Journey to the West Book Series Debut, October 4 in Squirrel Hill.

A pair of local authors are releasing a series of books aimed at learners of Chinese that retells the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, and an event celebrating its release will be held on October 4 in Squirrel Hill.

1979 Hayao Miyazaki film Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城) in Pittsburgh area, September 14 and 19.

Hayao Miyazaki's 1979 directoral debut, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世 カリオストロの城), will play at Pittsburgh area Cinemark theaters on September 14 and 19. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut film, LUPIN THE 3RD: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO is coming to U.S. cinemas nationwide for the first time ever this September for a special two-day event. Lupin and Jigen successfully rob a casino of millions, but only to find that the money is counterfeit. Lupin notices how well the money is forged and decides to make his next target the possible source of the forgery, Cagliostro. They enter the country and run into a car chase between a group of men after a girl in a wedding dress. Lupin, who loves girls, decides to abruptly make a detour to assist the bride in her escape. They successfully outrun the men but have an accident. Lupin goes unconscious but wakes up to find a ring with the royal crest of Cagliostro in a white glove from the bride.

This exciting two-night event also features never before seen special footage with creator comments.

The movie is set to play at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Pittsburgh Mills. Tickets for the September 14 English-dubbed shows are available online, as are tickets for the September 19 English-subtitled screenings.

Live-action Tokyo Ghoul (東京喰種) movie in Pittsburgh in October.

The new live-action movie Tokyo Ghoul (東京喰種) will play at the Southside Works Cinema from October 16 through 19.

English/Korean Language Social Hour September 13 at Pitt; English/Japanese on September 27.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and the English Language Institute will present two Language Social Hours in September that bring together Japanese- and Korean-speaking students studying English and for Pitt students learning Japanese and Korean.

The English/Korean Language Social Hour will take place on September 13 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map), and will feature ELI students from Chosun University (조선대학교) in Gwangju, South Korea. The English/Japanese hour on September 27 will feature students from Yasuda Women's University (安田女子大学) in Hiroshima, Japan. Refreshments will be provided, and both events are free and open to the public.

First meeting of Pitt's Go club, August 29.

By Jaro Larnos (Creative Commons).

Some faculty at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures have started a go club, and the first meeting is tomorrow, August 29. From the Department's Facebook page:

The University of Pittsburgh Go Club will be holding meetings every Tuesday from 7:00 to 9:30pm in room 114 of the O’Hara Student Ballroom through fall semester. Anyone interested in the game of go is welcome. The first meeting will be this Tuesday, August 29th.
If you have questions, you can email Stephen Luft (luft@pitt.edu) or James Zhu (jiz144@pitt.edu).

Zen's Noodle House to bring Japanese ramen to Oakland.

Zen's Noodle House has been "coming soon" to Oakland since November 2014. Recently, though, it appears it actually is coming soon: the kitchen is set up and furniture is in place. This week a new sign was added to the facade at 3531 Forbes Ave.: "Japanese ramen" has replaced "Hand Drawn Noodle".


November 2016 and November 2014.

Free Chinese, Japanese, Korean classes in Pittsburgh.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is an invaluable source of free and enriching programming for people of all ages. Most relevant to this site are the free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean courses at an increasing number of branches. The start of a new school year is an excellent time to revisit this list of free courses available for children, complete novices, high-beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced speakers.

Highest-grossing Chinese film of all time Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2) to remain in Pittsburgh through August 30.

Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2), which became the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time earlier this month, will stay in Pittsburgh at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater through at least August 30. A synopsis of the movie, released in China on July 27 and in Pittsburgh on July 28, from the distributor:

The Wolf Warrior is back, bigger and badder than ever, in this action-packed sequel to the 2015 blockbuster hit. With his career in tatters, China’s deadliest Special Forces operative has settled into a quiet life on the sea. But when he crosses paths with a sadistic band of mercenaries terrorizing innocent civilians, he must reaffirm his duty as a soldier and save the day once again. Fists (and bullets, tanks, missiles and much more) will fly in this adrenaline-fueled tour de force of bravura action filmmaking, all culminating into a climactic battle between the Wolf Warrior and the mercenary leader (Frank Grillo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War).

Tickets and showtimes are available from Fandango. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

No Game No Life Zero (ノーゲーム・ノーライフ ゼロ) coming to Pittsburgh theaters in October.

The upcoming Japanese anime No Game No Life Zero (ノーゲーム・ノーライフ ゼロ) will play at Cinemark theaters in the Pittsburgh area on October 5th and 8th. A synopsis from the distributor:

Six thousand years before Sora and Shiro were even a blink in the history of Disboard, war consumed the land, tearing apart the heavens, destroying stars, and even threatening to wipe out the human race. Amid the chaos and destruction, a young man named Riku leads humanity toward the tomorrow his heart believed in. One day, in the ruins of an Elf city, he meets Shuvi, a female exiled "Ex-machina" android who asks him to teach her what it means to have a human heart. In select movie theatres nationwide, this two-day event also includes exclusive content featuring special footage of members of the cast and crew of No Game No Life Zero.

Korean cyclists raising awareness of "comfort women" in US bike tour pass through Pittsburgh.

via 3A Project.

Two Korean university students are biking across the US to raise awareness of "comfort women", the euphemism for sex slaves used by the Japanese military during World War II. Today's Pittsburgh City-Paper has a profile.

“We want to raise this issue in the U.S. because the U.S. is the center of the media world,” said Young. “We don’t want to see this tragedy in any other [country].”

According to a June NBC News profile, Ha Joo-Young is a 25-year-old student from Kyung Hee University and Jo Yong-Joo is a 21-year-old from Yonsei University.

Takashi Miike's Dead or Alive (犯罪者) trilogy at Melwood Screening Room, August 31 - September 3.

The three films comprising the Japanese Dead or Alive series---DEAD OR ALIVE 犯罪者, DEAD OR ALIVE 2 逃亡者, and DEAD OR ALIVE FINAL---will play at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland from August 31 to September 3. Pittsburgh Filmmakers summarzies:

Anything can happen in a Takashi Miike film. Beginning with an explosive, six-minute montage of sex, drugs and violence -- and ending with a phallus-headed battle robot taking flight -- Miike's unforgettable DEAD OR ALIVE trilogy (1999-2002) features many of the prolific director’s most outrageous moments alongside some of his most dramatically moving scenes starring the popular duo Show Aikawa and Riki Takeuchi.

Tickets and showtime information is available on the Pittsburgh Filmmakers website. A $15 ticket is available for the entire trilogy. The Melwood Screening Room is located at 477 Melwood Ave. (map).

Tokyo Godfathers (東京ゴッドファーザーズ), Pittsburgh premiere of Napping Princess (ひるね姫 〜知らないワタシの物語〜 ) part of September anime series at Row House Cinema.

Tokyo Godfathers (東京ゴッドファーザーズ) and 2017's Napping Princess (ひるね姫 〜知らないワタシの物語〜 ) are part of an anime series playing at Row House Cinema from September 29 through October 5.

Third annual Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival (匹兹堡 中华文化节), September 17 at Mellon Park.

The third annual Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival (匹兹堡中华文化节) will take place on September 17 at Mellon Park in Shadyside (map). Presented by the Pittsburgh Chinese Culture Center, it features numerous Chinese and East Asian performances, food vendors, crafts, and local business booths.

The Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival celebrates the rich culture of China, past and present, through entertainment, music, art, food and exhibits.

This fun filled day includes: local performances, renowned UNESCO Masters of Arts & Crafts from Wuhan, China, food from Pittsburgh’s BEST Chinese Restaurants and exhibits of handcrafted items, information and much more!

It will run from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and is free and open to the public.

Studio Ghibli's Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ) in Pittsburgh area theaters, August 27 and 28.

The 1986 Hayao Miyazaki film Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ) will play in Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters on August 27 and 28 as this month's installment of GKIDS Studio Ghibli Fest 2017. The distributor GKIDS provides a summary:

A young girl with a mysterious crystal pendant falls out of the sky and into the arms and life of young Pazu. Together they search for a floating island in the sky, site of a long-dead civilization promising enormous wealth and power to those who can unlock its secrets.

Castle in the Sky is an early masterpiece of storytelling and filmmaking whose imaginative and ornately detailed vision presaged later films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.

An English dubbed version will play at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Pittsburgh Mills on August 27, while a version with English subtitles will play at those theaters on August 28.

"Mandarin Chat Time" coming to Carnegie Library West End branch in September.

The West End branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will hold three "Mandarin Chat Time" Chinese language and culture lessons on three consecutive Fridays starting September 22. The first lesson is "What's Your Name":

We hope you can join us for the first of three Chinese cultural programs at CLP-West End! Our first event will introduce patrons to basic, everyday Chinese greetings and we will learn the meanings of people’s Chinese names. Each attendee will learn what their name is in Chinese based, of course, on their original name.

Highest-grossing Chinese film of all time Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2), along with Once Upon a Time (三生三世十里桃花), to remain in Pittsburgh through August 23.

Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2), which became the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time two days ago, will stay in Pittsburgh through at least August 23. Both it and Once Upon a Time (三生三世十里桃花), a 3D currently the seventh highest-grossing Chinese film of 2017, are playing at AMC Loews Waterfront.

A synopsis of Wolf Warrior 2, released in China on July 27, from the distributor:

The Wolf Warrior is back, bigger and badder than ever, in this action-packed sequel to the 2015 blockbuster hit. With his career in tatters, China’s deadliest Special Forces operative has settled into a quiet life on the sea. But when he crosses paths with a sadistic band of mercenaries terrorizing innocent civilians, he must reaffirm his duty as a soldier and save the day once again. Fists (and bullets, tanks, missiles and much more) will fly in this adrenaline-fueled tour de force of bravura action filmmaking, all culminating into a climactic battle between the Wolf Warrior and the mercenary leader (Frank Grillo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War).

The distributor of Once Upon a Time likewise provides a synopsis of the movie starring Liu Yifei and Yang Yang:

Based on the best-selling fantasy novel Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, ONCE UPON A TIME is a story of epic battles, deep passion, and the powerful forces that drive mortals and gods alike toward revenge, loyalty, and eternal love.

Bai Qian, a goddess and monarch from the Heavenly Realms, is sent to the mortal world to undergo a trial to become a High Goddess. There, she meets Ye Hua, with whom she falls in love and marries. When an old enemy reappears in her life, everything she holds dear is threatened.

Tickets and showtimes are available from Fandango. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

NextPittsburgh on 15 local Asian restaurants to check out.

Photo via Top Shabu Shabu.

Tom O'Connor of NextPittsburgh released a list of "15 Asian restaurants in Pittsburgh that should be on your radar" tonight, with a nice assortment of local places with, or gaining, acclaim for their authenticity.

Tom asked me for comment, and I shared something I've mentioned elsewhere on the growth of authentic Asian places vis-a-vis the increase in international students in Pittsburgh:

The growth in international students is an important factor, but it’s also entrepreneurs finding opportunities to introduce more authentic dishes to neighborhoods willing to support them[.] You have more diners, international and domestic alike, open to — even demanding — real, authentic food.

Several recent profiles on the Asian restaurant scene have focused on that increase, particularly among Chinese students. For further reading on that angle, try:

• Pitt News (November 20, 2015): "Hungry for more: Competition heats up among Oakland’s Asian restaurants"
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (July 9, 2015): "Restaurant Scene: The Asian Influence"
• Saveur (October 21, 2015): "America's Next Great Chinatown Takes Root in Pittsburgh"

Oakland's Love Yogurt now Love Ramen.

Love Yogurt, which opened at 229 Atwood St. in Oakland (map) in November 2015, recently changed its signage to Love Ramen (日式拉面). The shop serves build-your-own ramen bowls, as well as bubble tea, Japanese-style crepes, and self-serve frozen yogurt. It was one of two build-your-own ramen places in Oakland until Fukumenya closed in June.

"Andrew Ooi : IOI OOI New Primitives" at BoxHeart Gallery, August 22 - September 22.

BoxHeart Gallery will present Andrew Ooi and his "IOI OOI New Primitives" exhibition from August 22 to September 22.

Andrew Ooi : IOI OOI New Primitives features a series of objects that reassess principles of painting and sculpture through a combination of primitive design and novel application of Japanese joinery and origami techniques. With a limited color palette, Ooi paints studied shapes and patterns onto individual strips of handmade gampi-fiber papers, he previously cut to size. He then folds the hundreds to thousands of painted strips into each other to create artworks with multiple planes – including a front and a back, inside and outside – similar to various prehistoric textiles, vessels, and adornments. Ooi’s intentional use of paper in constructing the artifacts by hand is a contemporary evolution of the stone, sticks, and finger-painting-in-the-sand methods of long ago.

The gallery will host a free reception with the artist on August 26 from 5 to 8 pm. BoxHeart Expressions and Gallery is located at 4523 Liberty Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

15 Fahrenheit rolled ice cream coming to Squirrel Hill.

On the same block as a forthcoming Japan-inspired crepe place is a forthcoming Thailand-inspired rolled ice cream place. Signage recently went up at 1722 Murray Ave. (map) for 15 Fahrenheit, which opened its first area shop in Mt. Lebanon in April. 15 Fahrenheit's official website provides an introduction:

If you never heard of the concept "Rolled Ice-cream" then you are in for a real treat that will keep you coming back for more because of the individual process that takes place in creating this unique experience.

This is a Thailand inspired concept that will be made on a chilled pan that will be chilled to -15 degrees fahrenheit, using two paddles to make a delicious rolled treat. You will get to observe how this whole process is created from start to finish. The end result will be a delicious treat for you to enjoy.

Pittsburgh Chinese Academy - South Hills (匹兹堡中文书院) plans Open House, August 27.

Parents interested in learning more about the Pittsburgh Chinese Academy - South Hills (匹兹堡中文书院) are invited to an Open House on August 27.

There is an ice cream social open house for current and prospective students on Sunday August 27, 4:00 - 5:30 at Center Presbyterian Church.

Center Presbyterian Church, where class are held each Sunday, is located at 255 Center Church Road in McMurray (map). The Pittsburgh Chinese Academy, in the words of its website,

is a private school providing superior instruction in Mandarin Chinese language and customs using Pin-Yin (phonetic writing system) and simplified characters for children in grades K-12. The PCA school program is rigorous in its pursuit of excellence and dedicated to producing students who are fully bilingual in both verbal and written skill by grade 8. The PCA also strives to encourage students to cherish Chinese culture and heritage, foster and enhance friendship among Chinese-American community, and contribute to the mutual understanding and appreciation of Chinese and other cultures.

Japanese animated film In This Corner of the World (この世界の片隅に) in Pittsburgh, from August 18.

The 2016 Japanese animated film In This Corner of the World (この世界の片隅に), which will have a limited release in the United States from August 11, will play in Pittsburgh at the Southside Works Cinema from August 18. The distributor summarizes:

The award-winning story of IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD follows a young lady named Suzu Urano, who in 1944 moves to the small town of Kure in Hiroshima to live with her husband’s family. Suzu’s life is thrown into chaos when her town is bombed during World War II. Her perseverance and courage underpin this heart-warming and inspirational tale of the everyday challenges faced by the Japanese in the midst of a violent, war-torn country. This beautiful yet poignant tale shows that even in the face of adversity and loss, people can come together and rebuild their lives.

An August 10 New York Times review writes:

But despite its setting in Hiroshima and the nearby port city, Kure, the new anime film “In This Corner of the World” is as soft as its brown-and-green palette, as romantic as its perpetually blushing protagonist, Suzu, a young wife coming of age during World War II. As war rages, Suzu’s endurance becomes the personification of hope for postwar Japan.

In June the movie was named the Best Film at the Toronto Japanese Film Festival.

Tickets are currently available online. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Pitt still hiring Assistant Instructor of Korean.

The University of Pittsburgh reposted today its job ad for an Assistant Instructor of Korean.

Position available at University of Pittsburgh, Dept. of East Asian Languages & Literatures in Pittsburgh, PA. The individual will be responsible for the following duties: Teach Korean language to graduate and undergraduate students; Work closely with the language coordinator to contribute to the overall effectiveness of the Korean language program; and Perform other academic duties as required.

Requirements: Must have Master’ s degree in Korean Language , Linguistics or related field. Must possess one (1) year of experience teaching Korean at the University level. Must possess native or near-native proficiency in both Korean and English.

Those interested should send resumes to the administrator listed on the job advertisement.

Korean is the fastest-growing language at the university level, according to the Modern Language Association, and enrollment in first-year Korean courses at Pitt has increased nearly three-fold in the last decade.

New Asian grocery, called Asian Grocery, now open in South Hills.

Via Google Maps.

A small Asian grocery store called Asian Grocery recently opened in Castle Shannon, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. In spite of the font, it's mostly south Asian goods. It is located in the Stoner Centre strip mall at 4136 Library Rd. (map) in what was formerly Plus Consignment Boutique.

Top-grossing 2017 Chinese movie Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2) continues in Pittsburgh through August 16.

The 2017 Chinese action movie Wolf Warrior 2 (战狼2), which opened in Pittsburgh on July 28, will continue at the AMC Loews Waterfront Theater through August 16. A synopsis, from the distributor:

The Wolf Warrior is back, bigger and badder than ever, in this action-packed sequel to the 2015 blockbuster hit. With his career in tatters, China’s deadliest Special Forces operative has settled into a quiet life on the sea. But when he crosses paths with a sadistic band of mercenaries terrorizing innocent civilians, he must reaffirm his duty as a soldier and save the day once again. Fists (and bullets, tanks, missiles and much more) will fly in this adrenaline-fueled tour de force of bravura action filmmaking, all culminating into a climactic battle between the Wolf Warrior and the mercenary leader (Frank Grillo, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War).

The movie, released in China on July 27, is currently the top-grossing film in China in 2017. Tickets and showtimes are available from Fandango. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

Zhang Yimou's The Great Wall (长城) at Cinema in the Park, August 16 and 19.

The 2016 Zhang Yimou film The Great Wall (长城) will play in two Pittsburgh parks this month as part of the annual Cinema in the Park series: in Schenley Park on August 16 and Riverview Park in Observatory Hill on August 19.

Vietnamese coffee shop Ineffable Ca Phe to open August 10.

Ineffable Ca Phe, a new Vietnamese cafe, will open in Lawrenceville on August 10. According to its Facebook post on Monday:

Thank god it's Monday!!! I love Monday. I'm definitely one of the luckiest people on this earth to be able to do what I'm doing. I'm so blessed to have all these amazing people in my life to help me with my dream. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the people that have been involved in this amazing project. As of this moment, we can officially OPEN!!! On Thursday 08/10/17 we will open our doors for the first time. I know it's been a long process but I hope you get to enjoy my dream as much as I have. Thank you!!!
ineffable

It is located at 3920 Penn Ave. (map), just across the street from Bloomfield, in what was most recently a motorcycle repair shop.

New Kensington's Xodus Medical hiring Chinese-speaking Computer Programmer.

Xodus Medical, a medical products firm headquartered in New Kensington (roughly 25 miles east of Pittsburgh), is hiring a Computer Programmer and prefers someone proficient in Chinese. From the job posting:

Medical Device manufacturer is seeking a Computer Programmer to fulfill a critical role in a fast paced environment.

Responsibilities

Design and develop new technologies for a large ERP system.
Skills

Experience with vb.net, Visual Studio, SQL Server 2016, jQuery, and ASP.NET Web Forms.
SQL Database design. Experience with all types of SQL server objects. Knowledge of 3rd and 4th normal form methodology
Planning and organization skills
Attention to detail and capacity to grasp concepts easily
Perform under pressure and motivate others to meet tight deadlines
Work in a logical and systematic manner.

New Chinese movie Once Upon A Time (三生三世十里桃花) in Pittsburgh, from August 10.

The new Chinese 3D movie Once Upon A Time (三生三世十里桃花) will play in Pittsburgh from August 10. A synopsis of the film starring Liu Yifei and Yang Yang, from the distributor:

Based on the best-selling fantasy novel Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, ONCE UPON A TIME is a story of epic battles, deep passion, and the powerful forces that drive mortals and gods alike toward revenge, loyalty, and eternal love.

Bai Qian, a goddess and monarch from the Heavenly Realms, is sent to the mortal world to undergo a trial to become a High Goddess. There, she meets Ye Hua, with whom she falls in love and marries. When an old enemy reappears in her life, everything she holds dear is threatened.

The movie was released in China on August 3 and will be released across the US on August 11. Tickets and showtime information are available online via Fandango. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

2017 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival includes selections from Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Philippines.

The lineup for the 2017 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival was announced tonight and it includes selections from across East and Southeast Asia, as well as a Chinese Short Films Presentation. Full-length films include: Close-Knit (彼らが本気で編むときは), Harmonium (淵に立つ), and Himeanole (ヒメアノ～ル) from Japan; The Bacchus Lady (죽여주는 여자) and Missing (미씽: 사라진 여자) from Korea; Old Stone (老石) from China; 1985's Taipei Story (青梅竹馬) from Taiwan; Interchange from Malaysia; Ma'Rosa from the Philippines; and Pop Aye, a Singaporean-Thai film that played in Pittsburgh last week.

Selections in the Chinese Short Films Presentation are: "The Stilted Building", "103 Days of Francis Xavier in China", "Blooming Rape Flowers", "Unrest", and "My Daddy Eric Tsang".

The festival runs from September 16 through 24 at theaters throughout Pittsburgh. Tickets and showtime information will be available later in the month.

Fairy Tale: Dragon Cry (劇場版 フェアリーテイル -DRAGON CRY) in Pittsburgh, from August 14.

The 2017 animated film Fairy Tale: Dragon Cry (劇場版 フェアリーテイル -DRAGON CRY) will play at the Southside Works Cinema and Monroeville Mall from August 14.

"Not Safe For Life" Japanese horror movie Audition (オーディション) at Row House Cinema, August 12.

The 1999 Japanese horror movie Audition (オーディション) will play at Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville on August 12.