Japanese cat cafe culture in Pitt Magazine.

The latest Pitt Magazine, a publication of the University of Pittsburgh, profiles PhD student Amanda Robinson and her study of Japanese cat cafes.

Talking About Asia: Charles Exley and "Sato Haruo and Modern Japanese Literature" at Pitt, April 13.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the next "Talking About Asia" installment on Wednesday, April 13, which will feature Dr. Charles Exley on the topic of "Sato Haruo and Modern Japanese Literature".

More looks at Korea's first Bruster's.

The Naver blog 무나문 has a lot of pictures of the first Bruster's Ice Cream in Korea, which opened in Cheonan on March 31.

2016 Korean Food Bazaar (제21회 선교바자회), May 7 in Shadyside.

Last week we broke news of the 2016 Korean Food Bazaar (제21회 선교바자회), coming to the Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh in Shadyside (map) on May 7. Today we have flyers!

OCA Youth Performance Ensemble Showcase 2016 (匹兹堡美华协会青少年舞蹈团公演预告), April 23.

The Pittsburgh chapter of the Organization for Chinese Americans will host its Youth Performance Ensemble Showcase (匹兹堡美华协会青少年舞蹈团公演预告】) on April 23 at Carson Middle School in the North Hills.

Featuring Traditional Chinese Dance, Martial arts and Chinese YoYo by OCA, Qi Wu Dance Team, Tzu Chi Academy, and Win-Win Kung Fu

. . .

春暖花开的四月，一树桃花怒放在匹城。这是一支由匹兹堡美华协会青少年舞蹈团，旗.舞-中国风，慈济匹兹堡人文学校，双赢武术功夫文化中心组成的集古典舞，民族舞，武术，扯铃等拥有众多精彩节目的队伍，他们；将要在这春草碧绿繁花似锦的季节为您带来一场视觉和听觉的盛宴。精彩瞬间不容错过

Tickets are available online and cost $10 for general admission and $7 for OCA Pittsburgh members; children 12 and under accompanied by adult are free. Carson Middle School is located in McCandless Township (map), roughly 11 miles north of downtown Pittsburgh.

"5th Annual Tomodachi Festival : A Celebration of Japanese Culture" at Carnegie Library in Oakland, April 16.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania shares word of the 5th Annual Tomodachi Festival coming to the Carnegie Library in Oakland on April 16.

Tomodachi is a Japanese word meaning "friends." Help us celebrate the spirit of friendship through activities, art and treats that showcase Japan, its people and its rich history.

Activities include origami, kamishibai theater storytelling, music and dancing, chopsticks practice and kimono try-on.

The event runs from 2 to 4:30 pm in the Children's Library at the Oakland branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (map; enter the library and turn right), and is free and open to the public.

Chongqing Hot Pot (火锅英雄) in Pittsburgh, from April 8.

The 2016 Chinese movie Chongqing Hot Pot (火锅英雄) will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater from April 8. A March 31 Los Angeles Times review summarizes:

Chen Kun, Qin Hao and Yu Entai play lifelong chums whose friendship fractures due to an ill-advised investment in an underground eatery they call "Cave Hot Pot." An attempt to save the business via a DIY expansion has an unexpected result when the wall-busting leads the trio into an adjacent bank vault.

Bai Baihe plays an old acquaintance of the struggling restaurateurs, who's also a disgruntled employee of the bank they've breached. She comes up with a plan for them all to get rich, but before they can see it through to completion another band of thieves attempts a heist of their own

A Washington Post review calls it "Tarantino-esque" and warns of "bloody violence".

The movie opened in the US on April 1 and premiered at the Hong Kong Film Festival on March 21.

Tickets and showtimes are available at the AMC Loews Waterfront website. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

"aKDPhi Spicy Rice Cake Culture Event" at CMU, April 7.

Carnegie Mellon University's chapter of alpha Kappa Delta Phi, an "international Asian-interest sorority", will host a Spicy Rice Cake Culture Event on April 7. Referring to tteokbokki, the spicy Korean rice cake dish, the Facebook event says:

We will be selling cups of spicy rice cakes. In addition to selling irresistible rice cakes, we will be taking pictures and asking people to share why Asian American Awareness matters to them. Come out to support our organization and this important day of recognizing Asian Americans.

The event runs from 12 to 4 pm at University Center.

"The Visual Traditions of Japan" class at Carnegie Museum of Art, Wednesdays in April.

The Carnegie Museum of Art will host "Art History Class: The Visual Traditions of Japan" on Wednesdays and Saturdays in April.

The history of Japanese art is marked by the constant interplay between indigenous and imported art forms. This engaging class examines these two sides of Japanese art from the prehistoric period to the 20th century. Our discussions examine how Japanese artists took foreign artistic elements, adapted them, and mixed them with indigenous elements to create uniquely Japanese visual traditions. After surveying the art and architecture of Japan up to the Edo period, we’ll focus on Edo-period and modern Japanese prints, of which CMOA has stellar collections.

The Wednesday class begins tomorrow, April 6, and runs through April 27. A Saturday class begin April 2. Each class runs from 10:15 am to 12:15 pm and costs $50 for students, $64 for museum members, and $80 for the general public.

"Hands-On Workshop Series—Calligraphy with Xiaoxu", May 3 in Oakland.

Advance notice for a free "Hands-On Workshop Series—Calligraphy with Xiaoxu" event at the Carnegie Library in Oakland on May 3.

Join us for HOW, a series of hands-on workshops for adults and teens. Learn from skilled craftspeople. Dig in and try things out in a creative, supportive environment. Join us for one or all of these free programs. Materials provided.

Chinese calligraphy is a traditional art form of writing characters using a brush and ink, which has developed over many centuries. You will learn step-by-step how to apply ink with the special brush, write Chinese characters, and take a piece of art home with you.

No registration is necessary for these sessions. Seating for all workshops is available to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You'll want to come early to be sure you MAKE it on time!

The library is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by over a dozen different buses that service Oakland.