2018 Japanese animated film Penguin Highway (ペンギン・ハイウェイ) in Pittsburgh, April 21.

The 2018 Japanese animated film Penguin Highway (ペンギン・ハイウェイ) will play at Southside Works Cinema on April 21. The distributor summarizes:

Penguin Highway is the first feature film from Studio Colorido (founded by director Ishida and ex-Studio Ghibli character designer Yojiro Arai) and exciting young upcoming director, Hiroyasu Ishida.

Based on the award-winning novel by Tomihiko Morimi (The Tatami Galaxy and The Eccentric Family), Penguin Highway is an energetic animated debut and is sure to impress you with its heart, as well as its colourful and whimsical palette!

The film also was recently awarded the “Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation” for Best Animated Feature at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival and has received standing ovations around the world.

Tickets for the 7:00 pm show are now available online. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Japanese zombie comedy film One Cut of the Dead カメラを止めるな! ) in Pittsburgh, from January 18.

The 2017 Japanese zombie comedy film One Cut of the Dead (カメラを止めるな! ) will play in Pittsburgh from January 18. A 2018 Variety review says:

Viewers get three films for the price of one in “One Cut for the Dead,” a terrific Japanese horror-comedy that proves there’s somewhere the zombie apocalypse movie hasn’t yet gone. Writer-director-editor Shinichiro Ueda’s cleverly conceived and executed debut feature opens with an unbroken 37-minute shot of monster mayhem before hitting the reset button and turning into a funny satire of low-budget genre filmmaking — and eventually becoming a charming family comedy-drama. Packed with witty nods to classic horror movies, “One Cut” is a natural for genre fests and has such a warm and winning heart it could also fit into mainstream festival programs.

The movie runs from the 18th through 24th at the Harris Theater downtown (map). Showtimes are available online, though tickets are only available at the door. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in downtown's Cultural District (map).

WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring bilingual Chinese-English GMAT/GRE tutors.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced openings for bilingual GMAT/GRE tutors.

Korean film Burning (버닝), Japanese film Shoplifters (万引き家族) to continue in Pittsburgh through January 18.

The acclaimed 2018 films Burning (버닝) and Shoplifters (万引き家族), which opened in Pittsburgh on December 21, will remain in town through January 18.

2018 Japanese movie Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative [機動戦士ガンダムNT (ナラティブ)] in Pittsburgh, February 19.

The 2018 Japanese movie Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative [機動戦士ガンダムNT (ナラティブ)] will play at the Southside Works Cinema on February 19. Anime News Network has a summary:

U.C. 0097. One year since the Laplace's Box was opened. Despite the revelation of the original charter for the Universal Century, which acknowledges the existence of Newtypes and their rights, the world remains largely unchanged. After the destruction of the Neo Zeon remnant force known as the Sleeves, the event that has come to be known as the "Laplace Incident" seems to have drawn to a close. In the final battle, two Full Psycho Frame mobile suits displayed power beyond human imagination. The menace of the White Unicorn and the Black Lion were sealed away from public consciousness, and were consigned to be forgotten by history. But now sightings of the RX-0 Unicorn 03, long thought lost two years ago, are being reported. Its name is Phenex, an immortal golden bird.

Tickets and showtime information are not yet available. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Crazy Rich Asians at Shaler North Hills Library, January 13.

The Shaler North Hills Library will play Crazy Rich Asians on January 13 as one of its "Books to Film" selections.

The story follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore.

It starts at 2:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is requested. The library is located at 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd. (map).

Gourmet Chinese Tasting Dinner, January 15 in Highland Park.

Itha Cao of the Hungry Cao will present its next Gourmet Chinese Tasting Dinner on January 15.

Residência: The Hungry Cao "Gourmet Chinese Tasting Dinner"

On January 15th, Casa Brasil welcomes back chef resident Itha Cao from the Hungry Cao hosting a unique evening, "Gourmet Chinese Tasting Dinner" where 27 guests will explore a variety of flavors and dishes through a 8 course tasting meal carefully curated by chef Itha!

The menu is composed by a variety of dishes focused on fresh and regional Chinese cuisine.

When - January 15, 2019

Time - 6:30pm – 9pm

Location - Casa Brasil

Tickets- $65 includes a complimentary cocktail

Capacity - 27 guests

Chef Itha will donate portion of proceeds to a charitable effort.

The Hungry Cao

Note: This is a ticketed dinner, no walk-ins.

Join us!

Tickets are required, limited to 27, and available online. Casa Brasil is located at 5904 Bryant St. in Highland Park (map).

Former Pirates infielder Akinori Iwamura's sushi place.

Former baseball player Akinori Iwamura is a co-owner of Sushi Emon, (すしえもん), a small chain of conveyor-belt sushi places on his home island of Shikoku. The photograph above appears outside a location in a mall in Kagawa prefecture.

The T and A in the restaurant's logo refer to the Iwamura brothers, Takashi and Akinori. Akinori Iwamura was the first Japanese position player in Pittsburgh Pirates history---and to date the only Japanese position player in Pittsburgh Pirates history---playing 54 games for the team in 2010. Two other Japanese players, both pitchers, have appeared in games with the Pirates: Masumi Kuwata in 2007 and Hisanori Takahashi for nine games in 2012.

WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring bilingual Chinese-English academic tutors.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced more openings for bilingual academic tutors.

Japanese Coming-of-Age Ceremony (成人の日) at Pitt for students turning 20, January 11.

Kasai does 成人の日 in 2010.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and English Language Institute will host the second annual Coming-of-Age Ceremony (成人の日) on January 11, 2019. A large cohort of students from Yasuda Women's University is studying at Pitt's English Language Institute this fall and will miss the traditional ceremony in Hiroshima next month, so Pitt will hold its own event. Pittwire covered last year's ceremony:

About 25 students from Yasuda Women’s University in Hiroshima, who were at the University of Pittsburgh for five months learning English, were away from home in January, missing out on the annual Coming of Age ceremony, a national holiday in Japan.

So, Pitt’s Asian Studies Center threw a party — kimonos included.

A banner that reads “University of Pittsburgh Coming of Age Day Ceremony” in Japanese greeted student Nika Tanimoto and other participants.

“This Coming of Age ceremony seems like the perfect confluence of the University, our Japanese students and the community to celebrate together,” said Lynn Kawaratani, the center’s acting associate director. Members of the Pittsburgh community, the Japanese Nationality Room Committee and the Japan America Society of Pennsylvania all loaned kimonos for the students to wear. The Asian Studies Center has been partnering with Pitt’s English Language Institute for about a year, developing programming for these international students as well as Pitt students.