Hong Kong movie A Simple Life at Clarion University Venango College, October 26.

On the 26th, Clarion University's Venango College will show A Simple Life (桃姐), the 2012 Hong Kong movie that's part of the school's Independent Film Series. Dramacrazy provides a summary likely plagiarized from elsewhere:

A solemn yet humorous exploration of seniority, the film tells a bittersweet story revolving around the lives of elderly maid Sister Tao and her master, played respectively by veteran actress Deanie Ip and superstar Andy Lau, whose past screen collaborations serve to inspire enormous chemistry between their characters. Their impeccable performances have earned numerous prestigious prizes for the film, including Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival, Best Director, Actor, and Actress at the Golden Horse Awards, and the rare feat of the Big Five (Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Actor, and Actress) at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Sister Tao (Deanie Ip) has served five generations of the Leung family since she was thirteen. Today, at over seventy years old, she continues to take care of Roger (Andy Lau), the only member of the family left in Hong Kong. After suffering a stroke at home one day, Tao realizes it's about time she retired, so she asks Roger to find her a nursing home for rehabilitation. Tao struggles to adjust to the strange new environment as well as her eccentric fellow inmates, but Roger is there to care for this mother figure who has devoted her life to his.

The movie runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and is held at the Robert W. Rhoades Center. The Venango College campus is held on the outskirts of Oil City, PA (map), and over the years has shown a number of foreign movies not often seen around here.

Greenfield's Beautiful World Variety Store closing at the end of the year.

Beautiful World Variety Store, at the corner of Murray and Hazelwood Ave. in Greenfield (map), is closing at the end of the year, according to the owner. It has some neat Asian knick-knacks, as well as, um, a variety of other things: greeting cards, jeans, wigs, cleaning products, and lucky bamboo. Everything is on sale prior to the December 31 closing, so that may mean a run on $1.00 Chinese grandparent bobbleheads.

Chang-jin Lee's "Comfort Women Wanted" at Wood Street Galleries, November 1 through December 1.

Chang-jin Lee's "Comfort Women Wanted" will run at the Wood Street Galleries downtown from November 1 through December 1 (map). A profile of the exhibition on the galleries' website:

Comfort Women Wanted exposes the fates of nearly 200,000 young women who were exploited as sex slaves by the Imperial Japanese Army in Asia during World War II. The artist uses the remembrance of these “comfort women”—some of whom are still alive today—to increase awareness of sexual violence against women during wartime.

“In Asia, the comfort women issue remains taboo and controversial, while at the same time, it is almost unknown in the West,” says artist Chang-Jin Lee. “The comfort women system is the largest case of human trafficking in the 20th century. Human trafficking is the fastest growing industry in the world, and the second largest business after arms dealing in the 21st century. So, the comfort women issue is not just about the past, but it is very relevant today.”

"Comfort Women Wanted" features both video and print works, and additional information is available on the artist's website. Lee's work was last in Pittsburgh in June when her "Floating Echo" was under a bridge at the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Nakama voted "Best Japanese" by Pittsburgh City Paper readers again.

Today the Pittsburgh City Paper released the results of their 2013 "Best of Pittsburgh" readers' poll, with Nakama winning in the "Best Japanese" category.

The art of hibachi has taken off in Pittsburgh, thanks in no small part to Nakama. Diners sit grill-side as chefs prepare shrimp, chicken and delicacies like Kobe beef and chateaubriand. Also on the menu is a selection of sake, noodles and starters. If you want to avoid the show, you can order the full menu at tables by the bar.

Nakama won last year, too, and in 2008, 2009, and 2011. Little Tokyo and Fukuda came in second and third place, respectively. Nakama was also voted "Best Sushi". Kiku, Chaya, and Teppanyaki Kyoto---favorites of this blog and among local Japanese---didn't place in any category. Nicky's Thai Kitchen was voted Best Thai and Sesame Inn was voted Best Chinese, those two also repeat winners from 2012.

Maz receives enthusiastic welcome.

연광적환영 받는 결승.

The Dong-A Ilbo covers the Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series victory on October 15, 1960. If you are interested in 20th-century Korean history but are easily prone to getting lost for days in old newspapers, avoid Naver's "News Library" archive.

Squirrel Hill Magazine profiles Chaya.

The Fall 2013 issue of the quarterly Squirrel Hill Magazine has a profile on Chaya, a restaurant on Murray Ave. considered by Japanese in Pittsburgh to have the best Japanese food in the city. In addition to the usual background information, the piece alludes to owner Fumio Yasuzawa's hobby of collecting material for a Japanese cultural center here.

Yasuzawa is now focused on building his Japanese book collection. Hundreds of volumes, along with Japanese movie DVDs, line rows of metal shelves in Chaya’s basement. He hopes to someday make the collection widely available, perhaps as part of a Pittsburgh Japanese cultural center.

Yummyholic's Bukimi: An Asian Horror Event, October 24 in Strip District.

Yummyholic will host "Bukimi: An Asian Horror Event" on October 24 at CAVO in the Strip District (map). It's the second installment of the "Cupcakes and Culture" series, put on by the local sweets-slash-entertainment start-up. From the event's Facebook page:

With the help of an Awesome Pittsburgh grant, this time we are delivering a night of haunted delight with features that will not only make this event the first of its kind in the city but one of the most amazing nights all around:

- FREE nomicakes by Yummyholic ("What's a nomicake?" You have to come and fall in love for yourself!)
- Trick-or-Treating
- Mini Night Market
- Asian Horror Gallery
- Haunted Photobooth

Featuring music by DJ Duo Tracksploitation

21+ ONLY
Dress Code: Black and/or Red Colors. Keep it classy please, no jeans. Dress to kill..

General admission is free, though $25 VIP tickets are available. Advance registration is required, and can be done so online.

Third Madoka Magica movie to make Pittsburgh debut at Hollywood Theater on December 6.

The third movie in the three-part Madoka Magica series will premiere in Japan on October 26. U.S. showtimes for Rebellion (叛逆の物語) were announced yesterday, and Pittsburgh is one of several cities to have December 6 screenings, the second-earliest date in the country behind the December 3 premiere. Rebellion will debut in the area at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont (map) on the 6th, with initial screenings at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

The Hollywood Theater also held the regional debuts of parts one and two in December 2012, and will show both again on December 5 at 7:30 pm, according to the movies' U.S. distributor's website.

Japanese Wagashi Sweetmaking & Tasting Workshop in Butler, October 18.

Via alde (Creative Commons).

This month there are two Japanese Wagashi Sweetmaking & Tasting Workshops being held in the area. Registration for the one in Oakland on the 19th is closed, but space is still available for the one held at the Maridon Museum in Butler on Friday the 18th. From the museum's website:

In this year's annual cultural program from Handa City, Aichi prefecture, Japan, participants will work with a master wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) maker Masahiro Koie to learn how to make artful sweets and the history and culture of Japanese sweet makers.

It will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 pm at the Asian art museum located at 322 N. McKean St. in downtown Butler, some 40 miles north of Pittsburgh (map). Registration is required and can be done by calling 724–282-0123 or by signing up with the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania.

International Family Day at Carnegie Library, October 13.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in Oakland will host International Family Day on October 13 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.