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.

Japanese animated movie OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom (劇場版 オーバーロード 聖王国編) in Pittsburgh through November 20.

The upcoming Japanese animated movie OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom (劇場版 オーバーロード 聖王国編), which oepned in the Pittsburgh area on November 7, will remain here through at least November 20.

After twelve years of playing his favorite MMORPG game, Momonga logs in for the last time only to find himself transported into its world playing it indefinitely. Throughout his adventures, his avatar ascends to the title of Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown. Once prosperous but now on the brink of ruin, The Sacred Kingdom enjoyed years of peace after construction of an enormous wall protecting them from neighboring invasions. But, one day this comes to an end when the Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth arrives with an army of villainous demi-humans. Fearing invasion of their own lands, the neighboring territory of the Slane Theocracy is forced to beg their enemies at the Sorcerer Kingdom for help. Heeding the call, Momonga, now known as the Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown, rallies the Sorcerer Kingdom and its undead army to join the fight alongside the Sacred Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy in hopes to defeat the Demon Emperor.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and, until the 14th, the Cinemark theater in Robinson. Some screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles while others are dubbed in English, and tickets are available online.

Andrea Gevurtz Arai and "The 3.11 Generation: Changing the Subjects of Gender, Labor, Environments" at Pitt, November 14.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Andrea Gevurtz Arai and her talk "The 3.11 Generation: Changing the Subjects of Gender, Labor, Environments" on November 14.

Andrea Gevurtz Arai teaches Japan and East Asia anthropology and society courses in the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington. Arai’s first book, The Strange Child: Education and the Psychology of Patriotism in Recessionary Japan (Stanford U. Press, 2016) is a long-term multi-site fieldwork study of the social and cultural effects of the bursting of the financial bubble in the early 1990s in Japan and the protracted recession that followed. This ethnography delves deeply into how the recession provided the conditions for government and corporate “neoliberalization,” replacing former support and security in education and labor with new logics of self-responsibility, self-development and patriotism, privatizing public services; shifting cultural ideologies and producing a profound “uneasiness” about everyday life. The book traces the way that the young became the subjects of these unfamiliar or “strange” conditions and the objects of blame for not being able to fulfill new requirements of human capital development. The Strange Child tracks the hardships of this altered national-cultural environment as well as introduces some of the surprisingly creative responses of the recessionary generations.

Registration now open for Pittsburgh Taiko beginner workshops, November 10, November 24, and December 15.

Registration is now open for Pittsburgh Taiko beginner workshops, held November 10, November 24, and December 15 at their studio in Bellevue.

Pittsburgh Taiko is offering several beginner workshops in November and December for people who just want to give taiko a try, or folks who might be interested in joining our performing group. No previous experience necessary!

Each workshop is a 3-hour introduction to taiko, including some taiko history and culture and focusing on hands-on basics. You’ll learn how to stand, how to hit, and some simple patterns that come together to make a percussion melody.

Read more and register at JASP's website! https://japansocietypa.org/events We're excited to see you there!

Registration is required and may be completed online. The studio is located at 2 N Balph Ave, 2nd Floor, in Bellevue (map).

Pittsburgh Opera presents Madama Butterfly, featuring an entirely Japanese and Japanese-American creative team, March 2025.

Pittsburgh Opera will present Madama Butterfly in March 2025 with an entirely Japanese and Japanese-American creative team. PennsylvAsia readers can save 20% on tickets through an exclusive promo code.

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa • MARCH 22, 25, 28, 30, 2025

His escape is her cage.

In this groundbreaking new production created by an all-Japanese and Japanese American creative team, Madama Butterfly’s story is transported to a fantastical realm where reality and dreams intersect.

Pinkerton puts on a VR headset and transports us into a vibrant virtual reality playground where he has ultimate control. As his avatar, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant, he can seduce and marry his fantasy girl and abandon her just as easily. But to Cio-Cio San, this is no game and the love and betrayal she feels is all too real.

Enveloped in Puccini’s stunning music, this visually beautiful production is the perfect match. Pittsburgh Opera is proud to partner with Cincinnati Opera, Detroit Opera, and Utah Opera to co-produce this reinvention of Puccini’s classic, uncovering new and resonant meaning for all audiences to enjoy.

 

Pennsylvasia readers can save 20% with the promo code POASIA!

Tickets are now available online. The performances are held at the Benedum Center in downtown's Cultural District (map).

Theatrical release of first three episodes of Dragon Ball DAIMA (ドラゴンボールDaima) in Pittsburgh, from November 10.

The first three episodes of the 2024 Japanese animated series Dragon Ball DAIMA (ドラゴンボールDaima) will play in the Pittsburgh area from November 10. A brief synopsis, from the distributor:

The world English dub premiere of “Dragon Ball DAIMA”, the newest series in the Dragon Ball universe, will debut in U.S. theaters, featuring the first three episodes of the series.

Before the film, there will be a special introduction from the Japanese voice of Goku, Masako Nozawa.

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

Upcoming Japanese animated movie OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom (劇場版 オーバーロード 聖王国編) in Pittsburgh, from November 7.

The upcoming Japanese animated movie OVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom (劇場版 オーバーロード 聖王国編) will play in the Pittsburgh area from November 7.

After twelve years of playing his favorite MMORPG game, Momonga logs in for the last time only to find himself transported into its world playing it indefinitely. Throughout his adventures, his avatar ascends to the title of Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown. Once prosperous but now on the brink of ruin, The Sacred Kingdom enjoyed years of peace after construction of an enormous wall protecting them from neighboring invasions. But, one day this comes to an end when the Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth arrives with an army of villainous demi-humans. Fearing invasion of their own lands, the neighboring territory of the Slane Theocracy is forced to beg their enemies at the Sorcerer Kingdom for help. Heeding the call, Momonga, now known as the Sorcerer King Ains Ooal Gown, rallies the Sorcerer Kingdom and its undead army to join the fight alongside the Sacred Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy in hopes to defeat the Demon Emperor.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson. Some screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles while others are dubbed in English, and tickets are available online.

2023 film Godzilla Minus One (ゴジラ-1.0) returns to Pittsburgh, from October 31.

The 2023 film Godzilla Minus One (ゴジラ-1.0) will return to Pittsburgh from October 31 to mark the Godzilla franchise's 70th anniversary.

The Academy Award® Winning film is back in theatres to celebrate the King of the Monsters’ 70th anniversary, with approximately 13 minutes of exclusive bonus content to mark the release of the first film. Japan, devastated after the war, faces a new threat in the form of Godzilla. How will the country confront this impossible situation?

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront several local theaters including the AMC Loews Waterfront, Chartiers Valley Luxury 14, and the Cinemarks in North Hills and Ronbinson through November 7, and tickets are available online.

2001 Japanese animated film Metropolis (メトロポリス) in Pittsburgh, November 3, 4, and 6.

The 2001 Japanese animated film Metropolis (メトロポリス) will play in Pittsburgh on November 3, 4, and 6 as part of an Anime Expo Cinema Nights series. (It was originally announced for shows on November 4, 7, and 10.)

Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents: Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis, where it's man against machine in this film based on the classic manga (comic) by Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of Japanese anime and manga. In the late 1940s, long before Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion established Osamu Tezuka as one of the most influential animators of all time, the legendary illustrator created the classic manga Metropolis. Set in the future, Metropolis is a grand city-state populated by humans and robots, the cohabitants of a strictly segmented society. Detective Shunsaku Ban and his sidekick Ken-ichi search for a rebel scientist, to arrest him and seize his latest creation, Tima, a beautiful young girl. But when they locate him, Shunsaku quickly realizes that the eccentric genius is protected by a powerful man and beyond their reach. A retro-futuristic cautionary tale, Metropolis is spectacularly rendered, combining the best in Japanese cel animation with the latest in digital technology.

It it scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson. Tickets are available online; please note, some shows are in Japanese with English subtitles while others are dubbed in English.

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.

1989 Japanese animated film Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) in Pittsburgh, October 26 - 30.

The 1989 Japanese animated film Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) will play in Pittsburgh October 26 through 30, the next installment in Ghibli Fest 2024. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Celebrate this beloved coming-of-age story from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, about a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight in a moment of self-doubt.

It is a tradition for all young witches to leave their families on the night of a full moon and fly off into the wide world to learn their craft. When that night comes for Kiki, she embarks on her new journey with her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, landing the next morning in a seaside village, where her unique skills make her an instant sensation

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and AMC Classic Westmoreland, the Phoenix Theaters Luxury 14 + PTX in Briedgeville, and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online; the October 26, 28, and 30 shows are in Japanese with English subtitles, while the October 27 and 29 shows are dubbed in English.

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:

2024 movie My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ユア ネクスト) remains in Pittsburgh through October 30.

The 2024 Japanese animated movie My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ユア ネクスト), which opened in Pittsburgh on October 10, will remain here through at least October 30.

Izuku Midoriya, a U.A. High School student who aspires to be the best hero he can be, confronts the villain who imitates the hero he once admired.

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

"Dream Super-Express : A Cultural History of the World's First Bullet Train" at Pitt, October 29.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr.Jessamyn Abel and her talk "Dream Super-Express : A Cultural History of the World's First Bullet Train" on October 29 as part of the regular Asia Now lecture series.

A symbol of the "new Japan" displayed at World's Fairs, depicted in travel posters, and celebrated as the product of a national spirit of innovation, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen—the first bullet train, dubbed the "dream super-express"—represents the bold aspirations of a nation rebranding itself after military defeat, but also the deep problems caused by the unbridled postwar drive for economic growth. At the dawn of the space age, how could a train become such an important symbol? In Dream Super-Express, Jessamyn Abel contends that understanding the various, often contradictory, images of the bullet train reveals how infrastructure operates beyond its intended use as a means of transportation to perform cultural and sociological functions. The multi-layered dreams surrounding this high-speed railway tell a history not only of nation-building but of resistance and disruption. Though it constituted neither a major technological leap nor a new infrastructural connection, the train enchanted, enthralled, and enraged government officials, media pundits, community activists, novelists, and filmmakers. This history of imaginations around the monumental rail system resists the commonplace story of progress to consider the tug-of-war over the significance of the new line. Is it a vision of the future or a reminder of the past, an object of international admiration or a formidable threat? Does it enable new relationships and identities or reify existing social hierarchies? Tracing the meanings assigned to high-speed rail shows how it prompted a reimagination of identity on the levels of individual, metropolis, and nation in a changing Japan.

The talk starts at 12:00 pm in 211 David Lawrence Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Ebisu Japanese Life Store soft opening in Squirrel Hill on November 1; Grand Opening scheduled for November 2.

Ebisu Japanese Life Store has announced the soft opening for its first Pittsburgh location will happen on November 1, with the Grand Opening scheduled for November 2. Signage went up for Ebisu a short time ago at 5846 Forbes Ave. (map), the former location of Panda Supermarket before that grocery store relocated in 2021. There are a number of giveaways scheduled for the opening if customers hit certain purchase thresholds (for instance, a snack gift pack for spending $39.99 or more).

Founded October 2013 in Osaka, Japan, Ebisu is a unique life store that offers thousands of product categories from Japan. Quality, happiness, and harmony are core values of Ebisu. High-quality comes from our willingness to provide the best products to our consumers, happiness is the feeling a consumer gets when shopping in our store and harmony is when the consumer experiences everything we have to offer!

Ebisu Japanese Life Store is a Chinese chain specializing in Japanese goods, with its stores featuring cosmetics, snacks, homegoods, stationary, gacha machines, and more.

Ebisu Japanese Life Store coming soon to Squirrel Hill.

An Ebisu Japanese Life Store is coming soon to Squirrel Hill, going into 5846 Forbes Ave (map), the spot formerly occupied by Panda Supermarket before it moved down the block three years ago.

Founded October 2013 in Osaka, Japan, Ebisu is a unique life store that offers thousands of product categories from Japan. Quality, happiness, and harmony are core values of Ebisu. High-quality comes from our willingness to provide the best products to our consumers, happiness is the feeling a consumer gets when shopping in our store and harmony is when the consumer experiences everything we have to offer!

The former Panda was long rumored to be Jho's Pool Hall, but development stalled and the "for lease" signs multiplied.