Art in the US-Japan Relationship: Preserving the Floating World, April 18 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

The Japan America Society of Pennsylvania will present Art in the US-Japan Relationship: Preserving the Floating World on Thursday, April 18.

Please join us for a special presentation of Japanese art as part of the Richard J. Wood Art Curators Series. The series brings attention to major collections of Japanese art in the U.S. and their role in the U.S.-Japan grassroots relationship.

Beyond his fame as Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Tales of the South Pacific and Hawaii, James A. Michener is well remembered as an enthusiastic collector of fine art. He managed to assemble the third largest collection of ukiyo-e in the United States, which he then gifted to the Honolulu Museum of Art. His donation now comprises approximately half of the museum's collection of more than 10,000 Japanese ukiyo-e. Join us at the Carnegie Museum of Art to learn about Michener's collecting journey with Stephen Salel, Robert F. Lange Foundation Curator of Japanese Art at the Honolulu Museum of Art.

The event starts at 6:00 pm and registration is required. The museum is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by buses 28X, 58, 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71B, 71D, 75, and P3.

Run River North at Club Cafe, May 15.

Indie folk-rock band Run River North will play Club Cafe on May 15. A 2016 NBC profile described the band as

a group formed back in 2011 as a "conversation for immigrant family kids to talk about, or just to have some kind of space" to share their family histories, according to lead singer Alex Hwang.

And Club Cafe's profile says, in part:

Not just an Asian-American band or a group that relies on a set sonic formula, the EP continues to expand upon the band's prior folk-leaning backbone. On lead single "Hands Up," the band is at their most bombastic. The result of a co-writing collaboration with Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi of Grouplove, the duo's first of such sessions "Hands Up" pairs an earworm-y chorus with a front-and-center guitar melody, a second voice among Hwang's lead bellow. Overall, the group utilizes more drum programming, dreamy synth, and dynamic production -- a more expansive sonic palette.

Tickets for the 8:00 pm show are available online. Club Cafe is located at 56 S. 12th St. in the South Side (map).

Chinese restaurant replaces Hanami in Oakland.

A new Chinese restaurant has replaced Hanami on Fifth Ave. in Oakland. Signage indicates the unnamed restaurant is in a soft opening phase at 3608 Fifth Ave. (map).

Hanami opened in November 2018 as a rebranded version of Thai Hana, a restaurant that was among the worst in terms of health department violations in the county. During Hanami's initial inspection it received 10 violations; the restaurant closed several weeks ago.

"Storytime: Japanese and English" returns to East Liberty, April 16.

via archdaily.org

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on April 16 at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese for children and their parents or caregivers. For children age birth – 5 and their caregivers.

It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

Diners 2+1―serving sushi, sashimi, rolls, and bowls―replaces 15 Fahrenheit in Squirrel Hill.

After closing for the winter, 15 Fahrenheit rolled ice cream has closed for good in Squirrel Hill, replaced by a sushi and fast-casual place called Diners 2+1. The menu includes sushi, rolls, and various bowls. The restaurant is located at 1722 Murray Ave. (map) and was cleared to open by the county health department on March 28.

Pittsburgh Public Schools hiring part-time Mandarin teacher for 2019-2020 school year.

Pittsburgh Public Schools has an anticipated vacancy for a part-time Mandarin Chinese teacher for 2019-2020. A bachelor's degree and PA state teaching certification are required.

No Korean Food Bazaar for 2019; aims for 2020 return.

The annual Korean Food Bazaar (선교바자회) in Shadyside is taking 2019 off. A tradition of the Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh for 23 years, the church confirmed on Sunday it will not organize the festival this year, but will aim for a 2020 return. The bazaar has typically run on the first Saturday of May.

Matsuri 2019 at Carnegie Mellon University, April 23.

The Japanese Student Association at Carnegie Mellon University will present its annual Matsuri on Tuesday, April 23.

Matsuri is the biggest event hosted by JSA. Last year, more than 600 people showed up to the celebration.
Enjoy a variety of foods from our food booths, such as Yakisoba 🥢, Takoyaki 🐙, Dorayaki 😋, and Onigiri 🍙. You can also enjoy the various performances by student groups🎤 and Taiko Pittsburgh🥁, while immersed in traditional Japanese decorations! Don't forget to also enjoy the multitude of games, such as the shooting arcade🔫, super-ball fishing🎣, water balloon fishing🎈, and a raffle with great prizes🏆! We will also have several booths run by other on-campus organizations so come check them out!

Visit the Facebook page for ticket information and more details. Matsuri runs from 3:00 to 8:00 pm in the Rangos Ballroom of the Cohon University Center (map).

Master Z: IP Man Legacy (葉問外傳：張天志) in Pittsburgh, from April 12.

The 2018 Chinese martial arts film Master Z: IP Man Legacy (葉問外傳：張天志), which last month was announced for a downtown theater from April 19, will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront from April 12, the date of its nationwide release. The distributor provides a summary:

Legendary action director Yuen Wo Ping draws on a stellar cast (Michelle Yeoh, Dave Bautista, Tony Jaa, and Max Zhang) to create a hard-hitting martial arts blast worthy of its place in the celebrated IP MAN universe. Following his defeat by Master Ip, Cheung Tin Chi (Zhang), tries to make a life with his young son in Hong Kong, waiting tables at a bar that caters to expats. But it’s not long before the mix of foreigners, money, and triad leaders draw him once again to the fight.

The movie will play in Mandarin with English subtitles. Tickets are available online. 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.

The Magic Noodle coming soon to Squirrel Hill.

Hand-drawn signage recently went up at 5829 Forbes Ave. (map) for The Magic Noodle. The spot was most recently home to Sun Penang.



It is not yet clear what relationship the new restaurant will have to Sun Penang ownership. The Malaysian-Chinese restaurant had its share of legal and food safety problems over the years---including rats nests, operating an illegal delivery service, and not paying employees---before ultimately being shut down by the county health department