Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro in Pittsburgh-area theaters, October through December.

Four Japanese animated films will be back in Pittsburgh-area theaters from October through December as part of GHIBLI Fest 2021, an annual showcase of Studio Ghibli movies. 

• Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) - October 3 and 6 (dubbed in English), October 4 (English subtitles) 
• Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) - October 24 and 28 (dubbed), October 25 (subtitles)
• Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ) - November 14 and 18 (dubbed), November 15 (subtitled)
• My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) - December 5 and 9 (dubbed), December 8 (subtitled)

Tickets and showtime information is not available yet, but the films will likely play at the local Moviescoop and Cinemark theaters, plus other locations, owing to distribution agreements for GKIDS films.

Nanban Asian Soul Food now open in Lawrenceville.

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A new restaurant by Roger Li, Nanban Asian Soul Food, has opened recently in Lawrenceville, taking over the spot that used to hold another of Li's restaurants, Ki Pollo.

The concept of "Nanban" goes back to the 16th and 17th century in Japan when the very first "Westerners" began trading with the locals. It was a period of exploring new culture, and exchanging and above all it translates to "something foreign" which we liked and flipped to represent the Asian soul food that Japanese and Koreans and Chinese have all taken back home and made their own. So our Nanban is an Asian Soul Food Restaurant with the intention of familiarizing the decadent and comforting flavors of our favorite Asian dishes across the board. We use what we know to make delicious, approachable but dynamic food that will warm the soul, tickle your palate, and depending on what you get... numb the mouth!

It's open 12:00 to 8:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and a menu is available online. It's located at 4407 Butler St. (map).

2020 Japanese movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) remains in Pittsburgh through June 24.

The 2020 Japanese animated movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編), which opened in Pittsburgh on April 22, will remain here through at least June 24. A synopsis of the top-grossing film in Japan last year, from the theaters:

Tanjiro Kamado, joined with Inosuke Hashibira, a boy raised by boars who wears a boar's head, and Zenitsu Agatsuma, a scared boy who reveals his true power when he sleeps, board the Infinity Train on a new mission with the Fire Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku, to defeat a demon who has been tormenting the people and killing the demon slayers who oppose it!

It will play locally at numerous local theaters, depending on the day, including Cranberry Cinemas, Waterworks Cinemas, AMC Loews Waterfront, and the Chartiers Valley Luxury 14. Tickets are available online; please note, some shows are in Japanese with subtitles while others are dubbed in English.

Shirobako: The Movie (劇場版『SHIROBAKO』) in Pittsburgh, August 10.

The 2020 Japanese animated film Shirobako: The Movie (劇場版『SHIROBAKO』) will play in Pittsburgh on August 10. A summary of the movie, based on an anime series in turn based on aspects of the anime industry, from the distributor:

Four years after the events of SHIROBAKO the series, Musashino Animation has gone through unprecedented changes and things are looking bleak for the studio. One day, Aoi Miyamori is offered a role managing a new theatrical animation project. With only a few months left before the deadline, can MusAni complete the project in its current state? It’s up to Aoi to work alongside both familiar faces and new to finish the project in time!

Ticket ahd showtime information has not yet been released, but it is likely to play at local Cinemark theaters, due to distribution deals.

Nakama, GetGo not voted Best Sushi in Pittsburgh this time.

Pittsburgh Magazine released the results of its annual Best of Pittsburgh Reader's Poll, and Little Tokyo Restaurant in Mt. Lebanon has been voted Best Japanese/Sushi. Little Tokyo upsets the perennial winner Nakama, which is routinely voted Best Japanese/Sushi in annual readers' polls, ahead of more authentic places like Kiku, Teppanyaki Kyoto, and the recently-departed Chaya. Other relevant local winners include Nicky's Thai Kitchen as Best Thai and Sesame Inn as Best Chinese.

"Anti-Asian Racism: An Exploratory Conversation," June 17 at Pitt.

Kaycee Orwig for the Pittsburgh City-Paper.

Several community members at the University of Pittsburgh will present "Anti-Asian Racism: An Exploratory Conversation" online on June 17.
 

Xenophobic racism and violence directed at Asian and Asian Pacific Islander communities have increased during COVID. This session is designed to facilitate an initial dialogue to understand better the challenges facing our Asian and Asian American colleagues and students, and to explore ways to address and eliminate anti-Asian racism at the University of Pittsburgh.
Those interested in attending this session will be encouraged to:

• share experiences with and observations about anti-Asian racism.

• offer insights and ideas to create a University environment where everyone is safe and feels that they belong.

• suggest specific topic areas related to anti-Asian racism for future programming.

Panelists:

• Lu-in Wang, Professor of Law

• Judy Chang, Associate Professor, School of Medicine

• christina ong, Ph.D. candidate in Sociology

Dial-In Information
SEATING IS LIMITED. Please register to attend. You will receive an email with the Zoom meeting link.
Please contact workshops@teaching.pitt.edu for any questions.

The event is free though space is limited and registration is required.

Yue Bai Wei Sichuan Restaurant opens in Squirrel Hill, replacing Rose Tea Cafe.

Squirrel Hill's Rose Tea Cafe has recently closed and has been replaced by Yue Bai Wei Sichuan Restaurant. The new restaurant is located at 5874 Forbes Ave. (map). A menu is available online, though it's not working at the time of this post.

2020 Japanese movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) remains in Pittsburgh through June 17.

The 2020 Japanese animated movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編), which opened in Pittsburgh on April 22, will remain here through at least June 17. A synopsis of the top-grossing film in Japan last year, from the theaters:

Tanjiro Kamado, joined with Inosuke Hashibira, a boy raised by boars who wears a boar's head, and Zenitsu Agatsuma, a scared boy who reveals his true power when he sleeps, board the Infinity Train on a new mission with the Fire Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku, to defeat a demon who has been tormenting the people and killing the demon slayers who oppose it!

It will play locally at numerous local theaters, depending on the day, including Cranberry Cinemas, Waterworks Cinemas, AMC Loews Waterfront, and the Chartiers Valley Luxury 14. Tickets are available online; please note, some shows are in Japanese with subtitles while others are dubbed in English.

2019 Japanese animated film Children of the Sea (海獣の子供) in Pittsburgh, June 13 and 15.

The 2019 Japanese animated film Children of the Sea (海獣の子供) will play in Pittsburgh on June 13 and 15 as part of this year's GKIDS series. A synopsis from the distributor:

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does. Ruka’s dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans’ fish.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online. The June 13 show is dubbed in English while the June 15 show is in Japanese with English subtitles.

"Inside Out" with Bento Boombox, August 19 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

Illustration by Christina Lee.

The Carnegie Museum of Art is hosting a series of "Inside Out" outdoors music events this summer, and the August 19 installment will feature Bento Boombox, "a dance party focused on the fusion of American and Asian hip hop, electronic, and high energy dance music."

On Thursday, August 19, enjoy happy hour in the museum's outdoor sculpture courtyard with a DJ set emphasizing Asian hip-hop and electronic music by Bento Boombox.

Bring your appetite, too! Regional food trucks and a bar created by Café Carnegie offering custom snacks, kid-friendly treats, local beers, delicious wines, and more will be on-site.

While you’re at Inside Out, participate in art-making activities for all ages.

Inside Out events are FREE, open to all ages, have limited capacity, and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Make a day of it and reserve your timed tickets to visit the museum before or after you enjoy Inside Out!

It runs from 4:00 to 8:00 pm and is free and open to the public. 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.