Japanese guitarist Miyavi in Pittsburgh, October 15.

Japanese guitarist Miyavi will perform in Pittsburgh on October 15, part of his 20th anniversary North American tour.

MIYAVI is a musician, actor, and philanthropist, bridging cultures across the globe with his music and message. His unique style of guitar playing has taken him on 8 world tours in over 30 countries. Fans refer to MIYAVI as the “Samurai Guitarist.” He has released 13 studio albums.

In December 2018, MIYAVI released the groundbreaking collaborations album Samurai Sessions Vol. 3: Worlds Collide on Universal Music Group. The stellar list of U.S.-based collaborators included Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, Grammy nominated R&B artist Gallant, Grammy nominated Pop artist Mikky Ekko, Grammy winning producer RAC, Malaysian born R&B songstress Yuna, South Central LA rapper DUCKWRTH, “Hood EDM” rapper Bok Nero, “laptop punk” artist NVDES, and Australian born Pop artist Betty Who.

MIYAVI returned to his releasing solo albums with 2019’s NO SLEEP TILL TOKYO kicked off by a concert at Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium followed by the 2020 release of Holy Nights. On September 15, 2021 MIYAVI released his latest album Imaginary with features from KPOP star Kang Daniel and Grammy winning pop artist Kimbra.

The concert takes place at the Thunderbird Cafe, and tickets for the 18+ show are available online. Miyavi last performed in Pittsburgh, at the Thunderbird Cafe, in October 2021. The Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall is located at 4023 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

"Mai Khoi: Bad Activist" at Pittsburgh Playhouse, September 15.

Mai Khoi will present "Bad Activist" at Pittsburgh Playhouse on September 15.

Mai Khoi rose to pop stardom in Vietnam, where she played arena concerts and was often compared to Lady Gaga in the international media. But when she turned her celebrity to the cause of free expression, her music was banned. She was detained, harassed, evicted from her home and eventually forced into exile. She now lives in Pittsburgh. For her courage in defending human rights, Mai Khoi has been awarded the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent and the Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award for Free Speech.

The Pittsburgh Playhouse, Point Park University's Center for Media Innovation and the International Free Expression Project (IFEP) are proud to present the fully realized theatrical production of "Bad Activist" — a multimedia tour de force in which Mai Khoi tells her remarkable story and performs with extraordinary musicianship.

This production is part of the Media Innovators Speaker Series, which welcomes media changemakers and leaders in the field who have made significant contributions to journalism, storytelling and free expression.

Tickets for the 7:00 pm show at PNC Theatre are available online. The theatre is located at 350 Forbes Ave. (map).

2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形) in Pittsburgh, October 12.

The 2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形 will play in Pittsburgh on October 12. From the distributor:

Based on the best-selling manga series by Yoshitoki Ōima, A SILENT VOICE is the poignant and moving story of Shōya Ishida, a school bully, and Shōko Nishimiya, a young girl with a hearing disability. Their story begins in sixth grade when Shōko transfers to Shōya’s elementary school and quickly finds herself bullied and isolated. Years later, the tables turn, and Shōya finds himself isolated and alone. A SILENT VOICE depicts the struggles and challenges of adolescence alongside coming-of-age outside the norm.

It plays locally at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, though more theaters may be announced later, and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on competing Chinese-language delivery apps.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an article from September 12 about the competing Chinese-language delivery apps in Pittsburgh.

For a while, Ms. Geng [of Amazing Dumplings] has been faced with a conundrum: If she changes the dish name, customers who don’t speak Chinese might understand it better. But then, how would Chinese customers recognize it as the dish they love from back home?

Now, there’s a solution: an app that allows her to speak to her Chinese customers directly.

Actually, make that three apps.

As the number of immigrants from mainland China has grown — and crucially, grown richer — Chinese food-delivery apps have sprung up to serve America’s Chinese delivery market. The apps offer a Mandarin-language experience for people on all sides of the equation, from restaurateurs to couriers to consumers.

Now, three of the apps — Fantuan, HungryPanda and Ricepo — are vying for dominance in cities across the U.S.

Pittsburgh, with its large international student population and vibrant Chinese food scene, has proven to be particularly fertile ground.

As ubiquitous advertising in areas like Squirrel Hill shows, the Steel City is in the midst of an all-out app marketing war.

PennsylvAsia noted this trend in 2020, when Chinese delivery companies started hiring locally and serving Pittsburgh-area Asian restaurants and grocers. Places like Fantuan and Hungry Panda continue to routinely hire in the area as they add businesses as clients.

2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) September 21.

The 2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 18, will remain here through at least September 21.

The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two Androids call themselves “Super Heroes”. They start attacking Piccolo and Gohan… What is the New Red Ribbon Army’s objective? In the face of approaching danger, it is time to awaken, Super Hero!

The movie was the top-grossing film in Japan its opening weekend of June 11-12, and is the eighth-highest earning domestic film in Japan this year so far. It plays locally at several Pittsburgh-area theaters, continuing next week at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

U Had To Be There: K-Pop DJ Night, October 8 at Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh.

U Had To Be There will present a K-Pop DJ Night on October 8 at the Hard Rock Cafe Pittsburgh.

U Had To Be There: K-Pop DJ Night

featuring a night of DJ curated K-Pop music from BTS, Blackpink, Big Bang, EXO and more!

The show is 21+ and starts at 7:00 pm, and tickets are available online. The Hard Rock Cafe is located at 230 W. Station Square Drive (map) in Station Square.

7th Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival, September 24 at Mellon Park.

The Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center will present its 7th Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival on September 24 at Mellon Park (map). It will run from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and offer traditional Chinese opera, Asian food, Chinese cultural performances, Asian food, a selection of vendors, and more.

2022 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island (機動戦士ガンダム ククルス・ドアンの島) in Pittsburgh, September 27 and 28.

The 2022 Japanese film Mobile Suit Gundam Cucuruz Doan's Island (機動戦士ガンダム ククルス・ドアンの島) will play in Pittsburgh on September 27 and 28. From the distributor:

After Jaburo, the EFF plan an operation to capture Odessa, headquarters of Zeon's Attack Force. White Base heads to Belfast to resupply. However, White Base receives new orders; to head to an island known as the "Island of No Return".

It plays locally at the Cinemark in McCandless and tickets are available online. The 7:15 pm September 27 show is in Japanese with English subtitles, while the 7:30 pm September 28 show is dubbed in English.

Movies from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan help comprise second annual SCREENSHOT: Asia Festival, September 28 through October 3.

The second annual University of Pittsburgh SCREENSHOT: Asia Festival will run from September 28 through October 2 and feature films from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and elsewhere across Asia. The schedule was released this afternoon and includes: 

• Baby Assassins & Martial Arts Short (Japan)
• Dear Tenant (Taiwan) 
• Fire on the Plain (China)
• Maelstrom (Japan), the 2022 Japan Documentary Film Award winner. 
• Small, Slow but Steady (Japan)
• The Girl on a Bulldozer (Korea)

The movies will play at Alumni Hall and Frick Fine Arts on the University of Pittsburgh campus, the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley, and the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District.  Tickets are now available online.

Asian grocery Fudi Asian Mart coming to Shadyside.

Sigange is up at 5020 Centre Ave. (map) for Fudi Asian Mart, an Asian grocery coming soon to Shadyside. The location was formerly home to AccuServ Pharmacy.
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We first read about this in an August /r/pittsburgh thread about Asian groceries in the area, but the poster did not respond to messages for more information. This figures to be an ideal location for people living in the Shadyside, Friendship, and Bloomfield areas, all of which have substantial---for Pittsburgh anyway---Asian, internatioanl, and globally-minded populations.