's Chinese Affinity Group to host New Year's celebration, January 24.

via the Pitt News.

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Affinity Group will host a New Year's celebration on January 24. From the University Times:

Part of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Pitt Communities, the Chinese Affinity Group will host a party from 6 to 10 p.m. Jan. 24 in the ballroom of the O’Hara Student Center.
The celebration will offer networking opportunities with representatives from other Pitt Communities and the Pitt Chinese Student and Scholar Association. Participants can expect games, dance performances and dinner from Sichuan Gourmet.

The event is free and open to the public. The O'Hara Student Center is located at 4024 O'Hara Street in Oakland (map).

2019 Masaaki Yuasa film Ride Your Wave (きみと、波にのれたら) in Pittsburgh, February 19.

Showtimes were just announced for the 2019 Masaaki Yuasa film Ride Your Wave (きみと、波にのれたら) on February 19. From the distributor:

From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa (The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Devilman Crybaby) comes a deeply emotional new film that applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a tale of romance, grief and self-discovery.

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, Minato loses his life in an accident at sea. Hinako is so distraught that she can no longer even look at the ocean, but one day she sings a song that reminds her of their time together, and Minato appears in the water. From then on, she can summon him in any watery surface as soon as she sings their song, but can the two really remain together forever? And what is the real reason for Minato’s sudden reappearance?

So far it has been announced for the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, where it will play in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

Japanese Coming-of-Age Ceremony (成人の日) at Pitt for students turning 20, January 10.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and English Language Institute will hold its annual Seijin-no-shiki (Coming of Age) ceremony on January 10 for students turning 20. The idea emerged three years ago because Pitt's ELI hosts a large cohort of Yasuda Women's University students each year who miss the traditional ceremony offered in Hiroshima. Several local publications---including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tribune Review, and City-Paper---have covered the ceremony over the last two years. Meanwhile, Japan Visitor introduces the day and its traditions:

Seijin Shiki or 成人式 could be translated as 'Coming of Age Day Ceremony' in English. Seijin-no-hi (Coming of Age Day) is a Japanese public holiday that occurs on every second Monday of January.

Coming of Age Day or Adult's Day honors every person that has turned 20 years old over the past year. When young people reach twenty they officially become adults in Japanese society and they now have responsibilities as well as newfound liberties: such as being able to drink, smoke, go to hostess bars, gamble and to drive legally. The voting age was lowered from 20 to 18 in 2015.

The girls always wear gorgeous and very expensive kimono, although most admit to having rentals as the outfit is worth up to 1,000,000 yen. The boys usually wear a regular suit and tie but a few will wear traditional Japanese dress.

The event starts at 7:00 pm in the University Club's Ballroom A (map).

2019 Makoto Shinkai film Weathering With You (天気の子) in Pittsburgh, January 15 and 16.

The 2019 Makoto Shinkai film Weathering With You (天気の子) will play in and around Pittsburgh on January 15. From the distributor:

GKIDS proudly presents the highly-anticipated new film from director Makoto Shinkai and producer Genki Kawamura, the creative team behind the critically-acclaimed, global smash hit Your Name. The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly finds himself pushed to his financial and personal limits. The weather is unusually gloomy and rainy every day, as if to suggest his future. He lives his days in isolation, but finally finds work as a writer for a mysterious occult magazine. Then one day, Hodaka meets Hina on a busy street corner. This bright and strong-willed girl possesses a strange and wonderful ability: the power to stop the rain and clear the sky…

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, Southside Works Cinema, and Cinemark in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Shows at 7:00 pm on the 15th will be dubbed in English, while those at 8:00 pm are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh's 2020年度新年会のご案内/ New Year Party 2020, January 19 (registration deadline January 12).

The Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh (JAGP) will hold its annual 2020年度新年会のご案内/ New Year Party 2020 on January 19 at Happy Home Buffet in the North Hills (map). Events include a buffet dinner, presentations from local Japanese groups, and a raffle. Registration and payment is required by January 12. Please visit the group's website for more information.

Singer Jason Chen at Pitt, January 18.

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese American Student Association and Vietnamese Student Association will host Taiwanese-American singer Jason Chen on January 18, part of the Pitt VSA x CASA Lunar New Year 2020 festivities.

New movie Ip Man 4: The Finale (葉問4：完結篇) stays in Pittsburgh through January 15.

The 2019 Chinese film Ip Man 4: The Finale (葉問4：完結篇), which opened in Pittsburgh on January 3, will remain here through at least January 15. From the distributor:

Donnie Yen reprises his role as the legendary Wing Chun master in the grand finale of the revolutionary martial arts series. Following the death of his wife, Ip Man travels to San Francisco to ease tensions between the local kung fu masters and his star student, Bruce Lee, while searching for a better future for his son. From the action visionary behind Kill Bill and The Matrix, witness the heroic sendoff to the saga that inspired a new wave of martial arts movie fans.

It plays at the AMC Loews Waterfront and 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.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) to stay in Pittsburgh through January 15.

The acclaimed 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충), which opened in Pittsburgh on November 1, ran through December 19, and returned to Pittsburgh on January 3, will stay here through at least January 15.

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Parasite won the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and 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.

Greenfield-based education consultant Forward Pathway (续航教育) hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Application Specialist.

Forward Pathway (续航教育), a Chinese education consulting firm that opened in Greenfield in 2016 is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English Application Specialist. An excerpt from the job ad:

Job responsibilities:
- Prepare and verify application materials for students
- Help students complete online applications
- Follow up the applications of students and communicate with the school in a timely manner
- Prepare pre-enrollment materials for students

Requirements:
- Passionate about a career in education regarding studying abroad
- Strong responsibility for work and being detail-oriented
- Strong English reading and writing skills
- Good teamwork spirit and ability to work under pressure