Nakama again voted best Japanese/sushi restaurant in Pittsburgh by readers who don't know Japanese/sushi restaurants in Pittsburgh.

Nakama Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar was again voted the best Japanese/sushi restaurant by readers of Pittsburgh Magazine. Nakama has been voted #1 each year by readers since 2009, and is also perennial winner of the Pittsburgh City-Paper readers' poll.

Japanese language exchange in Shadyside, June 19.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania's Japanese language exchange this month is scheduled for June 19. Like the others, it will be held in Kenmawr Apartments, located at 401 Shady Ave. (map). It runs from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in the Community Room and is free and open to the public.

Construction underway on Korean Heritage Room in Cathedral of Learning.

One design by Arumjigi (아름지기). See also.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today has an article on the construction of the Korean Heritage Room, which is well underway on the third floor of the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning. An excerpt:

Five South Korean carpenters who are experts in traditional Korean architecture arrived on the University of Pittsburgh campus in early May for the final stages of constructing the Korean Heritage Classroom in Room 304.

They are working on what soon will be the 30th of the Nationality Rooms, which occupy the first and third floors of the Cathedral of Learning. Most are used as classrooms when the university is in session.

Plans for the Korean Room started in July 2007. Carpenters in South Korea began last year to prepare the wood, which was shipped here in March to give it time to acclimate before it was put together.

The room represents Korea as a whole, inspired by a 14th-century structure from the Sungkyunkwan (Royal Academy) in Seoul. The carpentry is based on the main building, the Myeong-nyundang (Hall of Enlightenment). The building was constructed in 1398 to educate the children of high-ranking families.

The dedication ceremony is scheduled for November 15.

Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Cambodian, Thai films among offerings at 2015 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival.

The 2015 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival schedule was announced today, with films from China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand of particular relevance to this blog.



Dearest (親愛的); Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere (Dap cánh giua không trung); Futureless Things (이것이 우리의 끝이다); How to Win at Checkers (Every Time); 2030 (Nước); Red Amnesia (闯入者); The Last Reel; The Nightingale (夜莺)

The full schedule is available online. The festival runs from July 10 through July 19 at the Regent Square Theater and the Melwood Screening Room.

Looks Korean.

One facade missing from the walking tour of Penn Ave.---submitted by a user on a SkyscraperPage Forum---is one with a rather Korean look to it. Kim's Coffee Shop, at 5447 Penn Ave., was a Vietnamese place, though, run by immigrant Mai Hong Khuu until her cancer diagnosis and death in 2006.



The walls and the eaves resemble those on hanok (한옥), traditional Korean houses. The restaurant space and the house above it was purchased by the Pittsburgh Glass Center in 2012.

Host families needed for visiting Japanese high school students in August.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania advertises a need for host families in Pittsburgh for a group of Japanese high school students visiting as part of the TOMODACHI program in August. Via the group's mailing list:

This August you have the opportunity to open your home to one or two students from Aichi Prefecture, Japan! Hosting a student can provide a connection to last a lifetime.

Twelve seniors from Nihon Fukushi University High School near Nagoya will be coming to Pittsburgh for a musical exchange with local high school students. Host families are needed to provide an immersive American experience for these students for 9 nights.

A small honorarium will be provided. Host families will provide breakfast and dinner, and will drop off and pick up the students daily at Pittsburgh CAPA School downtown. We encourage hosts to plan fun activities with the students in their free time.

To apply, please fill out this form or contact the JASP office at (412) 433-5021 with questions.

All members of the host family age 18 and older must consent to a criminal background check.

The Associated Press has a lengthy profile on Pirates Jung-ho Kang (강정호), who is enjoying a successful rookie season as first Korean Baseball Organization position player in the Major Leagues. An excerpt:

[H]e's up for anything, a mindset that allowed a leap that many of his countrymen have not taken. Kang transitioned in the middle of his prime to a contender after signing a four-year, $11-million deal in January.

"A lot of guys are afraid to come over here, but he did it," said Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who signed with Seattle as an teenager out of South Korea in 2000 then worked through the minors for nearly a decade before becoming an everyday player.

"He's not afraid. He wants to play here," Choo said.

Former Pirates draft pick throws out first pitch in Gwangju.

Mike Pill, drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2nd round of the 1977 Amateur Draft, threw out the first pitch at a game in Gwangju between the Kia Tigers and the Nexen Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization. His son, Brett, pitches for Kia. 일간스포츠 profiled the family today on their first trip to South Korea. The photograph below shows both men's jerseys; Brett's says "Pill", Mike's says "Pill's dad".

Former Steelers QB Bradshaw to travel Asia for Korean reality show remake.

Terry Bradshaw, the Hall of Fame quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1970 to 1983, will be one of the stars of "Better Late Than Never", an upcoming reality show based off South Korea's "Grandpa Over Flowers" (꽃보다 할배). From The Wrap:

“Better Late Than Never” will follow five famous men as they backpack throughout Asia without any luxuries. Actors Henry Winkler and William Shatner, former athletes Terry Bradshaw and George Foreman and comedian Jeff Dye have signed up for the reality series that begins production in August.

The one-hour series, an adaptation of the South Korean variety show “Grandpa Over Flowers,” will follow participants to Tokyo, Kyoto, Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Chang Mai.

“The five will navigate their way through each city — communicating with the local population, immersing themselves in local traditions and enjoying exotic food — all the while dealing with the unexpected twists and turns that any trip presents,” the network said in a statement. “As they check off items on their own personal ‘bucket list,’ the five will rely on each other for support and encouragement and, in the process, demonstrate that friendship is the ultimate gift.”

Studio Ghibli film When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー ) at Regent Square Theater, June 12 - 18.

The 2014 Japanese movie When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー ) will play at Regent Square Theater from June 12 to 18. The group summarizes what some believe may be the last Studio Ghibli film:

The newest animated film from Studio Ghibli tells the enchanted story of Anna, a teenage girl who feels disconnected from her peers. Her foster mother frets about Anna’s asthma attacks and sends her to spend the summer with her grandparents in Hokkaido, a sleepy town by the sea. Anna keeps to herself – until she makes friends with the mysterious Marnie, who may or may not be real. Beautifully rendered, the lush, hand-crafted paintings give this modern tale the look and feel of classic animation at its best.

Showtimes are now available online; the first screening is Friday at 8:00 pm. The 8:00 pm screenings will be in Japanese with English subtitles, but the 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm shows will be dubbed in English. The Regent Square Theater is located at 1035 S. Braddock Ave. (map).