The Art of Akira Returns through April 28.

A reminder that Toonseum: Pittsburgh Museum of Cartoon Art will continue to host The Art of Akira Returns through April 28. It opened on February 5, in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Anime Film Series and its showing of Akira, which Toonseum writes, "single-handedly saved the Japanese film industry and changed the way the world viewed animation art forever". The museum's profile of the exhibit continues:

The historic and artistic significance of AKIRA cannot be denied; it was the pinnacle of cel animation. Complete with a definitive orchestral score and professional voice actors, AKIRA was the most expensive animated film ever made when it was released in 1988. The film is a document of many animation firsts but is especially noteworthy for being one of the last completely hand-drawn cel-animated features produced before the rise of digital technology. A collaboration of thousands of artists and thirteen Japanese production companies, this staggering adaptation has become one of the most universally praised films of all time and has inspired a revolution in animation still apparent over 20 years after its release. The Art Of AKIRA celebrates these incredible achievements by giving viewers a fascinating tour of the making of this landmark film.

Toonseum is located at 945 Liberty Ave. in Pittsburgh's Cultural District (map), and is open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm every day but Tuesday.

Clones of D.C. cherry blossoms sent to Pittsburgh.

A line in an April 10th PBS blog post about "cloning the original cherry blossoms" sent to Washington D.C. by Japan caught my eye:

[Horticulturist Dave] Kidwell-Slak says the Arboretum has sent clippings of the gift trees to Pittsburgh and North Carolina for cities to plant.

And a March 22nd AP article says:

More recently, the arboretum and the park service sent 120 clones of the original trees back to Japan so scientists there can also retain the genetic line. Another set of trees has been sent to Pittsburgh to be planted in parks there.

An email to Dr. Kidwell-Slak hasn't received a reply yet, so it's not known yet where the clippings were sent or under whose supervision they will be. I'm pulling for Schenley Park.

Tekkoshocon renamed Tekko.

On the Tekkoshocon Inc's President's blog, the author writes on the decision to formally shorten the name of Pittsburgh's largest anime convention from Tekkoshocon to Tekko. The biggest reasons for the official change---to what fans already call it---are mispronunciation among locals and confusion among Japanese.

The name is difficult to pronounce and I have encountered a number of Pittsburgh businesses that avoid using our name because they forget how to pronounce it. I cannot count the number of times I went into a restaurant over Tekkoshocon X-2 and heard “You’re with that anime convention; I cannot remember what it’s called, something tekk something like.” That is really bad. How do you expect people to remember you if they cannot remember the name.

Give it a read. Actually, a lot of the entries on that blog are thought-provoking and forthcoming, and not only for people interested specifically in anime conventions.

The poster for the 18th annual Korean Food Bazaar (바자회) went online on Wednesday. It's scheduled for May 4th from 10:30 to 4:00 at the Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh (피츠버그한인중앙교회) in Shadyside (map). We went last year; it was good.

Pittsburgh Sakura Project photo contest.

A rainy March day in 2012.

The Pittsburgh Sakura Project, which has been planting cherry blossoms and other trees around North Park's boathouse the past few years, is holding a photo contest. The group

seek[s] photos showing the scenery in North Park that convey the beauty of the cherry trees the Pittsburgh Sakura Project has planted. Photos may also show people and pets enjoying the trees.

More information can be found on the Pittsburgh Sakura Project's webpage. Because, unfortunately, the cherry blossoms don't frame the boathouse or the nearby picnic groves particularly well, it will be a time to get creative with angles, subjects, and poses. The top three photographers will win gift certificates to Chaya Japanese Restaurant in Squirrel Hill.

Also according to an April 17th post on the website, the blossoms there are in full bloom.

Part three of Pitt student's spring break in North Korea.

A kindergarten performance, from the Young Pioneer Tours Facebook page.

The Citizen-Standard, a paper serving three eastern Pennsylvania counties, has been running a series of columns by Evan Terwilliger, a Pitt senior who spent his spring break in North Korea. Here is an excerpt from the final of three installments:

Much of the information we see in our media about the DPRK has been comprised of primarily values-based critiques. I urge you to be very wary of the pitfalls of these types of judgments. A values-based critique occurs when one uses his/her own values as a perspective to evaluate something else. They are not conducive for understanding others and they tend to oversimplify others (particularly negatively). They lead to evaluation before understanding. Lastly, values-based critiques require no skill in perspective thinking. There is only one perspective, which creates no productive discourse. We get into very dangerous situations like we see at the present by arguing "I'm right! You're wrong! We're better! You're flawed! I'm still right! You're still wrong, ignorant, and dangerous!" We can, of course, be angry and feel disgusted about issues. What is not okay is to simply dismiss the people on the other side. We must engage.

Tomodachi Festival at Carnegie Library Oakland, April 20.

The Carnegie Library in Oakland (map) will host the 2nd annual Tomodachi Festival on April 20 from 2:00 to 4:30. Promoted as a "celebration of Japan and Japanese culture" and aimed toward the little ones, the library website invites families to

[j]oin us for Kamishibai storytelling, singing and dancing, kimono try-ons, origami art and more. Cookies will be served.

The cookies will be provided by Yummyholic, and the event is put on by the library and the Japan-American Society of Pennsylvania.

People interested in this may also want to check out "Camp Konnichiwa", offered at the library again this spring. There are two sessions left of "this four-week camp offering fun activities to help children learn Japanese": April 27 and May 6. Registration is required, and can be done so at the events' webpages or by calling 412-622-3122.

Cherry blossoms in Philadelphia.

We had a great time at the 2013 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia over the weekend. We were lucky enough to wander around the day before Sakura Sunday and see the sakura in fuller bloom. Highlights included dancers and taiko drummers from Tamagawa University, tours of Shofuso Japanese House & Garden nearby, and perfect weather. It's definitely worth a drive next year.

"Of borders and ball pits"; second installment of Pitt student's spring break in North Korea.

Ball pit in North Korea, via Young Pioneers Tours Facebook Page.

Last week was the first installment by Evan Terwilliger on his trip to North Korea in March. Terwilliger is a Pitt student who spent spring break there and who is writing about it for the Citizen-Standard, which serves three eastern PA counties. Yesterday brought us the second of three installments. An excerpt:

[W]e traveled to the balcony of Panmungak (that big building you see in the pictures opposite South Korea's House of Freedom). We could wave, smile, laugh, point, and take pictures of whatever we wanted (including soldiers). We even got our picture with the First Lieutenant that was showing us around. When we arrived back at the outer perimeter again, I found some common ground with our KPA escort. We agreed that as normal people we would not want to hurt each other. He claimed that I was a nice guy and everything, but that I would be shooting at him if I was fighting for my country. I told him that I never hope it comes to that. Oh, and we also agreed that we love potatoes. Isn't that a start to peace?

It's always a treat to find such things in small, out of the way newspapers.

Eat Drink Man Woman at Maridon Museum, April 18.

Butler's Maridon Museum will show Eat Drink Man Woman (飲食男女) on April 18. It's a 1994 Ang Lee film that is certainly one of Taiwan's best known. An abridged New York Times review writes of it:

[A] look at ethnic and sexual conflicts in a Chinese family, with meals as a centerpiece of the film. Master chef Chu (Sihung Lung) is a long-time widower who lovingly cooks large Sunday dinners for his three daughters, who view the meals as too traditional. Secretly, however, successful airline executive Jia-Chien (Chien-Lien Wu) loves traditional cooking and would like to be a chef like her father, if women were permitted to do so. Her older sister Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang) is unmarried and cynical about men, but she becomes attracted to a volleyball coach and eventually pursues him vigorously. The youngest daughter, Jia-Ning (Yu-Wen Wang), is a college student who becomes pregnant from her frequent sexual escapades. As the film progresses, the personal relationships between the daughters and their significant others change unexpectedly.

The Maridon is an Asian art museum at 322 N. McKean St. in downtown Butler (map) that presents Asian films from particular countries as part of its spring and fall series. Last year it was China and Vietnam. Eat Drink Man Woman begins at 6:30 pm and is presented by Dr. Kenneth Harris of Slippery Rock University.