1963 Kurosawa film High and Low (天国と地獄) in Pittsburgh, from March 13.

The 1963 Akira Kurosawa film High and Low (天国と地獄) will play at the Row House Cinema from March 13 to 19, part of the theater's Film Noir series. The Criterion Collection provides a summary:

Toshiro Mifune is unforgettable as Kingo Gondo, a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a cold-blooded kidnapper in High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku), the highly influential domestic drama and police procedural from director Akira Kurosawa. Adapting Ed McBain's detective novel King's Ransom, Kurosawa moves effortlessly from compelling race-against-time thriller to exacting social commentary, creating a diabolical treatise on contemporary Japanese society.

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

Profiles on Bloomfield's Cobra Lounge, a new space for yakiniku, Korean BBQ, and DJs..

Cobra Lounge, a new yakiniku + Korean BBQ place slash event space in Bloomfield, has been the subject of two recent profiles in Pittsburgh Magazine and NextPittsburgh. From the former:

The heart of the Cobra experience is the array of 10 smokeless Shinpo Yakiniku grills in the rectangular dining room. Burnell and Piso said they spent a lot of time researching Korean-style barbeque locations in Los Angeles, New York and other places prior to opening Cobra. The experience draws from those Korean culinary influences, and also is informed by the Japanese technique of yakiniku, meaning that all the butchering is done prior to service. “There’s no need for scissors or a steak knife. It’s perfectly butchered for one bite,” says Piso.

Participants needed for Bon Odori in Oakland "Open Streets" event, May 31.

One of Pittsburgh's Open Streets events will take place in Oakland in 2020 and will feature a Bon Odori performance. The Japanese Nationality Room is currently recruiting participants for the May 31 event.

Bon Odori - Join us at Open Streets in Oakland on Sunday May 31, 2020.
We are recruiting Bon Odori participants. It's really easy to learn the steps. If you have Yukata or Happi, it's a great opportunity to wear it too! See our FB Event page for registration.

Japanese film The Little House (小さいおうち) at Maridon Museum, March 6.

The 2014 Japanese movie The Little House (小さいおうち) will play at the Maridon Museum on March 6, the first installment of this spring's Japanese Film Series.

A woman looks back on her family’s life in Tokyo before and during WWII. A maid arrives from the countryside to work for an upper middle-class family. She fits in well, but everyone’s emotions are stirred up with the arrival of a student.

The movie starts at 6:00 pm. The event is free but reservations are required and can be made by calling 724-282-0123. The Maridon Museum is an Asian art museum at 322 N. McKean St. in downtown Butler (map) that runs film series periodically throughout the year, in addition to art classes, book club meetings, and its regular exhibits.

Upcoming Japanese movie Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (デジモンアドベンチャー LAST EVOLUTION 絆) in Pittsburgh, March 25.

The upcoming Japanese movie Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (デジモンアドベンチャー LAST EVOLUTION 絆) will play in Pittsburgh on March 25. From the distributor:

Tai is now a university student, living alone, working hard at school, and working every day, but with his future still undecided. Meanwhile, Matt and others continue to work on Digimon incidents and activities that help people with their partner Digimon. When an unprecedented phenomenon occurs, the DigiDestined discover that when they grow up, their relationship with their partner Digimon will come closer to an end.

As a countdown timer activates on the Digivice, they realize that the more they fight with their partner Digimon, the faster their bond breaks. Will they fight for others and lose their partner? The time to choose and decide is approaching fast. There is a short time before “chosen children” will become adults. This is the last adventure of Tai and Agumon.

The movie is in Japanese with English subtitles. It will play locally at AMC Loews Waterfront, the Cinemarks in Monroeville and Pittsburgh Mills, and Southside Works Cinema, and tickets are available online.

Work progresses on second Fuku Tea location.

via @margittai

Work continues on the second Fuku Tea location at 300 S. Craig St. (map). The new bubble tea place will be open this spring, Margittai Architects write on Facebook. The owners of Fuku Tea also run Sushi Fuku, which has three restaurants in Oakland, including one a few storefronts away.

Pitt hiring part-time Japanese teacher for Summer 2020 start.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring a part-time Japanese instructor for a Summer 2020 start.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures seeks a part-time instructor of Japanese Language starting Summer Term 2020. Instructors must have a bachelor’s degree and experience teaching Japanese conversation classes at University level more than one year. Native speakers of Japanese are preferred. Duties include teaching recitation sections. Interested applicants should remit a CV and cover letter. The position will be filled as soon as qualified candidates are found.

The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences is committed to building and fostering a culturally diverse environment. Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills and ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals in support of a diverse community are required.

Those interested can apply online.

Nicole Chung at City of Asylum, May 11.

via nicolechung.net

Pittsburgh's City of Asylum will host Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know, on May 11 as part of its Memoir Series. A summary of the book, from Chung's official site:

What does it mean to lose your roots—within your culture, within your family—and what happens when you find them?

Nicole Chung was born severely premature, placed for adoption by her Korean immigrant parents, and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town. From early childhood, she heard the story of her adoption as a comforting, prepackaged myth. She believed that her biological parents had made the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes of giving her a better life; that forever feeling slightly out of place was simply her fate as a transracial adoptee. But as she grew up—facing prejudice her adoptive family couldn’t see, finding her identity as an Asian American and a writer, becoming ever more curious about where she came from—she wondered if the story she’d been told was the whole truth.

With warmth, candor, and startling insight, Chung tells of her search for the people who gave her up, which coincided with the birth of her own child. All You Can Ever Know is a profound, moving chronicle of surprising connections and the repercussions of unearthing painful family secrets—vital reading for anyone who has ever struggled to figure out where they belong.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at Alphabet City on the North Side (map). It's free, but tickets are required and are available online.

Kuniko Yamamoto and "Origami Tales" in Pittsburgh, May 14 - 17.

Kuniko Yamamoto and "Origami Tales" will be in Pittsburgh from May 14 to 17 as part of the EQT Children's Festival.

Welcome to the infinite world of Origami! In Japanese, ori- means "to fold" and -gami means "paper". Using origami, music and audience participation, storyteller Kuniko Yamamoto provides a magical entry into Japanese culture. In her show Origami Tales, mythological character masks and puppets, amazing flowers and a dragon – all made from origami – set the stage while Kuniko shares heartfelt stories from ancient Japan. Expect boundless imagination out of simple paper folding and an uplifting world of storytelling.

The performances will take place at the Trust Arts Education Center in the Cultural District (map). Tickets are available online.

Vietnamese movie Song Lang in Pittsburgh, April 30.

The 2018 Vietnamese movie Song Lang will play in Pittsburgh on April 30, hosted by ReelQ at the City of Asylum. A Hollywood Reporter review provides an overview:

In Vietnamese musical culture, the song lang is a percussion instrument used in modern folk opera cai luong. The idea is that its rhythms not only guide the opera, but also the musician, down a moral path in life. The words literally translate to “two men.” That instrument provides the philosophical backbone of writer-director Leon Le’s low-key Song Lang, set in the world of cai luong theater and contemplating a good deal more than simply a tragic, non-starter romance. Delving into suppressed artistic drive, abandonment and karma, Le’s debut could be described as a uniquely Vietnamese hybrid of Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love and Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise.

Though the film has been kicking around for a while, its precise production design, palpable mood and beautifully understated yearning should keep it on both the LGBTQ and Asian festival circuits for the foreseeable future, and its intimate tone will make it an ideal addition to streaming services.

The movie starts at 7:00 pm at Alphabet City on the North Side (map). It's free and open to the pubic, though tickets are required and can be reserved online.

Black and white version of Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) at Row House Cinema, February 21 - 27.

The black and white version of Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning Parasite (기생충) premiered widely on February 7 and will play in Pittsburgh at the Row House Cinema from February 21 - 27.

Tickets now available for Pittsburgh premiere of 2019 Chinese animated film White Snake (白蛇：缘起), March 3.

Tickets are now available the Pittsburgh premiere of the 2019 Chinese animated film White Snake (白蛇：缘起) on March 3 at the Row House Cinema. The distributor writes:

From Light Chaser Animation, one of China’s premiere animation studios, comes a visually stunning new take on a classic legend. One day a young woman named Blanca is saved by Xuan, a snake catcher from a nearby village. She has lost her memory, and together they go on a journey to discover her real identity, developing deeper feelings for one another along the way. But as they learn more about her past, they uncover a darker plot of supernatural forces vying for power, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Conceived as a prequel to one of the most ancient and enduring stories in Chinese history, White Snake presents a sumptuous tale of trickster demons, deadly mythical beasts, assassins, wuxia action, and the promise of eternal love.

The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

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

The 2019 Masaaki Yuasa film Ride Your Wave (きみと、波にのれたら) will play in Pittsburgh 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?

It will play locally at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) February 20.

The Oscar-winning 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) will keep playing throughout the Pittsburgh region through at least February 13. A synopsis 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.

Here is a list of currently-scheduled screenings:

• AMC Mt. Lebanon: now through February 19
• AMC Loews Waterfront: now through February 19
• Cinemark Pittsburgh Mills: now through February 19
• Cinemark Robinson: now through February 19
• Squirrel Hill Manor: now through February 20
• Tull Family Theater: now through February 20
• Southside Works Cinema: now through February 20

BTS coffee at Panda.

Squirrel Hill's Panda Supermarket advertised one of its latest arrivals: Cold Brew coffee by Babinski featuring BTS members. Only four are on display now---RM, Jung Kook, Jin, Suga---but others may be on the way. Full sets are also seem to be available online.

Happy Home Buffet closed for renovations until March.

Happy Home Buffet on McKnight Road has recently closed for renovations until March, a sign out front reports. The goings-on of Asian buffets are usually not remarkable, but it has been a rough few years in Pittsburgh with several large restaurants closing: including Tokyo Sushi Buffet and TJ Buffet at this McKnight Road location; Old Town Buffet (formerly Misaki) on Route 51; Dynasty in Cranberry; and Sushi Cho (formerly York Buffet) in Robinson.

This closure is also not related to the Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh; the host restaurant of the JAGP's annual New Year's party has, coincidentally, often closed shortly thereafter, including Golden Palace in Robinson, Misaki and Old Town Buffet in the South Hills, and Tokyo Sushi Buffet in the North Hills.

"Making Green Tea For America - And For Japan," February 21 at Pitt.

via cyclonebill (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Robert Hellyer and "Making Green Tea For America - And For Japan" on February 21.

Join Professor Robert Hellyer of Wake Forest University for a discussion on the socio-economic history of green tea in America and Japan in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Soon after the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan dramatically expanded tea production—especially of high-quality sencha green tea—specifically to meet demand from the United States, then a green tea consuming nation. This presentation will outline that export trade highlighting how tea production helped to ease social tensions in the nascent Japanese nation-state by providing employment for Tokugawa retainers who had opposed the new central regime during the Boshin War (1868-1869). It will also explain the ways in which a change in American tastes—the 1920s’ embrace of black teas produced in South Asia—brought a decline in Japanese tea exports to the United States. Facing a glut, Japanese tea merchants aggressively marketed sencha at home for the first time, emphasizing its health benefits. As a result, more Japanese began to consume sencha, setting in motion a trend that made that type of green tea the definitive daily beverage it remains today.

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

Pittsburgh's 2020 Lunar New Year Parade postponed until March 1.

The Organization of Chinese Americans - Pittsburgh has announced today's Lunar New Year Parade will be postponed until March 1, 11:00 am.

412 K Town (KPOPittsburgh) My Valentines Kpop Dance Party, February 14 in Bloomfield.

412 K-Town / KPOP Pittsburgh will host a Valentine's Day K-pop dance party on February 14.

Hey Everyone !! Valentine’s Day is around corner. Come Join us at " Valentines day Kpop Dance Party " present by 412 K Town ( KPOPittsburgh) on february 14th, 2020 Friday @ LevelupStudios.
Dj.Kidplay will be spinning your favorite kpop songs as we dance the night away , and we will have RDP throughout the night so be ready to show us your moves on the dance floor.
This event is 18 and up ( no alcohol will served but we will have water for everyone ) and it is $15 (Cash&Venmo) at the door ( donations are optional ) Feel Free to bring guests and Hope to see you guys there ^^

It starts at 8:00 pm at Level Up Studios in Bloomfield (map).

"Storytime: Chinese and English" in Squirrel Hill, February 29.

via Ed Massery.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Squirrel Hill will hold its next "Storytime: Chinese and English" on Saturday, February 29.

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

Storytime 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.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) February 13.

The acclaimed 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) will keep playing throughout the Pittsburgh region through at least February 13. A synopsis 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.

Here is a list of currently-scheduled screenings:

• AMC Loews Waterfront: now through February 12
• AMC Mt. Lebanon: now through February 12
• Southside Works Cinema: now through February 13
• Squirrel Hill Manor: now through February 13
• Tull Family Theater: now through February 6
• Southside Works Cinema: now through February 12