New Japanese animated movie Sword Art Online the Movie Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ 星なき夜のアリア) in Pittsburgh, from December 3.

The 2021 Japanese animated movie apanese animated movie Sword Art Online the Movie Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night (劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ 星なき夜のアリア) will play in Pittsburgh from December 3 through 9. A synopsis of the film that, based on a manga series:

Return to the death game where it all began—Sword Art Online. In this new Aincrad Arc by original creator Reki Kawahara, the story is seen through Asuna’s eyes. What at first seems like a dream come true quickly becomes a nightmare when newbie gamer Asuna Yuuki learns the only way to escape the virtual world of Aincrad is to beat all 100 levels—but “Game Over” means you die in the real world.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Classic Westmoreland, and the Cinemark theater in McCandless, and tickets are available online. Shows on December 3, 4, and 9 are in Japanese with English subtitles, while shows on December 7 and 8 are dubbed in English.

Pittsburgh Pirates to re-sign Yoshitomo Tsutsugo to one-year contract.

via the Associated Press.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly set to re-sign Yoshotimo Tsutsugo (筒香 嘉智) to a one-year contract valued at $4 million. Tsutsugo was signed in August and appeared in 43 games for Pittsburgh, hitting 8 home runs and being one of the bright, though inconsistent, spots late in the season. He is a native of Wakayama, Japan, and is the fourth Japanese player in Pittsburgh Pirates history, after pitcher Masumi Kuwata in 2007, infielder Akinori Iwamura in 2010, and pitcher Hisanori Takahashi for nine games in 2012.

Pittsburgh Sichuan Cuisine Week gets started.

via Harry Funk of the Observer-Reporter

The first ever Pittsburgh Sichuan Cuisine Week started last week with some fanfare but no information: it was mentioned in passing in the local papers that the Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office was collaborating with the Pittsburgh Chinese Restaurant Association and local Sichuan restaurants on some type of dining celebration. The Pittsburgh City-Paper writes:

The Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office also presented PCRA with gifts valued at $10,000 to be given to guests who dine during the week.

More background comes today via Washington county's Observer-Reporter, which traces the recent exchanges between Pittsburgh and its Chinese Sister City:

Shortly after a performance group from Chengdu, China, returned home from the Pittsburgh area in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic went full throttle.

Then during the summer, an earthquake struck Sichuan Province, of which Chengdu is the capital, causing three deaths and damaging thousands of homes.

In Western Pennsylvania, the problems did not go unnoticed.

“The Chinese community here mobilized and donated 20,000 masks to the city of Chengdu,” Kwun Kwong Kai reported.

With Sherry Kai, his daughter, serving as translator, he welcomed guests to a dinner at Sichuan Gourmet in Squirrel Hill. Representing the Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office, Kwun expressed gratitude by hosting the event and presenting gifts to those in attendance.

Several restaurants are participating in Pittsburgh Sichuan Cuisine Week, which runs from November 19 through the 28th: Sichuan Gourmet, Chengdu Gourmet, Jade Grille, Szechuan Spice, and Little Asia. Diners are to receive gifts of thanks via the Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office.

New Chinese film Railway Heroes (铁道英雄) in Pittsburgh, from November 24.

The new Chinese film Railway Heroes (铁道英雄) will play in Pittsburgh from November 24 through November 30.

In the winter of 1939, when the Japanese takeover the Jin-Pu Railway in Shandong during World War II, an underground resistance group forms to combat them. Based on a true story.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and 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.

Quantum Theatre presents Lucy Kirkwood play Chimerica, November 27 - December 19.

The Quantum Theatre will present the Lucy Kirkwood play Chimerica from November 27 through December 19 at The Maverick Hotel in East Liberty.

Lucy Kirkwood’s award-winning play reminds us of an image that arrested the world: a protester facing down four tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989. Who was he, and who was the photojournalist who captured it? From there to the fraught present of US/China relations, it examines capitalism and culture, journalism and censorship.

Tickets are now available. The Maverick Hotel is located at 120 S. Whitfield St. (map).

2021 Japanese animated film Belle (竜とそばかすの姫) in Pittsburgh, January 12.

The 2021 Japanese animated film Belle (竜とそばかすの姫) will play in Pittsburgh from January 12. From the distributor:

From the celebrated Academy Award®-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu, creators of Mirai, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and more, comes a fantastical, heartfelt story of growing up in the age of social media.

Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters “U”, a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious “beast” and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.

Belle was the top movie in Japan for three weeks over the summer and is the second-highest grossing film in Japan for 2021 so far. It has been announced so far for the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets for that are available online, though more showtimes are likely to be announced later.

2019 Taiwanese film Detention (返校) still available virtually via Row House Cinema.

The 2019 Taiwanese film Detention (返校) is still available virtually via Row House Cinema, for a limited time.

Set in Taiwan during the “White Terror” period of martial law, a high school girl awakens in an empty school only to find that her entire community has been abandoned except for one other student. Soon they realize that they have entered a realm filled with vengeful spirits and hungry ghosts.

Adapted from the eponymous video game, this masterful debut from director and co-writer John Hsu creates an at once shocking historical drama, a melancholy coming-of-age tale, and a nightmarish horror film; that recalls the best of Guillermo del Toro (The Devil’s Backbone, and Pan’s Labyrinth), and with enough blood, striking sound design, art direction and special effects to evoke the best of Silent Hill.

The film is available to those in North America, and the cost to unlock is $10.

Pittsburgh Sichuan Cuisine Week, November 19 through 28.

The Pittsburgh Chinese Restaurant Association will host Pittsburgh Sichuan Cuisine Week from November 19 through 28. Participating restaurants include Sichuan Gourmet, Chengdu Gourmet, Jade Grille, Szechuan Spice, and Little Asia. The Pittsburgh City-Paper writes:

The Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office also presented PCRA with gifts valued at $10,000 to be given to guests who dine during the week.

No other details have been made available at this time.

2021 movie My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ワールドヒーローズミッション) continues in Pittsburgh, through November 23.

he 2021 movie My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ワールドヒーローズミッション), which opened in Pittsburgh on October 29, will play here through at least November 23. A synopsis, from the distributor.

When a sinister organization threatens to wipe out all superhuman powers, the fate of the world is on the line. With two hours until the collapse of civilization, Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki manage to work as a team, but there’s still one problem. Deku’s on the run for murder.

It will continue at the AMC theaters at the Waterfront and South Hills Village Mall. Tickets are available online; please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Ross Park Mall's Tiffany & Co. hiring Mandarin- and Japanese- speaking seasonal help.

The Tiffany & Co. store in Ross Park Mall is hiring seasonal ambassadors and seasonal operations professionals, with a preference for Mandarin, Japanese, or Spanish proficiency.