In a Bind: Bookbinding Workshop with Brent Nakamoto, March 21 at Bunker Projects.

Brent Nakamoto, curator of the Stuck in Saṃsāra< exhibition at Bunker Projects, is hosting "In a Bind: Bookbinding Workshop" on March 21.

Stop by any time during this drop-in bookbinding workshop to make and take home an exclusive chapbook featuring images and writing about the exhibition. No experience necessary. Please register so we can plan materials accordingly.

The event runs from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Registration is required. Bunker Projects is an art gallery located at 5106 Penn Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

1975's Wolf Guy (ウルフガイ 燃えろ狼男), 1968's The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (蛇娘と白髪魔) comprise Cult-O-Rama: Japan-O-Rama!, March 6 at Row House Cinema.

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville will host Cult-O-Rama: Japan-O-Rama! on March 6, a week before the start of its annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival. Japan-O-Rama! will feature 1975's Wolf Guy (ウルフガイ 燃えろ狼男) and 1968's The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch  (蛇娘と白髪魔).

Your Cult-O-Rama hosts are priming you for the upcoming 10th Annual Japanese Film Festival with the first-ever all foreign language double feature! In the history of this program, we’ve never asked you to read; now there’s subtitles, but the same amount of wild stuff happening on the screen above it.

Wolf Guy (1975) – The legendary Sonny Chiba plays a private detective who gets mixed up in gritty city yakuza nonsense. This could be a lot more challenging if he wasn’t also the last-remaining descendant in a long line of lycanthropes who can use his paranormal powers to solve crimes and do other neat stuff (like use his mind to remove his own disembowelment). But will he be able to stop the CIA from harvesting his blood to steal his werewolf juice? You’re just gonna have to watch to find out! (Please note that Wolf Guy contains a scene of sexual assault.)

The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (1968) – While American audiences were distracted by Romero’s introduction of zombies and what was going on with Rosemary’s kid, Japanese horror was firing on all cylinders. One of their offerings was this weird tale of a girl who gets reunited with her family after living at an orphanage for most of her life! It sounds heartwarming, right? It could be, but her mom seems to have a bad case of the forgets and her sister seems… reptilian.

The double-feature starts at 9:00 pm and runs for 200 minutes. Tickets are available online.  The Row House Cinema is a single-screen theater located at 4115 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map)

Toshiko Akiyoshi’s ‘Kogun’: Narrating a Lone Soldier’s Experience in Nō Jazz, February 24 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host E. Taylor Atkins and his talk "Toshiko Akiyoshi’s ‘Kogun’: Narrating a Lone Soldier’s Experience in Nō Jazz" on February 24.

In March 1974, Lt. Onoda Hiroo emerged from the jungle on the Philippine island of Lubang, where he had been hiding for almost three decades after the end of the Pacific War. He immediately became a worldwide media sensation as an exemplar of samurai-like devotion to duty. Moved by his story and the tragedy of a life wasted for a fruitless war, jazz composer Toshiko Akiyoshi dedicated a composition to him. Entitled “Kogun” (lone soldier), the piece drew on thematic and narrative elements of medieval nō theater, situated within a jazz orchestral setting, to highlight this tragedy, thereby bringing to fruition her desire to create a seamless “blend” (yūgō) of Japanese music and the jazz idiom. This presentation also blends conventional cultural historical and musical analysis to argue for the landmark status of “Kogun” within jazz history.

E. Taylor Atkins is Distinguished Teaching Professor of History at Northern Illinois University. His major publications include Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band’s Kogun (2024); A History of Popular Culture in Japan, From the Seventeenth Century to the Present (second edition, 2022); Primitive Selves: Koreana in the Japanese Colonial Gaze, 1910-1945 (2010); Jazz Planet (editor, 2003); and Blue Nippon: Authenticating Jazz in Japan (2001), winner of the Association for Asian Studies’ John Whitney Hall Prize. He also plays bass for the Jazz in Progress Big Band and the Wild Blue Ukulele Orchestra and produces and hosts House of Funk on Hot Rocks Radio.

The talk runs from 2:00 to 3:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

SILENT: Asia presents 1926 Japanese silent film A Page of Madness (狂った一頁), April 14 at Pitt.

SILENT: Asia, part of the University of Pittsburgh's SCREENSHOT: ASIA film festival and programming, will present the 1926 Japanese silent film A Page of Madness (狂った一頁) on April 14. A synopsis from the Row House Cinema, where the film played in 2021:

Set within the walls of a mental asylum in Japan, the film follows the story of a janitor (Masao Inoue) who takes a job at the institution in order to be closer to his wife (Yoshie Nakagawa), a former performer who has been institutionalized after suffering a mental breakdown. As the janitor navigates the eerie corridors of the asylum, he encounters a cast of characters haunted by their own inner demons, including patients, doctors, and nurses.

It will play at 6:30 pm in Frick Fine Arts (map) and is free and open to the public.

2026 Hong Kong film Night King (夜王) in Pittsburgh, from February 20.

The 2026 Hong Kong film Night King (夜王) will play in Pittsburgh from February 20.

The year is 2012. The once-glamourous Club EJ suddenly experiences a hostile takeover. Much like the nightclub industry, the glory days are over for the club’s manager, Foon (Dayo Wong), despite having stood tall in East Tsim Sha Tsui for decades. To make things worse for Foon, the club’s new CEO is none other than his cutthroat ex-wife, Madame V (Sammi Cheng)! Determined to change things up, she leaves Foon and his hostesses with no choice but to transform and modernize in order to breathe new life into their business. Little did they know, a powerful conglomerate had been pulling the strings all along to shut down Club EJ for good. To save their neon empire, Foon and V must join forces and make an epic last stand with the hostesses against what seems to be inevitable doom.

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

Zhang Yimou's Scare Out (惊蛰无声) remains in Pittsburgh through February 25.

The 2026 Chinese movie Scare Out (惊蛰无声), which opened in Pittsburgh on February 17 for the Chinese New Year, will remain here through (at least) February 25.

A major breach of China’s classified intelligence triggers an urgent response from a national security unit, determined to expose the traitor behind it. However, successive arrest missions suffer severe setbacks, driving tensions ever higher. As the investigation deepens, suspicion unexpectedly turns inward—toward members of the task force itself. Caught in a vortex of trust and betrayal, a silent struggle quietly unfolds.

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

2026 Chinese martial arts film Blades of the Guardians (镖人：风起大漠) stays in Pittsburgh through February 25.

The 2026 Chinese martial arts film Blades of the Guardians (镖人：风起大漠), which opened in Pittsburgh on February 16 to coincide with Chinese New Year, will stay here through (at least) February 25.

Dao Ma, the "second most wanted fugitive," who is entrusted by his benefactor, the chief of Mo family clan, to take on a mysterious escort mission-escorting the "most wanted fugitive," to Chang'an.

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

Bring Lunar New Year Wishes to Squirrel Hill's Trees in 2026.

Due to the dangers presented to Pittsburgh's Asian communities by ICE and right-wing citizens, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition has cancelled the Lunar New Year Parade that sometimes passes through the neighborhood (last held in 2023). However, it has launched a "Bring Lunar New Year Wishes to Squirrel Hill's Trees" initiative to celebrate the holiday and the Asian businesses and residents that comprise much of its vibrancy. From the latest Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition newsletter:

In light of recent events directly impacting the safety and well-being of our
migrant and immigrant community members and allies, we have made the
difficult decision to cancel our Squirrel Hill Lunar New Year Celebration
to ensure the safety of all who would attend. However, this does not mean
we will stop celebrating the beautiful traditions that enrich our community.

A Different Tradition: Bring Lunar New Year Wishes to
Squirrel Hill's Trees
For years, students at a local school have observed the beautiful Lunar New
Year tradition of each child writing two wishes on red tags. One wish is for
themselves and one is for the community. The tags are hung from trees around
their school. As one wise 4th grader put it, it's a way to say to our Asian
community, "We see you, we appreciate you, and we think you're awesome!"
This Lunar New Year, let's spread this tradition across all of Squirrel Hill! In
honor and celebration with our Asian neighbors, let’s fill the trees throughout
Squirrel Hill with bright red tags carrying wishes of prosperity, health, and joy
for the year ahead! Thanks to Mardi Isler’s tireless work expanding our tree
canopy, we have plenty of trees ready to bloom with good wishes and
community solidarity.
How to participate:
● SHUC will have red Lunar New Year tags available for pickup at the Silk
Elephant or the SHUC Office. Email mcohen@shuc.org if you'd like to
volunteer to help distribute them throughout our neighborhood
● You can also start this tradition on your own! Hang red tags with wishes
on trees in your neighborhood and share the tradition with neighbors!
● Need tags? Click here to find red Lunar New Year tags on Amazon

Upcoming documentary on baseball in Japan Homecoming: The Tokyo Series in Pittsburgh, February 23 and 24.

The 2026 documentary Homecoming: The Tokyo Series, referring to the Major League Baseball series played in Tokyo at the start of the 2025 season, will play in Pittsburgh from February 23 and 24.

Homecoming: The Tokyo Series explores Japan’s profound bond with baseball, culminating in the 2025 MLB Opening Day games in Tokyo, when hometown heroes Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki, and Roki Sasaki return to the field where their journeys began. Through the lives of those shaped by the game, the film reveals how baseball bridges generations, shapes identity, and illuminates the connection between tradition and modern life. More than a chronicle of a sporting event, it is a portrait of a nation’s enduring love for baseball and the pride of watching its stars come home. Alongside the film, the filmmakers captured man-on-the-street interviews with American fans inside the Tokyo Dome who traveled to Japan for the games.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, the GQT Cinemas at the Pittsburgh Mills, and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, March 13 - 26.

The 2026 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival will run from March 13 through 26, and a selection of films have been announced. According to the festival's website,

The 2026 festival will put a special focus on the Cult Cinema of Japan through film selections and special events.

Films announced thus far for the 11th annual festival:

• Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル)
• Burst City (爆裂都市 BURST CITY)
• Desert of Namibia (ナミビアの砂漠)
• Funeral Parade of Roses (薔薇の葬列)
• His Motorbike, Her Island (彼のオートバイ、彼女の島)
• House (ハウス)
• Kokuho (国宝)
• Lady Snowblood (修羅雪姫)
• Plastic
• Scarlet ( 果てしなきスカーレット)
• Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space 
• The Night is Short, Walk on Girl (夜は短し歩けよ乙女)

The Row House Cinema is a single-screen theater located at 4115 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

PGHwrites: Jade Song’s “I Love You Don’t Die” (Book Launch), April 6 at City of Asylum and online.

City of Asylum will present a book launch event with Jade Song's I Love You Don't Die on April 6, part of its PGHwrites series.

Though many of us are still reeling from her explosive debut novel, Chlorine, a force like Jade Song cannot be stopped. We are thrilled to welcome Pittsburgh-native Jade back to City of Asylum for the launch of her sophomore novel, I Love You Don’t Die, a coming-of-age for a new generation, in the vein of Sally Rooney and Ottessa Moshfegh.

Jade’s new work introduces us to a macabre young woman named Vicky. For as far back as she can remember, Vicky has been fascinated and obsessed with death as the only inevitable thing in life. From living above a Chinatown funeral parlor to working at a celebrity start-up for bespoke urns, she has surrounded herself with death—in her home, in her work, and in her ever-growing collection of zhizha, paper creations meant to be burned for the dead. When it comes to life and the living, however, she struggles to have meaningful connections—or find any meaning at all.

That changes when a dating app leads her into a throuple with an artist and a labor organizer, who offer exactly the kind of love she needs. For some time, it’s perfect, but no one understands better than Vicky that all things must end. With everything beginning to feel hollow and temporary, Vicky must decide how to keep moving forward. To try and hold on to what she has, or to once again do what she does best: destroy.

Please join Jade and program moderator Marina Fang after the reading for a public reception celebrating this hometown writing phenom!

You can purchase a copy of Jade’s book, I Love You Don’t Die, at City of Asylum Bookstore.

About the Author:

Jade Song is a writer, filmmaker, and artist whose first novel, Chlorine, was lauded as “visionary and disturbing,” selected as a New York Times Editor’s Choice, awarded the Alex Award and the Writer’s Center First Novel Prize, and translated into multiple languages. Jade’s short story collection, Ox Ghost Snake Demon, is forthcoming in early 2027. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Jade has taught writing at organizations like Tin House, Morbid Anatomy, and Lighthouse Writers Workshop; she has received support from the Vermont Studio Center and the Black List, which selected her adapted screenplay of Chlorine for its annual Writers Lab.

The event is moderated by Marina Fang.

The book launch event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at Alphabet City on the North Side (map) and online; it's free, but registration is required.

AQUARIUS Presents: Ryka Aoki Author Q&A, February 15 at Pitt.

The Alliance of Queer Underrepresented Asians in Recognition of Intersectionality to Uphold Solidarity (AQUARIUS)

at the University of Pittsburgh will host an Author Q&A with Ryka Aoki on February 15. From the Asian Studies Center newsletter:

Ryka Aoki, author of the Hugo Award-nominated Light from Uncommon Stars, is a Japanese-American writer and teacher from Southern California. Her works also include poetry collections like Seasonal Velocities and Why Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul. 

With a degree in chemistry, Aoki spent a year working in a lab before pursuing her Master's degree in creative writing at Cornell University. As a transgender woman, she is also an incredible advocate, often engaging in activities to create safe spaces within the performance arts for transgender people. 

She will be joining AQUARIUS onto answer questions and talk about her experiences in writing and in life!

The talk runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

Asia Pop Lecture: Who is Lee Byung-hun?, February 18 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Andy Lee and his talk "Asia Pop Lecture: Who is Lee Byung-hun?" on February 18, part of the Asia Pop Lecture series.

Lee Byung-hun, a household name in Korean cinema, has had a 35-year career, earning him his "God of Acting" nickname. He is known for his roles in Squid Game (2021-2025) and in No Other Choice (2025). In 2014, Lee was caught up in a blackmail scandal. In this lecture, Lee's reputational recovery from the scandal, both within Korea and on the global stage, will be discussed through star studies methodologies. 

This speaker is Andy Lee, a PhD Student in Film and Media Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Not only is he pursuing his Advanced Asian Studies Certificate, but he is also a Mitsubishi Fellow through our center. His research explores the influence of Japanese Imperialism and U.S. military influence on Korean cinema. 

Come see his talk as a part of our Asia Pop Lecture series!

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

A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色) in Pittsburgh from March 1, part of Hong Kong Cinema Classics series.

The 1986 film A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色) returns to Pittsburgh from March 1 as part of a Hong Kong Cinema Classics series.

This story is the tale of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling graduate of the HK police academy. The plot revolves around the split when the younger brother learns the other is a criminal and the efforts of the criminal brother to reform. Along the way are plenty of heists, double-crosses, and shoot outs. Includes "A Better Tomorrow: An Interview with John Woo" following the feature content.

The movie played here in the fall as part of an 11-film Hong Kong Cinema Classics series. It plays locally on March 1, 2, and 4 at the AMC Loews Waterfront, AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, and the Cinemark theaters in North Hills and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

2025 Taiwanese film A Foggy Tale (大濛) in Pittsburgh, March 7.

The 2025 Taiwanese film A Foggy Tale (大濛) will play in Pittsburgh on March 7.

《A Foggy Tale》Pittsburgh Film Screening

A 2025 Award‑Winning Taiwanese Film. A powerful journey through 1950s Taiwan.

Join us for a special screening of 《大濛 A Foggy Tale》, a 2025 film set in 1950s Taiwan during the White Terror era — a decades‑long period beginning in 1949, when the government imposed martial law and carried out widespread persecution of people it suspected of political dissent.

The film follows a young girl traveling across Taiwan to retrieve the remains of her brother, who was executed by the regime. Through her journey, 《A Foggy Tale》 reveals the everyday lives, moral struggles, and social atmosphere ordinary people faced under authoritarian rule.

Two K-Pop Demon Ravers - Kids Rave events in Warrendale, March 22.

Jergel's Rhythm Grille will host two K-Pop Demon Ravers - Kids Rave on March 22.

K-Pop Demon Ravers is a dance party celebrating the soundtrack from K-Pop Demon Hunters through soundtrack inspired remixes + familiar pop anthems from the movie. Costumes encouraged! Brought to you by @thekawaiirave and VNK Entertainment.

This is in addition to the February 28 event for which tickets have long been sold out. The early show starts at 12:00 pm and the afternoon show starts at 4:00 pm.; ticketes are available online, and may also be purchased in person at Jergel's to avoid online processing fees. Jergel's Rhythm Grille is located at 103 Slade Lane in Warrendale (map).

2026 Chinese movie Scare Out (惊蛰无声), directed by Zhang Yimou, in Pittsburgh, from February 17.

The 2026 Chinese movie Scare Out (惊蛰无声) will play in Pittsburgh February 17 through 19.

A major breach of China’s classified intelligence triggers an urgent response from a national security unit, determined to expose the traitor behind it. However, successive arrest missions suffer severe setbacks, driving tensions ever higher. As the investigation deepens, suspicion unexpectedly turns inward—toward members of the task force itself. Caught in a vortex of trust and betrayal, a silent struggle quietly unfolds.

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

2026 Chinese martial arts film Blades of the Guardians (镖人：风起大漠) in Pittsburgh, from February 16.

The 2026 Chinese martial arts film Blades of the Guardians (镖人：风起大漠) will in Pittsburgh from February 16 through 18 to coincide with the Lunar New Year.

Dao Ma, the "second most wanted fugitive," who is entrusted by his benefactor, the chief of Mo family clan, to take on a mysterious escort mission-escorting the "most wanted fugitive," to Chang'an.

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

2025 Japanese film Kokuho (国宝) in Pittsburgh, from February 19.

The 2025 Japanese film Kokuho (国宝) will play in Pittsburgh from February 19 through 25.

Nagasaki, 1964 – After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor’s only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together – from acting school to the grandest stages – amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals… one of them will become the greatest Japanese master of the art of kabuki.

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

Concert film Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) February 18.

The concert film Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience, which opened in Pittsburgh with advanced screenings on February 4, will stay here through (at least) February 18.

Stray Kids : The dominATE Experience is an epic concert film featuring the global K-Pop sensation and their sold-out SoFi Stadium performances, along with behind-the-scenes footage. With more than 30 million albums sold worldwide and a fanbase that spans every continent, Stray Kids : The dominATE Experience will provide fans with a bold, large-scale theater experience, allowing them to see a glimpse behind the curtain of their favorite band.

It will continue to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the Cranberry Cinemas, Moraine Pointe Cinemas in Butler, and occasionally at the Cinemark in Monroeville, and tickets are available online.