Squirrel Hill's Bangkok Balcony closes for renovations, will reopen as KIIN Thai & Lao Eatery.

Signage recently went up to announce the closure of Bangkok Balcony in Squirrel Hill for the next two weeks. It will reopen at 5846 Forbes Ave. 2F (map) as KIIN, Thai & Lao Eatery, offering Thai and Lao food.

Pitt to launch Asian film festival and media series from September 2020.

In its latest newsletter, the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center has announced that it, in collaboration with Pitt's Film Studies Program, will launch Screenshot: Asia from September 2020.

The Asian Studies Center--in collaboration with the Film Studies Program--is thrilled to announce Screenshot: Asia, its new film and media series and Asian festival. The festival is set to premiere in September 2020. To welcome this new series, we will host a few preliminary screenings during the 2019-2020 academic year. There will be a screening for Nostalgia for the Future on Monday, September 30 from 4:15 PM to 6 PM in 407 Cathedral of Learning. A reception and screening for Dragonfly Eyes will be held on Tuesday, October 8 at 4:30 in Frick Fine Arts Auditorium. A lecture and film screening of Godzilla on My Mind will be on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 PM in the WPU Assembly Room.

Pittsburgh has been without its Asian film festival ever since Silk Screen closed last fall due to a history of sexual harassment by its executive officer.

Free Chinese, Japanese, Korean classes in Pittsburgh in October.

via @japangov


The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will continue to offer free Chinese, Japanese, and Korean classes at some of its branches this October. Check out the class information below in addition to its language resources on the shelves and online.

As the library notes: these classes are free; registration is not required; no materials are needed and nothing needs to be bought; new participants are welcome at any time; classes are for adults (unless otherwise noted) but well-behaved young people are welcome to join as well.

English-Chinese Language Social Hour, October 4 at Pitt.

via Pietro Motta (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and English Language Institute will collaborate on an English-Chinese Language Social Hour on October 4.

Join us for an evening of language and cultural exchange between Pitt students and international students

The event is free and open to the Pitt community, and will be held in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.

Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival (匹茲堡龍舟節), October 5 at North Park.

The annual Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival (匹茲堡龍舟節) will take place on October 5 at North Park.

The Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival is not only a fun day at beautiful North Park Lake, it's an amazing opportunity for friends, family, and co-workers to form community teams for friendly competition in genuine dragon boats! The 40 ft canoes are a sight to behold on their own, let alone when they're being paddled in sync by 20 people! The races are an excellent team bonding experience! And it's all for a great cause! Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel a Dragon Boat Racing Team for BCS (Breast Cancer Survivors) uses all proceeds to promote awareness and the benefits of the sport of dragon boating racing for breast cancer survivors. If you, or someone you love, has been affected by the disease, this is an awesome way to "do something about it"! There are also cultural demonstrations, food and marketplace activities that are free to the public! Join us to race, or join us to watch, it's a great day! More information on how to sign up a team can be found at:
www.pghdragonboatfestival.org

The event starts at 8:30 am and runs until 3:00 pm, with cultural demonstrations running from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. It will be held at and around the Boathouse at North Park Lake in the North Hills (map) and is free and open to the public.

2019 movie Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl (青春ブタ野郎はゆめみる少女の夢を見ない) in Pittsburgh, October 2 and 3.

The 2019 Japanese animated movie movie Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl (青春ブタ野郎はゆめみる少女の夢を見ない) will play in Pittsburgh on October 2 and 3. From the distributor:

From CloverWorks, the studio that brought you PERSONA 5 the Animation, Darling in the FranXX, and The Promised Neverland, comes the direct sequel to the popular anime Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai.

In Fujisawa, where the skies are bright and the seas glisten, Sakuta Azusagawa is in his ssecond year of high school. Blissful days with his girlfriend and upperclassman, Mai Sakurajima, are interrupted by the appearance of his first crush, Shoko Makinohara. For reasons unknown, he encounters two Shokos: one in middle school and another who has become an adult.

As Sakuta finds himself helplessly living with Shoko, the adult Shoko leads him around by the nose, causing a huge rift in his relationship with Mai.

In the midst of all of this, he discovers that the middle school Shoko is suffering from a grave illness and his chest scar begins to throb…

It will play locally in Japanese with English subtitles at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

"Storytime: Chinese and English" in Squirrel Hill, October 5.

via Ed Massery.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Squirrel Hill will hold its next "Storytime: Chinese and English" on Saturday, October 5.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Chinese.

Storytime runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am and is free and open to the public. The Carnegie Library branch in Squirrel Hill is located at 5801 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by buses 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, and 74.

2019 movie One Piece: Stampede (ワンピーススタンピード) in Pittsburgh from October 24.

Tickets for the 2019 movie One Piece: Stampede (ワンピーススタンピード) went on sale today; it will play in Pittsburgh, and across the US, from October 24. From the distributor:

The world’s boldest buccaneers set sail for the great Pirate Festival, where the Straw Hats join a mad-dash race to find Gol D. Roger’s treasure. There’s just one little problem. An old member of Roger’s crew has a sinister score to settle. All bets are off when the most iconic pirates of One Piece history band together for a swashbuckling showdown, the likes of which have never been seen!

It will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Monroeville, and tickets are available online. The screenings on October 24, 29, and 31 are in Japanese with English subtitles, and the October 26 and 30 screenings are dubbed in English.

Pittsburgh Chinese School hiring teachers.

The Pittsburgh Chinese School, which meets on Sundays at Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill, is hiring teachers.

匹兹堡中文学校诚聘有爱心和责任心，有教学经验, 并有工作许可的有关人士加入教师队伍。

岗位要求:
1、热爱中国文化，并有热情将中国的文化广泛传播。
2、喜欢孩子，有爱心、耐心，责任心，有亲和力。
3、普通话发音标准清晰，语言表达能力强。
4、有基本的英语表达沟通能力。
5、有中文教学经验，尤其是有中小学教学经验者优先。
6、有教育或中文相关学历者优先。
7、文艺课教师有相关学历或工作经验者优先。

UPMC hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Project Coordinator, International.

UPMC is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English Project Coordinator, International.

Purpose:
The Project Coordinator is responsible for various projects including plan and report development, maintenance of data and information resources supporting programs and initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Develops and maintains Excel Spreadsheets.
• Assist with department administrative support.
• Provide support, where needed, for all events and activities.
• Assist in documentation of processes, standards, procedures, and policies for programs and initiatives.
• General involvement with all Human Resources aspects of the organization.
• Participate in design, development, and implementation programs and initiatives.
• Develop and maintain documents and materials to support effective roll out of programs and initiatives.
• Participate in the documentation and submission of service requests to ISD and/or system vendor(s). Assist in the assignment of request priorities, and monitor and communicate the progress of the assigned requests.
• Provide first level support for department programs and initiatives. Communicate problems or complex requests to the Management.
• Maintain an understanding of UPMC health careers to support programs and initiatives.

More information, and application instructions, available at the job posting on UPMC's website.

New Chinese movie The Climbers (攀登者) in Pittsburgh, from September 30.

The new Chinese movie The Climbers (攀登者), starring Zhang Ziyi and Wu Jing, will open in Pittsburgh on September 30. A summary from the distributor:

Based on a true story from award winning director Daniel Lee (Three Kingdoms, 14 Blades), featuring China’s biggest stars Wu Jing (Wandering Earth, Wolf Warrior 2) and Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Grandmaster), and with a special guest appearance from superstar Jackie Chan. THE CLIMBERS is a cinematic retelling of the first Chinese climbers to summit Mount Everest - the first ever to do so from the North Ridge. Well-known as the most challenging side of the mountain, the perilous journey takes its toll on the mountaineers, physically and mentally, forcing them to make life or death decisions at every turn.

It plays at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater and tickets are available online. 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.

2018 film Swing Kids (스윙키즈) at Pitt, September 30.

The University of Pittsburgh chapter of Liberty in North Korea and the Pitt Korean Student Association will present the 2018 Korean musical film Swing Kids (스윙키즈) on September 30.

Come join KSA and LiNK as we watch Swing Kids, a Korean musical drama film that focuses on a North Korean soldier (Rho Ki-Soo) and his fight for freedom. The theme will be SAUNA NIGHT - we'll be selling face masks and giving massages by the one and only, Phillip Lok, as well as cookies and drinks. BRING YOUR OWN RAMEN - we'll be supplying hot water.

It runs from 9:00 to 11:00 pm in 203 Lawrence Hall (map).

Wang Lu's "Manifold" with Yangjin, October 19.

Alia Musica will present a performance of Wang Lu's "Manifold" on October 19 in Oakland.

Alia Musica partners with Yangjin in a special event of music for the pipa and various ensembles.

The concert includes a 12-player chamber version of Wang Lu's "Manifold," commissioned and premiered at the Festival of Firsts in Downtown Pittsburgh in 2018.

Plus music by HouYuan Wu, Zhanhao He, Vittorio Monti, Xing Liu, Chang Liu, and Astor Piazzola's Libertango.

Tickets are currently available online for $10. The performance runs from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Bellefield Hall in Oakland (map).

"We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh" part of Gallery Crawl in Cultural District, September 27.

by Estelle Tian.

The exhibition "We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh" at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is part of this month's Gallery Crawl through the Cultural District on September 27.

Although Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) have been present in Pittsburgh since the 1870s and represent an ever-growing community in the city and in the country at-large, APIA’s continue to struggle for representation. This exhibition aims to provide visibility for this community: for the first time in Pittsburgh’s history, every exhibiting artist in "We Are Here" identifies as APIA. While some of these artists create work directly informed by their race, family backgrounds, and sociopolitical history, all possess an identity created in the context of omission and discrimination.

By giving a physical space for viewers to look at and engage with these artists’ work, we hope to set a precedent for the local art scene, educate the larger public, develop dialogue, and voice that "We Are Here," we have been here, and we will continue to create.

All art will be for sale. The event is free but online RSVP is required. It runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm on the 12th in the GPAC Big Room on the 7th floor of 810 Penn Ave. (map).

The Secret World of Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ) in Pittsburgh, September 29 and 30.

The 2010 Studio Ghibli film The Secret World of Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ) will play in Pittsburgh on September 29 and 30 as part of this year's GKIDS Ghibli Fest.

From the creators of Spirited Away and Ponyo, and Academy Award®-nominated director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, comes a gorgeous and adventure-filled adaptation of The Borrowers, one of the most beloved children’s books of all time.

In a secret world hidden beneath the floorboards, little people called Borrowers live out of sight of humans. But when brave and tiny Arrietty is out gathering supplies, she is discovered by Shawn, a human boy, and they begin to form a friendship that blossoms into an extraordinary adventure.

It plays at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, Robinson, and Pittsburgh Mills. The September 29 screenings are dubbed in English while the September 30 ones are in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

2017 Xu Bing film Dragonfly Eyes at Pitt, October 8.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of History of Art and Architecture will present the Xu Bing film Dragonfly Eyes on October 8. The Museum of Modern Art summarized the film thus:

Few images come closer to reality than those recorded by surveillance cameras. In China, a country with strict film censorship, an estimated 200 million such cameras have been installed to capture life unfiltered; mundane daily activities are mixed with dramatic events beyond the realm of imagination. Visual artist Xu Bing’s first feature film stitches together surveillance footage collected from the Internet to create a fictional tale about a young woman traversing life in modern China. The result is a provocative tale as mundane, surreal, and outlandish as reality itself. Known for works that consistently disrupt our understanding of what we see—from Book from the Sky, an installation of books and scrolls with printed “fake” Chinese characters, to Phoenix, giant phoenix sculptures made of salvaged materials—Xu persistently explores the relationship between vision and meaning.

The film will begin with a reception and will follow with remarks from Pitt's Gao Minglu and NYU's Zhen Zhang. The evening starts at 4:30 pm---film begins at 5:00---at the Frick Fine Arts Building in Oakland (map) and is free and open to the public.

"Sonic and Visual Trajectories: Taiwan's Pop Music in Chinese-Speaking Asia," September 26 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Marc Moskowitz and his talk "Sonic and Visual Trajectories: Taiwan's Pop Music in Chinese-Speaking Asia" on September 26.

Taiwan's popular music has shaped China's music and culture to a surprising degree. The roots of Taiwan's music industry can be found in the 1930s Jazz era in Shanghai. Sixty years later, Taiwan was the hub of the Chinese-language pop music industry--a sonic movement that shaped CHinese understandings of music, gender, and individuality in the contemporary age. Today, music videos and mash-ups that are posted to YouTube (and its Chinese counterparts Youku and Tudou) demonstrate cultural proximity between China and Taiwan that reveals both shared cultural understandings and ongoing regional tensions that arise out of their distinctive pasts.

The talk starts at 5:00 pm in 144 Cathedral of Learning and is free and open to the public.

SAP Ariba hiring bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Operations Specialist for overnight call center position.

SAP Ariba is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English Procurement Operations Specialist for an overnight position in Pittsburgh.

ROLE DESCRIPTION:

The Customer Support Associate primary function is to effectively support Ariba applications for both internal and external customers. Support includes site navigation and system troubleshooting as well as interfacing with other Ariba teams to ensure world-class service. Assistants will provide complete satisfaction for all customer interactions.


EXPECTATIONS AND TASKS:

Responsibilities

• Provide inbound and outbound (phone, email, web form, chat, community) application/ functional support and resolution to customers (external and internal) while presenting the company in a positive and fair manner with timely updates and knowledgeable answers
• Collaborate, coordinate, and escalate on customer issues acting as a customer advocate while working with all departments
• Maintaining the quality of the customer support organization (release readiness, process definition, training, service audits…)
• Document transactions in CRM system
• Create content for knowledge base systems

Yoshino coming soon to Shadyside.

The new Japanese/Chinese restaurant coming to Walnut Street got a name this week: Yoshino. It is taking the place of China Palace, which closed in Shadyside after nearly 30 years in business. A handwritten sign on the door says both China Palace and Mt. Everest Sushi cuisine will be available.

Pitt Honors College presents The Farewell, September 27.

The University of Pittsburgh's Honors College will show The Farewell on September 27 as the next installment of its "Movies Everyone Should See" series. From the distributor:

In this funny, uplifting tale based on an actual lie, Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai, has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there’s a lot to celebrate: a chance to rediscover the country she left as a child, her grandmother’s wondrous spirit, and the ties that keep on binding even when so much goes unspoken. With The Farewell, writer/director Lulu Wang has created a heartfelt celebration of both the way we perform family and the way we live it, masterfully interweaving a gently humorous depiction of the good lie in action with a richly moving story of how family can unite and strengthen us, often in spite of ourselves.

The movie starts at 6:30 pm on the 35th floor of the Cathedral of Learning and is open to the Pitt undergraduate community.

"Sport as Global Spectacle: 2020 Summer Olympics Study Abroad Program" information session at Pitt, September 25.

Logo concept by @darennewman

The University of Pittsburgh's Study Abroad Office will present a "Sport as Global Spectacle: 2020 Summer Olympics Study Abroad Program" information session on September 25.

Sport as Global Spectacle: 2020 Summer Olympics is a 4-week intensive summer study abroad program that will engage you with the cultural and global spectacle of the Summer Olympic Games. The 2020 Summer Olympics will take place from July 24 - August 9 in Tokyo, Japan. This program will run from July 11 - August 10, 2020. The first two weeks of the program will take place in Osaka and will be intensive class preparation along with guest speakers and the remaining two weeks will be in Tokyo focused around attending, analyzing and discussing the Olympic spectacle. You may have the opportunity to meet and hear from Olympic planning officials, local leaders and regional experts on the impact and significance of the Olympics in the region. This program will help you understand the local and global implications of international sporting events as well as the unique cultural spectacle the Olympics can cultivate. Students in the program will attend some official Olympic sporting events.

The information session runs from 3:00 to 4:00 in 3106 Posvar Hall.

2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形) at CMU, September 20.

The Japanese Student Association at Carnegie Mellon University will screen the 2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形) on Friday, September 20. A synopsis of the film from the distributor:

The story begins with a deaf elementary school girl named Shoko Nishimiya, who transfers to a new school and meets a boy named Shoya Ishida. Shoya, who is not deaf, leads the school in bullying Shoko over her disability. The bullying escalates, and so Shoko transfers to another school. Immediately, the class and even Shoya's closest friends, bully him for having bullied Shoko. Shoya loses contact with Shoko, and for years he suffers the consequences of his guilt. Upon entering high school, Shoya finally decides he must find Shoko, determined to make amends for what he did in elementary school and to become Shoko's friend. Along the way, he meets new and old faces, and struggles with many complicated relationships and feelings.

It runs from 6:30 to 9:00 pm in 1211 Doherty Hall (map) and is open to the university community.

English-Chinese Language Social Hour, October 4 at Pitt.

via Pietro Motta (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and English Language Institute will collaborate on an English-Chinese Language Social Hour on October 4.

Join us for an evening of language and cultural exchange between Pitt students and international students

The event is free and open to the Pitt community, and will be held in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.

Big plans for the KBox site.

The online exhibition of the 2019 Design Pittsburgh Awards has an interesting building in its "unbuilt" section: a new five-story cooperative-living project on the current site of KBox at 214 S. Craig St. in Oakland. From AIA Pittsburgh:

We addressed the problem of displacement due to gentrification by designing an affordable Pittsburgh alternative to owning your own home: This project features a cooperative living arrangement in which potential residents purchase ownership shares in an organization that owns the entire property. Our renderings demonstrate that both the light filled residential units and the common areas have been carefully designed according to the WELL standard of “improving comfort, driving better choices, and generally enhancing, not compromising, health and wellness.” Our design makes an impact because we have designed just what Pittsburgh needs today: an affordable high density, multifunctional environment that is physically attractive.

The client is Mike Wu of the Ramen Bar, Pink Box, and Rose Tea Cafe ownership, and the architect is Fisher ARCHitecture.

Years ago the plan for the site included a new, larger Pink Box in Oakland at 4527 Winthrop St., directly behind KBox, though eventually the Oakland address was removed from the logo.

English-Korean Language Social Hour, October 11 at Pitt.

via travel oriented (Creative Commons)

The University of Pittsburgh's English Language Institute and Asian Studies Center will present its next English-Korean Language Social Hour on October 11.

Join us for an evening of language and cultural exchange between Pitt students and international students.

It runs from 4:30 to 5:30 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

"Twilight World of Screens? Really? Women, Art, and Agency in Late Heian Japan" at Pitt, September 26.

The University of Pittsburgh's History of Art & Architecture will host Yale University's Dr. Mimi Yiengpruksawan and her talk "Twilight World of Screens? Really? Women, Art, and Agency in Late Heian Japan" on September 26.

For decades it has been a commonplace that the Buddhist art practices of the Kyoto elite in the 11th and 12th centuries were for the most part the preserve of a man’s world of statesmanship, faith, and patronage. Among the most influential of such patrons were Fujiwara no Michinaga, his son Yorimichi, and their circle of gentlemen friends. A close look at primary records of the period, such as the diaries of Michinaga and his associates, tells a different story and allows another picture of their world to come into view. We see that, in that world, women of the Fujiwara and Minamoto houses—Fujiwara no Senshi (Akiko), Fujiwara no Shōshi (Akiko), Fujiwara no Kanshi (Hiroko), and Minamoto no Rinshi (Tomoko) in particular—were the equals of these men if not their superiors in Buddhist arts patronage of their day. In this lecture Professor Yiengpruksawan provides evidence for this claim and then considers the role of modern analysis and interpretation of the Tale of Genji—a haunting story of love and loss written by Murasaki Shikibu during her years in service to Michinaga’s daughter Shōshi—as having skewed and even obscured our picture of women at the Heian court. Her hope is that, by drawing attention to the primary textual and visual records, and stepping away from generalizations about the lives of Heian women based on modern and often gendered commentary, we can break free of assertions that, compliant and servile, the Heian woman lived in what Ivan Morris once called “a twilight world of screens.” That Heian woman, it must be said, is not to be found in the actual historical and visual record, which delivers instead a woman of great vision and agency in the emergence of traditional Japanese culture, holding her own in a complex world of politics, and flourishing there.

It starts at 4:00 pm in room 202 of the Frick Fine Arts Building (map) and is free and open to the public.

New Chinese movie The Last Wish (伟大的愿望) in Pittsburgh, from September 20.

The new Chinese movie The Last Wish (伟大的愿望) will play in Pittsburgh from September 20.

A high school student suffering from muscular dystrophy is told that he does not have much time left. He is determined to complete a wish before dying: becoming a real man. When his two good friends, Xu Hao and Zhang Zheng Yang hear of this news, they spare no effort for their good friend's last dying wish.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online. 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.

1989 Japanese film Tetsuo: The Iron Man (鉄男 Tetsuo) at Row House Cinema, October 13 - 17.

The 1989 Japanese film Tetsuo: The Iron Man (鉄男 Tetsuo) will play at the Row House Cinema from October 13 - 17. A 1992 New York Times review shares the story:

Early in Shinya Tsukamoto's film "Tetsuo: The Iron Man," a character identified only as a metals fetishist (Mr. Tsukamoto) scours a junkyard, slices open his thigh and sticks a piece of scrap metal into the wound. Gasping in ecstatic agony, he lurches into the street where he is nearly run over by a car driven by a white-collar worker called the Salaryman (Tomoroh Taguchi).

While shaving the next morning, the Salaryman notices a metal spike growing in one cheek. It is the first sign of his gradual transformation from a human being into a walking metal scrapheap of rusty metal plates, dangling cables and a rotating metal drill that extends from his groin.

. . .

"Iron Man" makes little sense as a story, but it is driven by a perverse sense of humor. As the Salaryman's transformation proceeds, it becomes increasingly hard for him to differentiate between his waking state and nightmares in which he is attacked by machinery.

Tickets and showtime information is not yet available. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Poetry Reading : Takako Arai, September 18 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host a poetry reading with Takako Arai on September 18.

Please join us for a poetry reading by Takako Arai at the Humanities Center (Cathedral of Learning Rm 602) on September 18 at 4pm. Ms. Arai will read a selection of her poems in Japanese and with English translation. She is in the U.S. as part of The University of Iowa’s prestigious creative writing residency, the International Writers Program. Arai is known for writing socially engaged poetry. She writes in particular about the lives of working women as they are affected by such forces as globalization, economic decline, and the 2011 triple disaster in northeastern Japan.

Takako Arai was born in 1966 in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture to a family engaged in textile manufacturing, a traditional industry in Kiryu.

The event starts at 4:00 pm in 602 Cathedral of Learning (map) and is free and open to the public.

Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival (匹茲堡龍舟節), October 5 at North Park.

The annual Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival (匹茲堡龍舟節) will take place on October 5 at North Park.

The Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival is not only a fun day at beautiful North Park Lake, it's an amazing opportunity for friends, family, and co-workers to form community teams for friendly competition in genuine dragon boats! The 40 ft canoes are a sight to behold on their own, let alone when they're being paddled in sync by 20 people! The races are an excellent team bonding experience! And it's all for a great cause! Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel a Dragon Boat Racing Team for BCS (Breast Cancer Survivors) uses all proceeds to promote awareness and the benefits of the sport of dragon boating racing for breast cancer survivors. If you, or someone you love, has been affected by the disease, this is an awesome way to "do something about it"! There are also cultural demonstrations, food and marketplace activities that are free to the public! Join us to race, or join us to watch, it's a great day! More information on how to sign up a team can be found at:
www.pghdragonboatfestival.org

The event starts at 8:30 am and runs until 3:00 pm, with cultural demonstrations running from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. It will be held at and around the Boathouse at North Park Lake in the North Hills (map) and is free and open to the public.

Science on the Screen: Akira at Row House Cinema, September 19.

Row House Cinema will host CMU's Molly Wright Steenson to accompany the September 19th screening of Akira (アキラ).

Akira’s future has finally become present day! The 1988 film predicts life in Tokyo in 2019. Join us for a discussion with Professor Molly Wright Steenson from Carnegie Mellon University, who will be exploring the potential of Akira’s science fictions becoming reality. Sit back and enjoy watching the film with all that you’ve learned in mind!

The evening begins at 9:15 pm and tickets are available online. Akira is one of four movies playing from September 13 through 19 as part of Row House Cinema's Anime Film Series. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Chinese calligraphy workshop downtown, October 12.

"Chinese calligrapher," by David Boté Estrada (Creative Commons).

The downtown branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host a Chinese calligraphy workshop on October 12.

A Chinese calligraphy expert will show us pictures of her home in China, give background on the art of calligraphy, and lead a Chinese calligraphy workshop for all ages! No registration is necessary for these sessions. Seating for all workshops is available to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll want to come early to be sure you MAKE it on time.

The event runs from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. The Downtown & Business branch is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).

Japanese/Chinese restaurant to replace China Palace in Shadyside.

Shadyside's China Palace closed in July after nearly 30 years in business, and handwritten signage went up to announce a Japanese / Chinese restaurant will fill the space at 5440 Walnut St. Below that sign, and slightly obscured by the fold, is another note that says both the China Palace and Mt. Everest cuisine will be available; Mt. Everest sushi is the name of a restaurant in Oakland.

"We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh" part of Gallery Crawl in Cultural District, September 27.

by @pattytran.art

The exhibition "We Are Here: Asian Pacific Islander American Artists in Pittsburgh" at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is part of this month's Gallery Crawl through the Cultural District on September 27.

Although Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) have been present in Pittsburgh since the 1870s and represent an ever-growing community in the city and in the country at-large, APIA’s continue to struggle for representation. This exhibition aims to provide visibility for this community: for the first time in Pittsburgh’s history, every exhibiting artist in "We Are Here" identifies as APIA. While some of these artists create work directly informed by their race, family backgrounds, and sociopolitical history, all possess an identity created in the context of omission and discrimination.

By giving a physical space for viewers to look at and engage with these artists’ work, we hope to set a precedent for the local art scene, educate the larger public, develop dialogue, and voice that "We Are Here," we have been here, and we will continue to create.

All art will be for sale. The event is free but online RSVP is required. It runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm on the 12th in the GPAC Big Room on the 7th floor of 810 Penn Ave. (map).

"Sonic and Visual Trajectories: Taiwan's Pop Music in Chinese-Speaking Asia," September 26 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Marc Moskowitz and his talk "Sonic and Visual Trajectories: Taiwan's Pop Music in Chinese-Speaking Asia" on September 26.

Taiwan's popular music has shaped China's music and culture to a surprising degree. The roots of Taiwan's music industry can be found in the 1930s Jazz era in Shanghai. Sixty years later, Taiwan was the hub of the Chinese-language pop music industry--a sonic movement that shaped CHinese understandings of music, gender, and individuality in the contemporary age. Today, music videos and mash-ups that are posted to YouTube (and its Chinese counterparts Youku and Tudou) demonstrate cultural proximity between China and Taiwan that reveals both shared cultural understandings and ongoing regional tensions that arise out of their distinctive pasts.

The talk starts at 5:00 pm in 144 Cathedral of Learning and is free and open to the public.

2017 Japanese zombie comedy film One Cut of the Dead カメラを止めるな!) back in Pittsburgh, October 18 - 23.

The 2017 Japanese zombie comedy film One Cut of the Dead (カメラを止めるな!), which first came to Pittsburgh in January and was part of the last Japanese Film Festival, will play in McKees Rocks from October 18 through 23. 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 October 18 through 23 at the Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks (map). Showtimes are available via Facebook but tickets are not yet for sale.

2019 film Promare (プロメア) in Pittsburgh, September 17 and 19.

The 2019 Japanese animated film Promare (プロメア) will play in Pittsburgh on September 17. The distributor summarizes:

The first feature-length film from the acclaimed studio TRIGGER, creators of the hit series KILL la KILL and Little Witch Academia, and director Hiroyuki Imaishi (GURREN LAGANN, KILL la KILL), Promare uses a bold cel-shaded visual style to tell a blistering action-adventure story, and is the spiritual successor to many of director Imaishi’s former works.

Thirty years has passed since the appearance of Burnish, a race of flame-wielding mutant beings, who destroyed half of the world with fire. When a new group of aggressive mutants calling themselves “Mad Burnish” appears, the epic battle between Galo Thymos, a new member of the anti-Burnish rescue team “Burning Rescue,” and Lio Fotia, the leader of “Mad Burnish” begins.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and AMC South Hills Village, Southside Works Cinema, and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson. The September 17 shows are dubbed in English while the September 19 ones are in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, September 17.

via archdaily.org

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on September 17 at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese for children and their parents or caregivers. For children age birth – 5 and their caregivers.

It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

"Fall Flower Show: Japanese Inspirations" at Phipps, October 19 - November 10.

Phipps Conservatory will present "Fall Flower Show: Japanese Inspirations" from October 19 through November 10.

Starting Sat., Oct. 19, Phipps’ Fall Flower Show: Japanese Inspirations will take you on a spectacular journey to experience an inspiring celebration of harmony and nature. Join Phipps for a trip to Japan, where festivals are spectacular and the colorful chrysanthemum reigns as king. Explore the festivities as you wander through room after room of stunning Japanese-inspired botanical displays with hundreds of vibrant blooms in dramatic cascades, giant disbuds and other exciting forms. From the show’s giant origami peace cranes, dry garden and serene floating lanterns to a vibrant dragon festival display, Japanese Inspirations will capture the imaginations of visitors of all ages. Phipps’ new show lasts for just three weeks — don’t miss this grand celebration of the season!

Visit the Phipps website for more details about events and exhibitions. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is located at 1 Schenley Drive in Oakland (map).

Love Tea, formerly Love Ramen and Love Yogurt, is now open in Oakland.

Love Ramen, which closed its Atwood St. location in May for renovations, is now open as Love Tea. It is located at 229 Atwood St. (map). Love Ramen's noodle operations moved to Fifth Ave. over the summer. The Atwood St. space was formerly called Love Yogurt, but changed its name to Love Ramen in 2017.

Japanese punk band Shonen Knife returning to Pittsburgh, October 5.

Japanese punk band Shonen Knife will return to Pittsburgh on October 5 for a show at Cattivo (map) as part of its 2019 US tour.

Since their pure DIY beginnings in 1981, Osaka, Japan’s Shonen Knife have been building a faithful following of music enthusiasts and the alternative rock elite. Their relentless journey secured the band’s place as one of the pioneer ambassadors of Japanese rock music and culture on the international stage.

The band features original members (and sisters) Naoko on Vocals and Guitar, Atsuko on Bass and Vocals and introduces their newest member, Risa, on Drums and Vocals.

Akira (アキラ) with Pitt Gamelan, September 18 at Row House Cinema.

Row House Cinema will host Pitt Gamelan for a performance before the September 18 screening of Akira (アキラ).

Celebrate the musical roots of this anime masterpiece! Pitt Gamelan (the University of Pittsburgh’s Indonesian Gamelan group) will be joining us for a pre-show performance to accompany this screening of Akira! Six musicians will be playing a sampling of the music that inspired the film’s iconic soundtrack.

The evening begins at 7:00 pm and tickets are available online. Akira is one of four movies playing from September 13 through 19 as part of Row House Cinema's Anime Film Series. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Art in Smog documentary at Pitt, September 17.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present Lydia Chen's documentary Art in Smog on September 17.

Art in Smog offers an intimate encounter with four artists and a curator in China. Vivid art merges with thoughtful voices to evoke the human search for meaning. Featured are international artists Su Xinping and Xia Xiaowan, painter and antiques connoisseur Mushi, brash curator Cui Cancan, and painter Chen Hui, who expresses a woman’s sense of self in a challenging world.

Their pursuit of art takes them from quiet dreams in the 1990s to the extremes of the 2000s to their different paths forward today. Their lives and their work provide a visually rich glimpse of humanity in a tumultuous society. Footage from 1991 and 2016 documents China’s transformation.

It starts at 4:30 in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Chuseok (추석) at Pitt, September 15.

The Daehwa Korean Conversation Group at the University of Pittsburgh will present a Chuseok (추석) celebration on September 15.

Join the Daehwa Korean Conversation Club in celebrating one of the most important Korean holidays: Chuseok (추석)!

Chuseok aka mid-autumn festival, is a day for families to gather and give thanks to their ancestors for plentiful harvest. We will have Korean games, opportunities to learn more about Korean culture and most important of all there will be FOOD! Come out and celebrate with us!!

It runs from 1:30 to 4:00 pm in the William Pitt Union Kurtzman Room.

VSA x CASA Mid-Autumn Festival at Pitt, September 22.

The Vietnamese Student Association and the Chinese American Student Association at the University of Pittsburgh will host a Mid-Autumn Festival on September 22.

It is that time of year to celebrate the moon and harvest with Pitt VSA & CASA as we are proud to present our 2019 Mid-Autumn Festival! Our theme this year is UNITY and it is all about how we all are brought together during this special time of year.

**Headlined by: the JROD TWINS**
The JROD Twins have been featured on Superstar K - Kpop Reality Show, WongFu and LeendaDProductions videos!
Check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/jrodtwins
A meet and greet will follow after the event.

Come out to the WPU Assembly Room for an evening filled with some amazing performances, cultural activities, mooncakes, and food catered by Golden Palace Buffet. We hope you gather all of your friends and family to come celebrate the festival with us!

It runs from 5:00 to 8:00 pm in the William Pitt Union and is free and open to the public.

3D-animated Chinese movie Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世) to stay in Pittsburgh through September 18.

The new 3D animated Chinese film Ne Zha (哪吒之魔童降世), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 29, will remain in town through at least September 18. From the distributor:

A young boy, Nezha, is birthed from a heavenly pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven. Born with unique powers, Nezha finds himself as an outcast who is hated and feared. Destined by prophecy to bring destruction to the world, the young boy must choose between good and evil in order to break the shackles of fate and become the hero.

It is the highest-grossing Chinese animated film of all time. It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater and tickets are available online. 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.

2019 Japanese movie Tokyo Ghoul S (東京喰種 【S】) in Pittsburgh, from September 16.

The 2019 Japanese movie Tokyo Ghoul S (東京喰種 【S】) will play in Pittsburgh on September 16. From the distributor:

Now a member of Anteiku, Ken Kaneki grows closer to the ghouls around him. Determined to protect his new home against anti-ghoul forces, he trains his powers in secret. But when the infamous gourmet, Shu Tsukiyama, wishes to
savor some half-ghoul flavor, Kaneki’s training is put to the test of a lifetime.

Based on the thrilling supernatural manga, Tokyo Ghoul.

It will play in the US on September 16, 18, and 20, and locally at the Southside Works Cinema, and tickets are available online.