Japanese choreographer and artist Hiroaki Umeda at Wood Street Galleries, December 28 - 30.

Japanese choreographer and artist Hiroaki Umeda will perform at downtown Pittsburgh's Wood Street Galleries from December 28 through 30, it was announced recently.

Hiroaki Umeda is a choreographer and a multidisciplinary artist recognized as one of the leading figures of the Japanese avant-garde art scene. Since the launch of his company S20, his subtle yet violent dance pieces have toured around the world to audience and critical acclaim. His work is acknowledged for the highly holistic artistic methodology with strong digital background, which considers not only physical elements as dance, but also optical, sensorial and, above all, spatiotemporal components as part of the choreography. Based on his profound interest in choreographing time and space, Umeda has spread his talent not only as a choreographer and dancer, but also as a composer, lighting designer, scenographer and visual artist.

Join us at Wood Street Galleries for special, small group performances of Hiroaki Umeda’s high intensity solo work, Intensional Particle. The piece showcases Umeda’s signature style of mixing digital imagery, minimal soundscape, and extremely potent corporeality.

Tickets are available online. Wood Street Galleries is located at 601 Wood Street, atop the Wood Street T Station (map).

2021 Japanese movie The House of the Lost on the Cape (岬のマヨイガ) in Pittsburgh, September 7.

The 2021 Japanese movie The House of the Lost on the Cape (岬のマヨイガ) will play in Pittsburgh on September 7.

When a devastating natural disaster leaves 17-year-old run-away Yui and 8-year-old orphan Hiyori without a home, they are taken in by Kiwa, a strange old woman who offers to let them stay in an abandoned yet suspiciously well-kept house overlooking the sea, known as a Mayoiga: a legendary house, said to look after lost travelers. Despite Yui’s hesitation to trust anyone and Hiyori’s inability to speak, they begin to form a sisterly bond that allows them to find comfort in the Mayoiga and embrace Kiwa’s hospitality. However, when a menacing entity is accidentally released and threatens their new home, the three must face their fears to save it.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Video Party and DJ Night: Celebrating Asian Music/Music Videos [for Pitt undergrads], September 9.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center is presenting "Video Party and DJ Night: Celebrating Asian Music/Music Videos" on September 9.

Join Screenshot: ASIA for a Video Party and DJ Night celebrating Asian music and music videos. Videos are by Warren Fu, director (Doja Cat, Daft Punk, Maggie Rogers) and mamesjao, director (Trippie Red, Amber Liu, August 08). Live Q&A with: no_4mat, director and musician; Kwan Au, director and CGI artist; mui zyu, director and musician. Music by: DJ Formosa (from Jellyfish, a queer DJ collective). Snacks, pizza, and refreshments will be provided! This event is geared toward undergraduate students.

The event starts at 8:00 pm at the O'Hara Student Center.

2022 Chinese comedy Moon Man (独行月球) in Pittsburgh, from September 2.

The 2022 Chinese comedy movie Moon Man (独行月球) will play in Pittsburgh from September 2. It's about "an astronaut who is stranded alone on the moon after Earth is destroyed," according to a Business Insider review that called it "the biggest movie in the world" earlier this month. It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Tzu Chi Academy weekend Chinese school still accepting students for Chinese language and culture classes.

Pittsburgh Tzu Chi Academy is still accepting students for its upcoming school year that begins September 11, 2022.

Tzu Chi Academy, Pittsburgh provides local children from kindergarten through high school with quality program not only aimed at student’s language learning but also character building. The school will implement “Still Thoughts” education method to weave compassion, relief, honesty, and integrity into teaching. We will nurture the children in a loving and calm environment; motivate them to learn the Chinese language and culture in today’s diversified world. A creative Still Thoughts humanity and moral-principle course will be added to the curriculum to foster the children with virtue teamwork, great love, respect, calm, and thanksgiving.

Oakland's K-Town Snack Bar to soft-open today at 11:00 am.

K-Town Snack Bar, a Korean quick-service restaurant from the team behind the Mr. Bulgogi food truck, announced yesterday a soft-opening today, August 30. Originally scheduled to open August 15, the new restaurant is located at at 210 Oakland Ave. (map), which briefly and most recently held Wild Ninja Asian Grill.

2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) September 8.

The 2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 18, will remain here through at least September 8.

The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two Androids call themselves “Super Heroes”. They start attacking Piccolo and Gohan… What is the New Red Ribbon Army’s objective? In the face of approaching danger, it is time to awaken, Super Hero!

The movie was the top-grossing film in Japan its opening weekend of June 11-12, and is the eighth-highest earning domestic film in Japan this year so far. It plays locally at many Pittsburgh-area theaters, and tickets are available online.

Pitt hiring assistant professor of modern Chinese history for 2023-2024 academic year.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of History is hiring an assistant professor of modern Chinese history for the next academic year.

The Department of History at the University of Pittsburgh seeks applicants for a tenure-stream assistant professorship in modern Chinese history, to begin in August 2023, pending budgetary approval. We welcome candidates with research interests in any period of Chinese history from the mid-nineteenth century onward. We are particularly interested in candidates whose research interests will also contribute to our department’s existing strengths in global, transnational, and transregional history.

New Chengdu Gourmet to open September 1st on McKnight Road.

The second Chengdu Gourmet location will open September 1 in the North Hills, located at 4768 McKnight Road (map), in what was formerly Oriental Market (which moved up the street earlier in 2021). The original and current location, located on Forward Ave., will remain there.

In Pittsburgh Magazine last year, Hal B. Klein summarized some key differences between it and the Squirrel Hill location, which is routinely named among the best restaurants in the city:

There will be two significant distinctions [between the two restaurants]: Zhu plans to install tanks that will allow him to sell fresh-as-can-be fish and shellfish, and he’ll offer an expanded selection of Americanized-Chinese dishes (which were dialed-back in Squirrel Hill a few years ago) to better serve North Hills diners new to Sichuan cuisine.

The ample space will offer expanded seating, including two private dining rooms, a sushi counter and, as Zhu has acquired a liquor license for the new restaurant, a bar. “It’s going to be a much bigger restaurant. Everyone will be happy when they come here,” Zhu says.

Pitt's Asian Studies Center hiring National Consortium for Teaching About Asia (NCTA) Program Manager.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center is hiring a Program Manager for its National Consortium for Teaching About Asia. A bit from the job ad:

The primary duties of the Pitt NCTA are to provide professional development and educational opportunities for K-12 educators, to develop teaching materials on East Asia for K-12 education, and to support the wider network of NCTA nationwide. The Program Manager will draw on their K-12 and Asian Studies expertise to propose topics and manage the logistics for in-person and online professional development for K-12 educators in the eleven states (occasionally requiring evening or weekend hours and occasional domestic and international travel). The incumbent will be responsible for numerous pre- and post- logistics of programs/courses and NCTA foundational seminars, including creating technological supporting infrastructure, managing software and hardware needs, and creating such things as webpages and online registration forms for individual programs.

The incumbent will also assist with projects such as website development, creation of teaching materials, and updating and maintenance of current Pitt NCTA and Japan Studies websites. Specific functions also include processing financial payments as assigned by the Assistant Director, and assisting the AD in monitoring expenditures against the budget for individual programs, courses, and projects as assigned. The incumbent will manage the NCTA Teacher Resource Library, including making recommendations of new materials for purchase, and cataloguing new additions to the collection. The Program Manager will also take a leadership role in running the Japanese High School Speech Contest and assist with other other Japan Studies related duties as required. The Program Manager will supervise a student assistant. 80% of the position is devoted to the Pitt NCTA with 20% to work for the Asian Studies Center, particularly Japan Studies related work.