1988 film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) in Pittsburgh, December 5, 6, 9.

The 1988 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) will play in Pittsburgh on December 5, 6, and 9, as part of Ghibli Fest 2021. From the distributor:

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away and Ponyo, and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family.

When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece featuring the voices of Tim Daly, Lea Salonga, and real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning, in early roles.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online, but please note that the December 5 and 9 shows are in English while the December 6 show is in Japanese with English subtitles.

2021 movie Gintama: The Very Final (銀魂 THE FINAL) in Pittsburgh, November 21 and 22.

The 2021 movie Gintama: The Very Final (銀魂 THE FINAL) will play in Pittsburgh on November 21 and 22. From the distributor:

This is the actual ending.

The countdown to destruction has begun! All will join to reclaim an Edo in grave peril! Earth is facing its darkest days, and the members of the Odd Jobs must come together to save it from an otherworldly menace.

Old allies Gintoki, Takasugi, and Katsura strive their hardest for their own ideals, but standing in their way is someone with whom they share a sad history: Utsuro, an alternate personality of their former teacher and mentor, Shoyu. Having been spawned by Altana, the energy that fuels all planets, this immortal fiend has regenerated multiple times until finally becoming Utsuro, the ultimate enemy... And he intends to take down the entire world in order to end his own life.

Gintoki and the others set out to fulfill the wishes of their teacher Shoyo and thwart Utsuro's plans. Shinpachi, Kagura, the Shinsengumi, members of the Kabuki District, and even former enemies will join their fight.

As Utsuro's power grows, Takasugi fights for his very life. Will Gintoki be able to put
an end to all this?!

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson, and tickets are available online. Note that some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Macross Plus Movie Edition (マクロスプラス MOVIE EDITION) in Pittsburgh, December 14.

The Japanese animated film Macross Plus Movie Edition (マクロスプラス MOVIE EDITION), a threatrical cut of a 1994-1995 four-volume series, will play in Pittsburgh on December 14. From the distributor:

From the minds of vision creator Shoji Kawamori and co-director Shinichiro Watanabe, and featuring renowned composer Yoko Kanno, MACROSS PLUS MOVIE EDITION is an action-packed animated masterpiece made for the big screen!

In the year 2040, on the distant planet Eden, former childhood friends Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman find themselves pitted against each other as test pilots of rival teams in a competition to decide the next generation of variable mecha fighters. The two must also deal with their own unresolved history with mutual love interest, Myung Fang Lone, who has returned as the manager of Sharon Apple, the AI pop star (virturoid) and the galaxy’s biggest singing sensation. When Sharon’s advanced artificial intelligence gains consciousness, Isamu, Myung, and Guld must face their turbulent past and come together as Sharon Apple becomes self-aware and takes control of the Macross battlefortress itself!

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark Theaters in McCandless, Monaca, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Short films from Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Asian America part of Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival, November 18 - 21.

Though the Three Rivers Film Festival will feature no full-length Asian films this year, its companion festival, the Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival running from November 18 through 21, will feature shorts from Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Asian America.

The program of films includes "Americanized," "Raspberry," and "Windup" from the USA; "Annah la Javanaise" from Indonesia; "Colorful" and "Georgia" from Korea; and "Dinner" from Vietnam. The short films are grouped into various blocks and play at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty (map) and, in some cases, virtually. Tickets are available online.
Still from "Windup."

Still from "Colorful."

AAPI COVID Vaccine Booster Clinic at UPMC Mercy Southside, November 14.

Marian Lien of OCA Pittsburgh shares news of an AAPI COVID Vaccine Booster Clinic taking place on November 14.

We will be holding an AAPI COVID Vaccine Booster Clinic THIS SUNDAY Nov. 14th. from 9am to 12pm with translators on site. All vaccines Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J will be available. Reminder, to have a booster, you must be at least 6 months from the date of your second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or first J&J vaccine. We also have a limited supply of children's vaccines available for those 5 years old to <12 years old. We will also have free flu vaccines on hand.

It will be at the UPMC Southside Clinic (2000 Mary Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203). No need to bring your ID, just your vaccine card so the nurses can fill out. Everyone is welcome!

Japanese-English Language Social Hour at Pitt, November 18.

Interior of Pitt's Cathedral of Learning, from the 2019 Yasuda Women's University promotional catalog.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present an Japanese-English Language Social Hour on November 18.

A Japanese-English language social hour to bring together visiting students from Yasuda University and local Pitt students. An evening of language and cultural exchange.

Pitt's English Language Institute has hosted large cohorts of Yasuda Women's University students each fall since 2016. The event starts at 4:00 pm in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall, and is open to members of the Pitt community compliant with its health regulations.

New Japanese animated movie Sword Art Online the Movie Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ 星なき夜のアリア) in Pittsburgh, from December 3.

Showtimes were just announced for the 2021 Japanese animated movie apanese animated movie Sword Art Online the Movie Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ 星なき夜のアリア), which will play in Pittsburgh from December 3 through 9. A synopsis of the film that is based on a manga series:

“There’s no way to beat this game. The only difference is when and where you die…” One month after Kayaba Akihiko’s game of death began, the death toll continues to rise, two thousand players having already lost their lives to the ultra-difficult VRMMO world of Sword Art Online. On the Day of the strategy meeting to plan out the first-floor boss battle, Kirito, a solo player who vows to fight alone to get stronger, runs into a rare, high-level female player. She gracefully dispatches powerful monsters with a single rapier that flashes like a shooting star in the night.

It has been announced so far for the Cinemark theater in McCandless, and tickets are available online. Shows on December 3, 4, and 9 are in Japanese with English subtitles, while shows on December 7 and 8 are dubbed in English.

Miyazaki Week at Row House Cinema, from November 12; $28 all-you-can-see week pass available.

Following its Wong Kar-Wai film series from November 5, the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville will present Miyazaki Week from November 12 through 18. The film series consists of 1979's Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城), 1997's Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫), and 2001's Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し). Tickets and showtime information is now available online; there is a $28 all-you-can see weekly pass available for the series as well. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street (map) in Lawrenceville.

"Innovative Curricular Models in East Asia," November 17 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Institute for International Studies in Education will host "Innovative Curricular Models in East Asia" on November 17.

IISE is honored and proud to host Huiyuan Ye (Pitt alum), Research Fellow of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Duke Kunshan University in China; Weiyan Xiong (Pitt alum) Research Assistant Professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong; and Gerardo Blanco-Ramírez, Associate Professor and Academic Director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College.

Our distinguished participants will be sharing their work/study on innovative liberal arts and sciences curricular models in East Asian region.

The free event runs from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Zoom, and registration is required.

"Imperial Gateway: Colonial Taiwan and Japanese Expansion in South China and Southeast Asia, 1895–1945," November 15 at Pitt.

via @seijishirane

The University of Pittsburgh will host Dr. Seiji Shirane and his talk "Imperial Gateway: Colonial Taiwan and Japanese Expansion in South China and Southeast Asia, 1895–1945" on November 15, part of the center's Asia Now Fall Lecture Series.

This talk examines how Japanese colonizers and Taiwanese subjects transformed colonial Taiwan—the sub-tropical island Japan acquired from China in 1895—into a staging ground for imperial expansion across the East and South China seas. Taking advantage of Taiwan's proximity and cultural affinities with South China and Southeast Asia, Japanese colonial leaders innovated new strategies to compete with the Chinese and Western powers for regional hegemony. They mobilized Taiwanese overseas as economic and cultural brokers in the pre-war period (1895–1937) and as military personnel during the Asia-Pacific wars (1937–45). Studying the intricate ties between colonial governance and international relations helps us transcend the conventional emphasis on two-way relations between Japan's home islands and each of its colonies. A regional approach to Taiwan allows us to recover transnational networks often neglected due to divisions in area studies. Japanese imperialism was a contested process among not only state agencies but also mobile colonial subjects whose interests did not easily map on to national, local, or ethnic categories. The overseas Taiwanese in particular challenge prevailing assumptions of imperial hierarchies. Gradations of power and categories of identity—colonizer and colonized—were much more fluid outside Taiwan's territorial borders.

It runs from 4:30 to 5:45 pm in 211 Lawrence Hall, and is free and open to members of the Pitt community who abide by the university's health guidelines.