The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) in Pittsburgh, December 16 and 18.

The 2013 film The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) will play in Pittsburgh on December 16 and 18 as the final installment of this year's GKIDS Ghibli Fest. A 2014 A.V. Club review provides a summary:

A humble bamboo cutter named Okina (translation: “old man”) happens upon a glowing stalk in the grove near his house. When he investigates, the shimmering tree blossoms reveal a baby nested inside. Believing this discovery to be a gift from the heavens, Okina brings her home to his wife Ouna (“old woman”), with whom he begins to raise the child as their own. Dubbing her “Princess” Kaguya, Ouna and Okina marvel at how rapidly the girl begins to grow, racing from infancy to pre-adolescence in a matter of days.

While Kaguya busies herself with a normal childhood, making friends with the local kids and bonding with an older boy named Sutemaru, her adopted father becomes distracted by Kaguya’s value to him—the bamboo shoot from which she was born begins producing gold. As Kaguya transforms into a teenager, Okina relocates their family to the capital city, where the girl receives lessons on how to be a proper woman, and is celebrated as a rare beauty. When five aggressive suitors come calling—followed by the emperor himself—Kaguya begins to feel trapped, things falling apart as she imagines a different life for herself.

It goes on to say the film has "some of the most beautifully expressive animation that Ghibli (or anyone else) has ever produced".

The film will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, the North Hills, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson, and tickets are available online. The December 16 shows are dubbed in English while the December 18 screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles.

“An Island of Death”: Homo Sacer and Ungrievable Deaths, December 13 at Pitt.

via thejejumassacre.com

Y.J. Hwang will give a lecture, “An Island of Death”: Homo Sacer and Ungrievable Deaths, on the Jeju Island Massacres on December 13.

Jeju Island is internationally known as “the Hawaii of Asia” because of its scenic landscapes. But it is not known that this volcanic island is also called “an Island of Death” in connection with the Jeju massacre (1948-1949). This talk thus focuses on the ways in which the victims of the mass killing are enacted in relation to cultural implications of conceptualizing deaths of the Jeju incident. Given that the main characteristic of the Cold War narrative is associated with the reburial of the dead and the finding of missing bodies in the context of modern Korean history, this talk engages with the way in which cultural memory is performed in Jeju Peace Memorial Park through artistic practices and monuments. Concentrating on the injustice of death, the ethics of the dead, and the relationship between history and memory, it also includes how this site reveals a futuristic vision of understanding the Jeju massacre.

YJ, Hwang is a teaching fellow, working on her doctoral project in relation to South Korea’s Jeju massacre and its cultural memory at the University of Pittsburgh. As a theatre and performance studies scholar, her research interests include gender, memory, and mobility.

It starts at 12:00 pm in 4130 Posvar Hall (map).

Chinese-Australian movie The Whistleblower (吹哨人) continues in Pittsburgh through December 17.

The 2019 Chinese-Australian movie The Whistleblower (吹哨人), which opened in Pittsburgh on December 6, will continue here through December 17.

Following a fatal accident, a Chinese expatriate working for a mining company in Australia discovers that new technology developed by the company may be a health risk, and investigates a web of conspiracies in his search for the truth.

It plays at the Cinemark in Pittsburgh Mills through the 12th and at the AMC Loews Waterfront through the 17th, and tickets are available online.

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) continues in Pittsburgh through December 19.

The acclaimed 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충), which opened in Pittsburgh on November 1, will continue in Pittsburgh through at least December 19.

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Parasite won the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It continues locally at the Southside Works Cinema (map) and the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill (map). Tickets are available online.

The Course of Democracy Never Did Run Smooth: Hongkongers’ Political Awakening (從反送中運動看港人的掙扎與蛻變), December 15 at CMU.

Cafe Philo @ Pittsburgh will present an English-language talk, The Course of Democracy Never Did Run Smooth: Hongkongers’ Political Awakening (從反送中運動看港人的掙扎與蛻變), on December 15 at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Anti-Extradition Movement in Hong Kong Political apathy seems to have reigned Hong Kong for very long. And yet the recent Anti-Extradition Movement, the largest and longest social movement in the history of Hong Kong, has been joined by over one-third of the population. Through a discussion on the Anti-Extradition Movement, this seminar aims to provide a general understanding of the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong, especially its milestones, transformations, and current obstacles, and to explore the reasons for Hongkongers' political awakening.

Speakers: Hong Kong Social Action Movements in Boston (https://www.facebook.com/HKSAMBOS/)
Date: Sunday, December 15th , 2-4 pm
Place: CMU Wean Hall 4623
Host: Café Philo-Pittsburgh
This talk will be delivered in English.

Japanese rock band The 5.6.7.8's to open for Reverend Horton Heat in Warrendale tonight.

The Japanese trio The 5.6.7.8's will open for Reverend Horton Heat on December 10 at Jergel's Rhythm Grill in Wexford. The 21-and-over show starts at 7:00 pm and the doors open at 5:00. Jergel's Rhythm Grill is located just off Route 19 (map) in the North Hills.

New bubble tea place coming to Squirrel Hill.

via oxborrow (Creative Commons)

Work has recently begun on a new bubble tea place opening in Squirrel Hill. It will be located at 5871 Forbes Ave. (map), most recently home to Kidz and Company. According to building permits the future occupants also run the New China House in Monroeville.

Japanese Coming-of-Age Ceremony (成人の日) at Pitt for students turning 20, January 10.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and English Language Institute will hold its annual Seijin-no-shiki (Coming of Age) ceremony on January 10 for students turning 20. The idea emerged three years ago because Pitt's ELI hosts a large cohort of Yasuda Women's University students each year who miss the traditional ceremony offered in Hiroshima. Several local publications---including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tribune Review, and City-Paper---have covered the ceremony over the last two years. Meanwhile, Japan Visitor introduces the day and its traditions:

Seijin Shiki or 成人式 could be translated as 'Coming of Age Day Ceremony' in English. Seijin-no-hi (Coming of Age Day) is a Japanese public holiday that occurs on every second Monday of January.

Coming of Age Day or Adult's Day honors every person that has turned 20 years old over the past year. When young people reach twenty they officially become adults in Japanese society and they now have responsibilities as well as newfound liberties: such as being able to drink, smoke, go to hostess bars, gamble and to drive legally. The voting age was lowered from 20 to 18 in 2015.

The girls always wear gorgeous and very expensive kimono, although most admit to having rentals as the outfit is worth up to 1,000,000 yen. The boys usually wear a regular suit and tie but a few will wear traditional Japanese dress.

The event starts at 7:00 pm in the University Club's Ballroom A (map). Those who are turning 20 between April 2019 and April 2020 who are interested in participating should email asia@pitt.edu by December 15.

UPMC hiring China Program Coordinator.

UPMC is hiring a China Program Coordinator.

Purpose:
Assist in the development of business cases, work plans, communications, etc. in support of UPMC International China operations.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the development of business cases, work plans, communications, etc.
• Communicate with members of UPMC management and staff regarding assigned projects.
• Generate necessary project documentation, including meeting minutes, project deliverables, etc.
• Handle project administrative duties including scheduling requirements, SharePoint requirements, etc.
• Identify and help resolve potential issues and/or barriers which are critical to the success of a project.
• Maintain project documents within approved archival systems.
• Coordinate UPMC US and International resources for Wanda Hospital activation and operation maintenance. This includes participating in the business plan, preopening preparation and ongoing training needs for the Wanda hospitals and other UPMC projects in China.
• Logistic coordination and actual hosting of China to UPMC US and International guests for training, visits, observership, etc.
• Business analyst in global care/telemedicine to support China clinical operation needs or ad hoc business and market research; and project management support to manage the daily operation needs for UPMC projects in China.
• Deploy and direct resources in Pittsburgh and other UPMC operations to meet the business development and clinical operation needs for all China Projects.
• Develop and maintain documentation of processes, standards, procedures, policies, templates or work instructions to support effective roll out of China programs and initiatives.
• This role reports directly to the Senior Director of China Operation and Quality and dotted line to Director of International Training Center. He/she is expected to have matrix reporting relationship with UPMC China senior management leaders.
• This job will be based in Pittsburgh and has minimal travel.

Ross Park Mall's Tiffany & Co. hiring Mandarin-speaking sales professional.

The Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in Ross Park Mall in the North Hills is hiring a Mandarin-speaking sales professional.

Required Qualifications

• Experience in retail or luxury retail or relevant customer-related experience (e.g., hospitality).
• Proven track record in achieving sales results.
• Flexibility to work non-traditional hours, including days, nights, weekends and holidays.
• Ability to work with a diverse client base.
• Proficiency with Point of Sales (POS) systems, client tracking systems and Microsoft Outlook/email.
• Must have authorization to work in the United States or in the country where the position is based.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A college/university degree.
• Graduate Gemologist degree or previous Gemological Institute of America (GIA) course work is preferred.
• Proficiency in multiple languages.