2020 Japanese animated film Josee, The Tiger and The Fish (ジョゼと虎と魚たち) in Pittsburgh, July 12 and 13.

The 2020 Japanese animated film Josee, The Tiger and The Fish (ジョゼと虎と魚たち) will play in Pittsburgh on July 12 and 13.

In Josee, The Tiger and the Fish, there isn't a magical world to which our protagonist, Kumiko, can escape, aside from her own vibrant imagination. Kumiko prefers to be called Josee, a character from one of her favorite books. Unable to use her legs from birth, Josee, now in her early 20s, is cared for by her loving but controlling grandmother, who forbids her to leave the house except on short walks. It’s on one of these walks that Josee loses control of her wheelchair and careens down a steep hill. Luckily, her fall is stopped by Tsuneo, a university student who lives in the area. The night Tsuneo inadvertently saves Josee, her grandmother offers him a new job with better pay than most: to look after her granddaughter. The two begin to venture from home, to movies, amusement parks, aquariums and even the ocean. Josee begins to emerge from her shell, sharing with Tsuneo her passion for drawing and her ambition to become an artist. Soon Tsuneo begins to understand all the complexities of life without the use of one’s legs, from navigating train lines with a wheelchair to simply cooking a meal at home.

It plays locally at the Cinemark in the North Hills. Tickets are available online; the July 12 screening is in Japanese with English subtitles, and the July 13 screening is dubbed in English.

Tickets now available for 2020 Japanese animated movie Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song (劇場版「Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]」III.spring song), in Pittsburgh on July 18 and 20.

Tickets are now available for the 2020 Japanese animated movie Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song (劇場版「Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]」III.spring song), which will play in Pittsburgh July 18 and 20. From the distributor:

The thrilling Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] trilogy comes to its incredible conclusion with the release of the final chapter, Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song, on the big screen!

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.