Reading & Conversation: M Lin "The Memory Museum" (with Robert Yune), May 16 at White Whale Bookstore.

White Whale Bookstore will present Reading & Conversation: M Lin "The Memory Museum" (with Robert Yune) on May 16.

It is our joy and honor at White Whale to celebrate debut authors! We are thrilled to welcome M Lin to White Whale to celebrate her debut, The Memory Museum, an expansive, unforgettable short story collection centering the lives and experiences of Chinese millennial women. Her story “Shangri-La” is set in Pittsburgh! M Lin will be joined in conversation by Robert Yune. 

“An astounding talent with an unforgettable voice. The Memory Museum is a book for the ages.”—R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit

Stretching from the present to the future, from China to America and beyond, M Lin’s piercing debut collection depicts characters finding beauty amidst the disorientation of migration, the contradictions of living between cultures, the perverse realities of race and class, and the delicate dance between survival and resistance. In “Scenes from Childhood,” an elderly woman in a dystopian reality is visited by forgotten memories of her grandfather’s village. In “Magic, or Something Less Assuring,” a fraying couple goes on a divorce honeymoon in Morocco to surprising results. “You Won’t Read This in the News” imagines four migrant workers and petty thieves who forge an unshakable connection across one desperate night. A filmmaker thwarted by censorship untangles her fraught relationship to motherhood and artmaking in “Tough Egg.” And in a newly instated Memory Museum generations into the future, two sensory architects weave a moving tapestry of love and radical hope. Brimming with joy, insight, and emotional power, The Memory Museum unveils M Lin as an irresistible new talent with fearless political and stylistic imagination.

The event runs from 7 to 8:00 pm both in-store and online; both options require registration. The bookstore is located at 4754 Liberty Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口) stays in Pittsburgh through April 19.

The 2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口), which opened in Pittsburgh on April 9, will stay here through (at least) April 19.

A man becomes increasingly desperate when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station, needing to complete a mission to get out.

It plays locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson and AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

2026 Japanese movie Labyrinth (迷宮のしおり) in Pittsburgh, May 10 and 11.

The 2026 Japanese movie Labyrinth (迷宮のしおり) will play in Pittsburgh on May 10 and 11.

Shiori is a typical high school student who dreams of online stardom, but struggles to capture attention. After an embarrassing video of her goes viral, she gets trapped in her smartphone and replaced by a charismatic alter ego. As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world. Labyrinth is the first original feature film from legendary creator Shoji Kawamori, who is known for his electrifying fusion of pop music with science fiction. Featuring the voice of SUZUKA from music sensation ATARASHII GAKKO!, Kawamori’s latest film is a wildly imaginative adventure about finding oneself while navigating the perils of social media.

It plays locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, and tickets are available online.

Life as a K-Pop Idol: A Conversation with Seungyeon Chang, April 21 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics will present "Life as a K-Pop Idol: A Conversation with Seungyeon Chang" on April 21.

Join the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics for an exciting and candid conversation with Seungyeon Chang, former leader of CLC and now a professional K-pop choreographer.

Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to be a K-pop idol?

From trainee days to debut stages, world tours and transitioning into choreography, Seungyeon will share her personal journey in the K-pop industry. Learn about the challenges, rewards, behind-the-scenes realities and what it truly takes to succeed as an idol.

This is your chance to:

• Ask questions about idol life and training
• Hear firsthand stories from the stage and studio
• Gain insight into the K-pop industry from someone who has lived it

Whether you’re a longtime K-pop fan or simply curious about the industry, don’t miss this unique opportunity for an engaging and inspiring conversation.

It runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in Hamerschlag Hall B103 (map).

Kiyoshi Kurosawa films Chime (チャイム), Serpent's Path (蛇の道) in Pittsburgh, May 3 - 6.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa films Chime (チャイム) and Serpent's Path (蛇の道) will play in Pittsburgh from May 3 through 6.

Two masterworks from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, released theatrically for the first time in the US! Both films screen as part of a single program with CHIME playing first. Total running time: 130 min. 

2023 Japanese animated movie That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond (転生したらスライムだった件 紅蓮の絆編) returns to Pittsburgh, April 20.

The 2023 Japanese animated movie That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond (転生したらスライムだった件 紅蓮の絆編) will play in Pittsburgh on April 20.

A long-running conspiracy is swirling over a mysterious power wielded by the Queen in Raja, a small country west of Tempest. When a slime who evolved into a Demon Lord named Rimuru Tempest crosses paths with Hiiro, a survivor of the Ogre race, an incredible adventure packed with new characters begins. The power of bonds will be put to the test!

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online. The movie last played in the area in January and February 2023.

BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING in Pittsburgh, April 18.

BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING will be held in Pittsburgh-area theaters on April 18.

Pop Royalty BTS returns to the global stage with their highly anticipated world tour, marking their first large-scale tour in approximately four years. Spanning 34 cities across the world with a total of 82 shows, the tour opens with landmark concerts in Goyang, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, marking a new record for the most tour dates by a K-pop artist. Don’t miss your chance to experience two full-length concerts, presented live in cinemas worldwide. Titled ARIRANG, BTS’s world tour accompanies their fifth full-length album, which reflects the group’s identity through honest introspection and universal emotions such as longing and deep love, woven into music that defines them on their own terms. Featuring a spectacular 360-degree in-the-round stage design, the show delivers an immersive experience that places audiences at the very center of the performance. Share the electrifying moments of BTS’s defining cultural comeback together on the big screen worldwide.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Shows are 4:00 pm and 7:45 pm, and tickets are available online.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind with Grow Pittsburgh, April 17 at Row House Lawrenceville.

Row House Lawrenceville will patner with Grow Pittsburgh for a screening of the 1984 Hayao Miyazaki film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ) on April 17.

Watch Miyazaki’s awesome movie about environmentalism and hear from Grow Pittsburgh — who is working to make Pittsburgh a greener place! Hear a short intro about their work before the movie and $1 from every ticket will go back to their organization! (Film will be shown in Japanese with subtitles)

The movie starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are available online. The screening is part of the Touch Grass film series, which features 11 opportunities to see Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind as well as nine screenings of the 2017 Bong Joon Ho film Okja (옥자). The Row House Cinema is a single-screen theater located at 4115 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

ASIA POP LECTURE: Chang Seungyeon, April 22 at University of Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present a lecture with Chang Seungyeon on April 22, parts of its ASIA POP lecture series. This follows the "Life as a K-Pop Idol: A Conversation with Seungyeon Chang" event at Carnegie Mellon University on the 21st. From the Asian Studies Center newsletter:

Chang Seungyeon (장승연; also romanized as Jang Seung Yeon) is a South Korean entertainer, best known as the leader and main dancer of Crystal Clear (CLC), a K-pop girl group that debuted on March 19, 2015, under Cube Entertainment. Consistently ranked among top dancers, not only within CLC, but across the broader third-generation K-pop landscape, Seungyeon's stage presence and sheer charisma was frequently cited as a distinguishing quality.

Since their disbandment, Seungyeon has established a flourishing independent career as a choreographer and workshop instructor. She has built an active international career as a guest choreographer and workshop instructor, and has also embraced public speaking and academic engagement.

Join ASIA POP for an exciting and candid conversation with Chang Seungyeon. Learn about the challenges, rewards, behind-the-scenes realities, and what it truly takes to succeed as an idol. Whether you’re a longtime K-pop fan or just simply curious about Korean musical entertainment, don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear from a veteran of the industry!

The lecture starts at 6:00 pm in 205 David Lawrence Hall (map).

Wong Kar-wai Film Series at Row House Hollywood, featuring Fallen Angels (墮落天使), Chungking Express (重慶森林), and In the Mood for Love (花樣年華), from April 17.

Row House Hollywood will present classic Hong Kong films Fallen Angels (墮落天使), Chungking Express (重慶森林), and In the Mood for Love (花樣年華) as part of a Wong Kar-wai film series, from April 17. Tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口) in Pittsburgh, from April 9.

The 2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口) will play in Pittsburgh from April 9.

A man becomes increasingly desperate when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station, needing to complete a mission to get out.

It plays locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson from the 9th and AMC Loews Waterfront from the 10th, and tickets are available online.

2026 cherry blossom viewing event at North Park cancelled due to weather, tree removal.

Photo by MRM Photography, shared by Pittsburgh Sakura Project.

The Pittsburgh Sakura Project's annual hanami blossom-viewing event, scheduled this year for April 18, has been cancelled due to a recent cold spell damaging buds and a series of tree removals due to a playground expansion project. From an April 3 Facebook post:

Sadly, we must announce that we are not expecting many cherry blossoms this year. Cold weather at just at the wrong time damaged buds on healthy trees. Other trees received major pruning this winter to control the black knot fungus. Those trees are putting energy into making leaves, not flowers. Some dying trees (mostly due to black knot fungus) have been removed, and a whole grove of healthy Pink Flair cherries has been cut down for what looks like a project to redevelop the playground.

Accordingly, our Hanami Event, scheduled for April 18, 2 - 4 pm at Harmony Shelter, will change purpose to an information session.

Free "We Learn: Survival Japanese (Tourist to Beginner Level)" Fridays at downtown Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Fridays in May from May 1.

"Osaka, Japan" by Pedro Szekely (Creative Commons).

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's downtown branch will host "We Learn: Survival Japanese (Tourist to Beginner Level)" on Fridays from May 1 through May 29.

Enjoy learning the basics of the Japanese language and culture from a certified, native Japanese instructor. We will learn greetings, etiquette and manners, survival phrases for traveling to Japan, visiting interesting tourist locations, and ordering food and shopping. We will also learn reading and writing – Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, Emoji, Anime and Manga. Each session is designed to be interactive and fun. The agenda can vary based on the interests of the students.

We Learn groups are volunteer-facilitated peer learning groups. 

The classes run from 11:00 am, and the library is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).

1985 Akira Kurosawa film Ran (乱) presented on 35 mm film, May 2 and 3 at Row House Hollywood.

The 1985 Akira Kurosawa film Ran (乱) will play at the Row House Hollywood in Dormont on May 2 and 3.

Akira Kurosawa brilliantly reimagines Shakespeare’s King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.

These screenings will be presented on 35 mm film and tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN GOYANG: LIVE VIEWING in Pittsburgh, April 11.

BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN GOYANG: LIVE VIEWING will be held in Pittsburgh-area theaters on April 11.

Pop Royalty BTS returns to the global stage with their highly anticipated world tour, marking their first large-scale tour in approximately four years. Spanning 34 cities across the world with a total of 82 shows, the tour opens with landmark concerts in Goyang, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, marking a new record for the most tour dates by a K-pop artist. Don’t miss your chance to experience two full-length concerts, presented live in cinemas worldwide. Titled ARIRANG, BTS’s world tour accompanies their fifth full-length album, which reflects the group’s identity through honest introspection and universal emotions such as longing and deep love, woven into music that defines them on their own terms. Featuring a spectacular 360-degree in-the-round stage design, the show delivers an immersive experience that places audiences at the very center of the performance. Share the electrifying moments of BTS’s defining cultural comeback together on the big screen worldwide.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Shows are 4:00 pm and 7:45 pm, and tickets are available online.

2025 Japanese animated movie ChaO (チャオ) in Pittsburgh, from April 9.

The 2025 Japanese animated movie ChaO (チャオ) will play in Pittsburgh from April 9.

In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence. Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue. Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings. Crafted over 7 years by the acclaimed STUDIO4°C and veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, ChaO is an inventive and genre-defying delight bursting with color and character. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, ChaO’s singular narrative is an ode to boundless love.

It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville and, from the 10th, at the Row House Hollywood in Dormont.

2025 documentary Queer as Punk in Pittsburgh, April 11.

The 2025 film Queer as Punk will play in Pittsburgh on April 11, a collaboration between SCREENSHOT: ASIA, JADED, and Aquarius (AQUARIUS (Alliance of Queer Underrepresented Asians in Recognition of Intersectionality to Uphold Solidarity). A synopsis, from the Singapore International Film Festival:

Openly queer punk-rock band Shh… Diam! turns up their music against rising conservatism and political upheaval in Malaysia.

Since meeting at a pool party in 2009, Faris, Yon and Yoyo have become a household name for their daring and snarky anthems celebrating queer desire and rage. Just as Faris begins his gender transition, Yon prepares to welcome a child and Yoyo considers migration, Malaysia escalates its rhetoric on purity and begins enacting corporal punishment on LGBTQ individuals. Through it all, the trio endeavours to continue their song.

Queer as Punk is a frank and immersive look at the private lives of the Shh… Diam (Malay for “keep quiet”) members on their world tour. More than a document of the times, the documentary elucidates and affirms the choice to leave for safety, or stay to continue resisting.

The free screening starts at 11:00 am at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map) and is followed by a Q&A with AQUARIUS.  

K-POP FUN FACTORY, a family-friendly Kpop event, April 12 at Enclave.

Enclave will host K-POP FUN FACTORY, a family-friendly K-pop fest, on April 12.

family fest! Live DJ, dancers, face painting, photo booth & meet-and-greet with Rumi — Sunday, April 12th, 12PM–3PM

Get ready for an unforgettable family-friendly K-Pop event in Pittsburgh! 🎤✨
K-POP FUN FACTORY is the ultimate interactive kids and family experience combining music, dance, entertainment, and magical moments all in one high-energy celebration. Join us on Sunday, April 12th from 12:00 PM–3:00 PM at Enclave (1602 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh) for a vibrant afternoon designed for K-pop fans, families, and young performers alike.

This exciting Pittsburgh kids event features a live DJ spinning upbeat tracks, professional K-pop dancers leading an interactive dance-along, colorful face painting, and a fun photo booth to capture memories. Plus, don’t miss the exclusive meet-and-greet with The Lead Huntress, where kids can say hello, take photos, and experience the magic up close. It’s the perfect weekend activity for families looking for fun things to do with kids in Pittsburgh.

ONE OK ROCK Detox Japan Tour 2025 at Nissan Stadium, in Pittsburgh from April 30.

The concert film ONE OK ROCK Detox Japan Tour 2025 at Nissan Stadium will play in the Pittsburgh area April 30, May 2, and May 4.

ONE OK ROCK DETOX JAPAN TOUR 2025 AT NISSAN STADIUM IN CINEMAS unleashes the raw pulse of a career-defining night—documenting the band’s commanding takeover of Japan’s iconic Nissan Stadium—where thunderous riffs, soaring vocals, and 70,000 voices collide into something electric, forging an unbreakable bond between the band and their worldwide legion of fans.

It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口) in Pittsburgh, from April 10.

The 2025 Japanese film Exit 8 (8番出口) will play in Pittsburgh from April 10.

A man becomes increasingly desperate when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station, needing to complete a mission to get out.

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