Nakama voted Best Japanese / Sushi by readers of Pittsburgh Magazine in 2019.

Pittsburgh Magazine readers voted Nakama the Best Japanese / Sushi place in the city in their 2019 poll, and Sesame Inn the Best Chinese, in a repeat of the results from last year (and most other years). Nicky's Thai Kitchen was voted Best Thai, to round out the entries of relevance to this site.

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, June 18.

via archdaily.org

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on June 18 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).

1995 Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) in Pittsburgh, July 1 and 2.

The 1995 Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) will play in Pittsburgh on July 1 and 2 as part of the 2019 GKIDS Ghibli Fest. The distributor provides a synopsis:

Discover the brilliance of this heartwarming coming-of-age classic from the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of My Neighbor Totoro and the Academy Award®-winning Spirited Away.

A chance encounter with a mysterious cat sends Shizuku, a quiet schoolgirl, on a quest for her true talent. Together with Seiji, a boy determined to follow his dreams, and enchanted by The Baron, a magical cat figurine who helps her listen to the whispers of her heart, Shizuku embarks on a life-changing adventure that takes her beyond the boundaries of her imagination. This beautiful tale based on a screenplay from Hayao Miyazaki will delight and amaze audiences of all ages!

The movie will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The July 1 shows are dubbed in English and the July 2 ones are in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are available online.

"Storytime: Chinese and English" in Squirrel Hill, June 15.

via Ed Massery.

"Storytime: Chinese and English" returns to the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill on June 15 after a brief hiatus.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Chinese.

Storytime runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am and is free and open to the public. The Carnegie Library branch in Squirrel Hill is located at 5801 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by buses 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, and 74.

Jung-ho Kang moves to second on list of home runs by Koreans in the Major Leagues.

Via AP / 해럴드경제.

With his fifth home run of the season on June 9, Pirates infielder Jung-ho Kang is now second on the list of Korean home run hitters in the Major Leagues with 41. He passed Hee-Seop Choi, who played from 2002 to 2005 and who is from the same high school as Kang.

New restoration of 2002 Satoshi Kon film Millennium Actress (千年女優) in Pittsburgh, August 13.

The 2002 Satoshi Kon film Millennium Actress (千年女優) will play in Pittsburgh on August 13. The distributor provides a synopsis:

Experience the gorgeous new restoration of what many believe to be Satoshi Kon’s (Perfect Blue, Paprika) greatest work, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS.

When the legendary Ginei Studios shuts down, filmmaker Genya Tachibana and his assistant are tasked with interviewing its reclusive star, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who had retired from the spotlight 30 years prior. As she recounts her career, Genya and his crew are literally pulled into her memories where they witness her chance encounter with a mysterious man on the run from the police. Despite never knowing his name or his face, Chiyoko relentlessly pursues that man in a seamless blend of reality and memory that only Satoshi Kon could deliver. Boasting countless awards, including the Grand Prize in the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival, which it shared with Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS is a must-see for anime fans of all ages.

So far tickets for the August 13 show at the Southside Works Cinema are available online, though tickets for other theaters---and for August 19 dubbed screenings---are not available until June 21.

2019 move Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion ダンジョンに出会いを求めるのは間違っているだろうか in Pittsburgh, July 23.

Tickets were just announced for Pittsburgh screenings of the 2019 movie Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Arrow of the Orion ダンジョンに出会いを求めるのは間違っているだろうか, based on the manga and anime series. The distributor provides a synopsis:

Far from the dungeon beneath Oraria rises a new threat, one the beautiful goddess Artemis has sworn to destroy with the help of her chosen warrior. But this fighter isn’t the renowned Ais Wallenstein or another stor ied hero of Orario legend. Instead the fate of Artemis’ quest falls upon the shoulders of Bell Cranell, who must partner with the goddess and stand against the menace lurking in the remains of a distant, ancient city. Although Bell is the ordained champion of Artemis and a member of the goddess Hestia’s familia, their adventure will test every skill and take every ounce of courage that Bell has — and perhaps, along the way, turn him into the hero he has always aspired to be.

Tickets for the Southside Works Cinema screening on July 23 are now available online, though tickets for other locations will not be on sale until June 21.

Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery in Pittsburgh, June 13.

The Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery will play in Pittsburgh on June 13. Tickets for the show at Cattivo in Lawrenceville (map) are available online or at the door.

SEVENTEENs "Getting Closer" at this weekend's K-pop Class, June 8.

The weekly K-pop Dance Class at Yanlai Dance Academy will do SEVENTEEN (세븐틴)'s "Getting Closer" for its third meeting on June 8. The class is held each Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, and the cost is $18 for a drop-in session. Yanlai Dance Academy is located at 2260 Babcock Blvd. in the North Hills (map).

Dragon Boat Festival at Pitt, June 7.

The University of Pittsburgh's Chinese Students and Scholar Association will host a Dragon Boat Festival on June 7.