Jiro Dreams of Sushi at Carnegie Library Oakland, December 20.

As part of its free monthly "Real to Reel" series, the Oakland branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will show the Japanese film Jiro Dreams of Sushi on December 20, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in Classroom A. The film is a story, says the official website,

of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi bar.

For most of his life, Jiro has been mastering the art of making sushi, but even at his age he sees himself still striving for perfection, working from sunrise to well beyond sunset to taste every piece of fish; meticulously train his employees; and carefully mold and finesse the impeccable presentation of each sushi creation. At the heart of this story is Jiro’s relationship with his eldest son Yoshikazu, the worthy heir to Jiro’s legacy, who is unable to live up to his full potential in his father’s shadow.

Japanese films Madoka Magica (parts 1 and 2) at Dormont's Hollywood Theater, December 16.

Poster for the second film, 永遠の物語, of the trilogy.

Just a reminder that two Japanese-language films, based on the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ) and debuting worldwide between October and December, and will play at Dormont's Hollywood Theater (map) on Sunday, December 16 at 12:00 pm. Hey, it's not every day year that Pittsburgh screens a relatively new Asian movie.

As Wikipedia says, there are two films out in 2012 that span the TV series, with a third coming out next year. The Hollywood Theater is showing parts 1 and 2 beginning at 12:00 pm, with tickets costing $20 for both Beginnings and Eternal. No separate tickets, the website says, and 30 free posters available while supplies last.

Origami classes at Carnegie Library Squirrel Hill, December 15.

The Origami Club of Pittsburgh holds origami classes on the third Saturday of each month at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill. The beginners class is from 12:00 to 1:30 pm in the Children's Room, and the Advanced Class is from 1:30 to 3:00 pm. The classes are free, though the group requests $1 donations from adults in order to cover the cost of supplies. More information on their "class guidelines" page.

The OCoP will also have origami demonstrations at Phipps Conservatory in Oakland (map) on December 16 and December 30, from 12:30 to 2:00 pm.

KHRC answers frequently-asked questions about Korean Heritage Room at Pitt.

If you can understand Korean you can get answers to frequently-asked questions about the Korean Heritage Room planned for the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning, via the Korean Heritage Room Committee's website:



The video was uploaded in July, but put on the KHRC's site about a week ago. If you can't understand Korean, it covers much of the same territory covered online already and in this July PennsylvAsia post about the designs for, and progress of, room 304. At 0:33 a student asks when construction began and when it will be finished, to which KHRC Vice Chair Kim Hong-gu answers fundraising will go through 2012, construction will begin in 2013, and it should be completed in the middle of 2014.


One design by Arumjigi. A few different renderings exist, and they all look a little different, likely owing to the number of architects and consultants involved and the length of the project's development.

The Cathedral of Learning has dozens of Nationality and Heritage Rooms on its first and third floors which

represent the culture of various ethnic groups that settled in Allegheny County and are supported by these cultural groups and governments.

Also in the news section is a post about an August fundraiser, which teaches us that for some reason Franco Harris is the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Pittsburgh.

Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh Christmas party, December 8.

As the flyer says, the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh will host its annual Christmas party tomorrow evening, December 8, at the Bethel Park Community Center (map).

Pittsburgh's "Ramen Bar" soft-opens in Squirrel Hill.

The state of things two weeks ago.

Under construction for over two months, Pittsburgh's first ramen place opened in Squirrel Hill a couple hours ago. "ウー Ramen Bar", the katakana pronounced "uu", is on 5860 Forbes Ave (map), and soft-opened from 5 pm to 10 pm Friday night, practice ahead of its real opening next week. Other places in Pittsburgh have experimented with ramen, and there's a Japanese-run place in Morgantown, WV, but the Chinese-owned "ウー Ramen Bar" is the first place in Pittsburgh to get real ramen.

The menu, scanned crudely below, shows a good variety of authentic and unusual ramen dishes as well as the usual appetizers. With a lot of options starting at $9, the price is right, too, at least for stateside places.



I stopped in Friday night and the place was absolutely packed and with a line for groups larger than two, kind of surprising considering there was little advertising outside of the local Chinese community. The owners and staff were extremely friendly, and the noodles and broth were the closest thing I've had to Japanese ramen since . . . well, since I last had Japanese ramen. It should do very well (and if they opened one in Oakland it'd make a killing).

Shen Yun in Pittsburgh, February 1 - 3, 2013.

Posters for this have been up around town for a few weeks, as Chinese classical dance company Shen Yun will be performing four shows at the Benedum Center on February 1st through 3rd, 2013 as part of its US tour. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust says:

Inspired by the spirit of an ancient culture, Shen Yun Performing Arts brings to life classical Chinese dance and music in a gloriously colorful and exhilarating show. Its masterful choreography and graceful routines range from grand classical processions to ethnic and folk dances, with gorgeously costumed dancers moving in stunning synchronized patterns. Based on ancient heroic legends and modern courageous tales, Shen Yun and its breathtaking beauty are not to be missed.

The performance does look impressive, if the website and promotional materials are to be trusted. Tickets are relatively pricey, ranging from $53.25 to $153.25.

Reviews of the show have been mixed, due primarily to the company's religious ties. Wikipedia has a summary of those comments. If Falun Gong plays a part in the performance, it is relatively hidden from the promotional materials. It isn't mentioned at all in the brochures lying around town, and it wasn't until reading the very end of their large coffee table book at the Pittsburgh Corporate Sponsorship Festival two summers ago that I made the connection.

Aside from the US-based New Tang Dynasty Television, no other outlets reviewed last February's run in Pittsburgh. Said one woman interviewed by NTDTV:

I think it’s a unique experience and I really wish everybody would see this. We came from some distance to see this tonight, and it was well worth it.

"Avoiding Bad Moves: Relocation, Work/Family Conflict, and Japanese Career Women" talk at Pitt, December 6.

During the academic year the University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center hosts numerous "Brown Bag Lecture Series" talks, and the last one of Fall 2012 is by Blaine Connor. It's titled "Avoiding Bad Moves: Relocation, Work/Family Conflict, and Japanese Career Women", and given at 4130 Posvar Hall. The abstract of the talk:

Relocation can lead to professional growth and career advancement, but can also lead to work/family conflict. In this talk Connor will present the stories of three Japanese career women whose relocations led to personal crises. These crises resulted from a workplace policy which made periodic relocation obligatory for male and female employees alike. By analyzing how they faced these crises and what gave rise to them, Connor aims to shed light on issues of work-life balance, gender equity, and obstacles to social and cultural change.

Bulgogi, "designer ramen" in East Liberty.

As the PGPlates blog writes, starting today Station Street (map), a restaurant in East Liberty run by local celebrity chef Kevin Sousa, will add bulgogi and handmade ramen to its menu. Another of Sousa's restaurants, Salt of the Earth, has been holding ramen brunches since the summer, which provided the inspiration. At $14 a bowl, though, it's more expensive than the best ramen in Japan, and even Manhattan, and is designer ramen for people attracted more to the latest it-restaurants than to the real thing.

Japanese film Madoka Magica at Dormont's Hollywood Theater, December 16.

Poster for the second film, 永遠の物語, of the trilogy.

It's not every day year that Pittsburgh screens a new Asian movie, but an animated film adapted from a TV series will be playing here in December. The films, based on the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica (魔法少女まどか☆マギカ), are debuting worldwide between October and December, and will play at Dormont's Hollywood Theater (map) on Sunday, December 16 at 12:00 pm.

As Wikipedia says, there are two films out in 2012 that span the TV series, with a third coming out next year.