Japanese metal band HANABIE。returns to Pittsburgh, March 12.

Japanese metal band HANABIE。will return to Pittsburgh on March 12, part of their US tour with Kim Dracula. Their Reddit fanpage provides an introduction:

Loud rock band HANABIE。formed at their school light music club in June 2015. Centering in Kichijōji, Tokyo, they started performing live around areas such as Shinjuku and Tachikawa.

The sound of Hanabie features the sound mixture of metalcore, hardcore, Hip-Hop, and J-POP. Their 1st album, "Girls Manifest" was released in 2020. With this album, they have established their own genre "HARAJUKUCORE"

Their live performances have a speed and power that exceeds expectations and captivates their audience. Yukina's powerful screaming/growling vocals never leave anyone without being amazed, along with this excellent melodic lines given by the clean voice of Matsuri, this is a complete basis for an amazing metalcore band but as for them it isn't enough they add different layers of voices between rap lines. If vocally they are great, in the instrumental part they're not left behind, aggressive, heavy, and dynamic. Certainly to define this band you need at least two words: dynamic and powerful.

The band played Preserving Underground in New Kensington in September 2023 and the Roxian Theatre in September 2024.

Ticket presale for the all ages show at the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks (map), 6:30 pm, is happening now.

1962 Japanese film Harakiri (切腹) in Pittsburgh, January 9 - 15.

The 1962 animated film Harakiri (切腹) will play in Pittsburgh from January 9 through 15.

In 18th-century Edo, a masterless samurai (Tatsuya Nakadai) wanders into the virtuous House of Iyi, asking to commit ritual seppuku (suicide). He is met with skepticism by the clan’s retainers, who have learned of drifting ronin making similar requests as a means of extortion. Nevertheless, the samurai promises to disembowel himself, but not before imparting the tragic circumstances that have led him to this final act. Adorned by stunning chiaroscuro compositions, an unnerving Toru Takemitsu score, and a bitingly acerbic script by Kurosawa scribe Shinobu Hashimoto, director Masaki Kobayashi’s slow-burn rebuke of authority culminates in a scathing takedown of the bushido code and the shallow valor it vowed to uphold.

It plays in Japanese with English subtitles at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Japanese School still recruiting new teachers.

The Pittsburgh Japanese School, which provides Japanese-language education on Sundays to kids from preschool through high school, is still recruiting teachers and volunteers, particularly those qualified to teach preschool and elementary school level. A Pennsylvania teaching certificate is not required, but requirements beyond native-like fluency include work authorization in the United States and a college degree with a demonstrated ability to teach Japanese.

国際社会の未来を担う子供達を育てる、やりがいのある仕事です。

◆常勤講師３名

• • 幼稚部1名

  • 小学部2名　（高学年を担当できる方　国語と算数）

︎米国内で就労可能なビザ(E2,L2を含む)またはグリーンカードを有している方。

︎短大卒以上で日本語での指導が確かな方。

︎教員免許がなくても子供が好きで教育熱心な方。

︎平日に仕事を持っていても、開校日のために授業の前準備や採点処理が出来る方。

2006 Japanese animated film Paprika (パプリカ) in Pittsburgh, January 8, 9, and 12.

The 2006 Japanese animated film Paprika (パプリカ) will play in Pittsburgh on January 8, 9, and 12, part of the 2024-2025 Anime Expo Cinema Nights series.

Anime Expo Cinema Nights presents the 15th anniversary and a 4K restoration of the last film ever made by visionary director Satoshi Kon with his mind-bending thriller PAPRIKA. When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients’ dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson. Tickets are available online; the shows on the 8th and 12th are in Japanese with English subtitles, while the shows on the 9th are dubbed in English.

Miniso now open at South Hills Village Mall.

The much-anticipated Miniso at South Hills Village Mall is now officially open as of December 7, after a brief soft-opening period. Miniso is "a Japanese-inspired lifestyle product retailer offering high-quality household goods, cosmetics, and food at affordable prices," and has been described with terms like a Chinese Five Below or a Japanese Hot Topic with main attractions being Japanese snacks, figures, plushies, cosmetics, and more. It opened its first Western Pennsylvania location in Greensburg this summer, with locations at The Mall at Robinson and this South Hills Village one opening over the last few days.

2016 Japanese animated film A Silent Voice (聲の形) in Pittsburgh, December 15 and 16.

The acclaimed 2016 Japanese animated film A Silent Voice (聲の形) will return to Pittsburgh on December 15 and 16.

“A Silent Voice” follows the poignant and moving story of Shoya Ishida, a school bully, and Shoko Nishimiya, a young girl with a hearing disability. Their story begins in sixth grade when Shoko transfers to Shoya’s elementary school and quickly finds herself bullied and isolated due to her hearing disability. Years later, the tables turn, and Shoya finds himself the victim. “A Silent Voice” depicts the struggles and challenges of adolescence alongside coming-of-age outside the norm.

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

Concert film Babymetal: Legend-43 in Pittsburgh, December 11 and 15.

The upcoming concert film Babymetal: Legend-43 will play in Pittsburgh December 11 and 15.

Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents a special concert film of the band BABYMETAL with their worldwide tour Legend-43. In April 2023, SU-METAL (Vocal, Dance), MOAMETAL (Scream, Dance), and MOMOMETAL (Scream, Dance) entered a new stage as the newly born BABYMETAL. Since then, they have embarked on their largest world tour, "BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2023 - 2024," which took them to 25 countries, including Japan. The headline tour, excluding festivals and guest acts, drew a cumulative audience of more than 280,000 people for a total of 98 performances. The final chapter of the world tour, the first Okinawa performance "TOUR FINAL IN JAPAN LEGEND - 43", has been fully filmed. The film is BABYMETAL's first live film that allows viewers to experience all of the diverse music, unique worldview, production that only a tour final can offer, and the overwhelming performance of BABYMETAL, which has evolved even further during their world tour.

Babymetal performed in the Pittsburgh area in September 2023. The movie is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Miniso now open at The Mall at Robinson.

via @shoprobinsonmall

The much-anticipated Miniso at The Mall at Robinson opened yesterday for a soft opening. Miniso is "a Japanese-inspired lifestyle product retailer offering high-quality household goods, cosmetics, and food at affordable prices," and has been described with terms like a Chinese Five Below or a Japanese Hot Topic with main attractions being Japanese snacks, figures, plushies, cosmetics, and more. It opened its first Western Pennsylvania location in Greensburg in June and a South Hills Village Mall location is still under development. 

1988 film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) in Pittsburgh-area theaters, December 7 - 11.

The 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from December 7 through 11 as part of this year's Studio Ghibli Fest.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family. When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece[.]

It plays locally in many area theaters, including Cranberry Cinemas, Waterworks Cinemas, AMC Loews Waterfront, AMC CLassic Westmoreland, and the Cinemarks in Monroeville and Robinson. Some shows are in Japanese with English subtitles while others are dubed in English, and tickets are available online.

Miniso in Robinson still coming soon, misses November target.

The Miniso at the Mall at Robinson, one of two of the Chinese-owned Japanese specialty stores under development in the area, remains coming soon. It had announced earlier this month a November opening, but appears to be at least a few days away. It was first announced for the mall in October, and would be the third Miniso in the area, along with the location in Greensburg and the yet-unopened South Hills Village Mall location.

Compilation film Solo Leveling: ReAwakening, featuring first two episodes of season 2, in Pittsburgh, from December 5.

The compilation film Solo Leveling: ReAwakening will play in Pittsburgh from December 5.

Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- features a catch-up recap of the first season coupled with an exclusive sneak peek of the first two episodes of the highly anticipated second season in one momentous theatrical fan experience. Over a decade has passed since a pathway called a "gate" which connects this world and another dimension suddenly appeared, and people with superhuman powers called "hunters" have been awakened. Hunters use their superhuman powers to conquer dungeons inside the gates to make a living, and Sung Jinwoo, a hunter of the lowest rank, is considered the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind. One day, he encounters a double dungeon, a high-level dungeon hidden inside a low-level one. In front of a severely wounded Jinwoo, a mysterious quest window pops up. On the verge of death, Jinwoo decides to take on the quest, which makes him the only person who can level up.

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

Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ), Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し), and The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか) comprise Studio Ghibli Week at Row House Lawrenceville, from November 29.

The Row House Lawrenceville will feature four films for its annual Studio Ghibli Week starting November 29: 1998's Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便), 1984's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ), 2001's Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し), and 2023's The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか).

Studio Ghibli Week runs through December 5. Tickets and movie information is available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

Page Turners Book Club: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, December 12 in Oakland and online.

The December installment of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Page Turners Book Club is Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, held on December 12 at the Main branch in Oakland and online.

Join us once a month for discussions as lively as the page-turning titles we read!! December’s discussion will be on the Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated from the Japanese by Eric Ozawa.

Note: This book discussion is a hybrid event. Attendees are welcome to join in-person, which takes place in the Director’s Conference Room on the first floor of CLP-Main Library, or virtually using the link provided in your RSVP confirmation email. Some copies of the title will be available at CLP-Main at the New & Featured desk. Newcomers are always welcome!

This title is available for checkout in our Catalog, and also as an eBook on Hoopla and as an eAudio on Hoopla.

The event runs from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. A synopsis:

1994 film Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ) in Pittsburgh-area theaters, November 26.

The 1994 film Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on November 26, part of this year's Studio Ghibli Fest.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-nominated director Isao Takahata, comes an action-packed ecological fable about the clash between nature and human civilization. The tanuki (raccoon dogs) of Tama Hills find their fun-loving community under attack when their quiet woodlands are threatened by encroaching developers looking to create still more houses and shopping malls. Desperate to survive, the tanuki band together and learn the ancient art of transformation, shape-shifting into a comical variety of humans and spirits as they undertake a last-ditch plan to scare away the humans and save their home, in this deeply affecting, funny and heartfelt look at what it means to live in the modern world.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the CHartiers Valley Luxury 14, and tickets are available online.

2013 film Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) in Pittsburgh area theaters, November 25 and 27.

The 2013 film Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on November 25 and 27, part of this year's Studio Ghibli Fest.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli comes a powerful and sweeping epic that redefines animated storytelling and marks a triumphant highpoint within an extraordinary filmmaking career for Academy Award®-nominated director Isao Takahata. Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her – but ultimately, she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

It plays at many local theaters, including the AMC Loews Waterfront, the GQT Pittsburgh Mills, Chartiers Valley Luxury 14, and the Cinemarks in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Compilation film Solo Leveling: ReAwakening, featuring first two episodes of season 2, in Pittsburgh, from December 5.

The compilation film Solo Leveling: ReAwakening will play in Pittsburgh from December 5.

Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- features a catch-up recap of the first season coupled with an exclusive sneak peek of the first two episodes of the highly anticipated second season in one momentous theatrical fan experience. Over a decade has passed since a pathway called a "gate" which connects this world and another dimension suddenly appeared, and people with superhuman powers called "hunters" have been awakened. Hunters use their superhuman powers to conquer dungeons inside the gates to make a living, and Sung Jinwoo, a hunter of the lowest rank, is considered the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind. One day, he encounters a double dungeon, a high-level dungeon hidden inside a low-level one. In front of a severely wounded Jinwoo, a mysterious quest window pops up. On the verge of death, Jinwoo decides to take on the quest, which makes him the only person who can level up.

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

Work progresses on national ramen chain KYURAMEN (九汤拉面) and bubble tea place T-Baar in Cranberry, but in a different spot.

When national ramen chain KYURAMEN (九汤拉面) was announced for Cranberry in September, the township listed the address as a storefront in the Cranberry Mall. Howevr, it was recently updated to a strip mall a mile further north, where signage is up and work is still underway. It will open in the "Streets of Cranberry" development, between Condado Tacos and Rally House. As for the East Liberty location, the joint KYURAMEN-TBaar spot there was most recently aiming for a Fall 2024 opening and is currently hiring for all positions.

2016 Japanese animated film A Silent Voice (聲の形) in Pittsburgh, December 15 and 16.

The acclaimed 2016 Japanese animated film A Silent Voice (聲の形) will return to Pittsburgh on December 15 and 16.

“A Silent Voice” follows the poignant and moving story of Shoya Ishida, a school bully, and Shoko Nishimiya, a young girl with a hearing disability. Their story begins in sixth grade when Shoko transfers to Shoya’s elementary school and quickly finds herself bullied and isolated due to her hearing disability. Years later, the tables turn, and Shoya finds himself the victim. “A Silent Voice” depicts the struggles and challenges of adolescence alongside coming-of-age outside the norm.

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

Four films comprise this year's Studio Ghibli Week at Row House Lawrenceville, from November 29.

The Row House Lawrenceville has announced its lineup for Studio Ghibli Week starting later this month: 1998's Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便), 1984's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ), 2001's Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し), and 2023's The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか).

Studio Ghibli Week begins November 29 and runs through December 5. Tickets and movie information is available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

2024 Japanese animated film Ghost Cat Anzu (化け猫あんずちゃん) in Pittsburgh, from November 14.

The 2024 Japanese animated film Ghost Cat Anzu (化け猫あんずちゃん) will play in Pittsburgh from November 14. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Precocious tween Karin finds herself abandoned by her father in rural Japan. Living in a temple with her grandfather, she meets Anzu, a giant “ghost cat” and notorious layabout tasked with looking after her. Distrustful of her new guardian, Karin sabotages Anzu’s odd jobs for the townsfolk and befriends the eccentric local forest spirits. In an effort to win Karin over, Anzu accidentally makes a deal with the devil, and all Hell breaks loose. 

Ghost Cat Anzu is co-directed by renowned artist Yoko Kuno, who makes her feature directorial debut, and Nobuhiro Yamashita, the acclaimed director of Linda Linda Linda. Co-produced by Shin-Ei Animation and Miyu Productions with music by legendary musician Keiichi Suzuki (EarthBound), Ghost Cat Anzu is a wildly funny ride in the countryside.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are in Japanese with English subtitles, while others are dubbed in English.