Yo! Tea Boba Studio & Yoka Grills, serving bubble tea and hot pot, now open in North Oakland.

Yo! Tea & Yoka Grills has opened this fall at 4615 Centre. Ave in North Oakland (map), in the spot formerly occupied by Pizza Twist. It had a soft open on October 8. Photos here courtesy of the restaurant.

Invitation-only W Board Game Studio in Shadyside.

Signage for an invitation-only, board game studio for Chinese speakers at 731 Copeland St. in Shadyside, on the second floor abovce Le Mardi Gras (map).

English-dubbed version of My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) at Row House Cinema, December 4.

As part of its upcoming Miyazaki Week film series from December 2 through 11, the Row House Cinema will present My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) dubbed in English on Sunday, December 4, in a screening more accessible for children or those who do not enjoy subtitles.

In this adorable, family friendly classic, two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest.

The movie starts at 5:00 pm and tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

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).

2022 film Shin Ultraman (シン・ウルトラマン) playing in Pittsburgh, January 11 and 12.

The 2022 Japanese superhero and kaiju film Shin Ultraman (シン・ウルトラマン) will play in Pittsburgh on January 11 and 12. From the distributor:

There’s never a dull day on Japan's newly established SSSP kaiju defense taskforce, led by Kimio Tamura, played by DRIVE MY CAR’s Hidetoshi Nishijima. After a particularly challenging encounter, a giant silver robot descends from the sky to rescue the country. Dubbed Ultraman, this robot’s identity and purpose are a mystery. SHIN ULTRAMAN is a delightful reimagining of one of Japan’s classic superheroes, full of cosmic twists, campy villains, and giants of all species. Added value includes an introduction from the film’s director, Shinji Higuchi.

It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson, though more locations may be announced later. Tickets are available online: the January 11 screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles, and the January 12 screenings are dubbed in English.

Commonwealth Charter Academy hiring High School World Language- Japanese Teacher for 2022-2023 school year at Homestead Family Service Center.

Commonwealth Charter Academy is hiring High School World Language- Japanese Teacher for 2022-2023 school year. The online position will be based out of Homestead. From the job description:

High School World Language- Japanese Teacher
Position Description
Working from one of our Family Service Centers, the Secondary Teacher will "virtually” manage instructional programs. Through use of the telephone, Internet and various curriculum tools they will consult regularly with learning coaches and students to ensure that each child successfully completes his/her instructional program

Extended Miyazaki Week at Row House Cinema, December 2 - 11.

The Row House Cinema will present an extended version of its Miyazaki Week from December 2 through 11. The lineup consists of 2004's Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城), 1984's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Japanese: 風の谷のナウシカ), 1989's Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便), and 1988's My Neighbor Totoro (Japanese: となりのトトロ), as well as a one-night-only showing of 1992's Porco Rosso (紅の豚). Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

2021 Japanese animated movie Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版𝄇) in Pittsburgh, December 6, 8, 11.

The 2021 Japanese animated movie Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版𝄇) will play in Pittsburgh on December 6, 8, and 11. A summary, from Amazon Prime:

The fourth and final installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion. Misato and her anti-Nerv group Wille arrive in Paris, a city now red from core-ization. Crew from the flagship Wunder land on a containment tower.

It is scheduled to play at the AMC Loews Waterfront; the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson; and the Chartiers Valley Luxury 14. Tickets are available online.

International Anime Music Festival, March 14 at Roxian Theater.

The Roxian Theater will host the Pittsburgh stop of the 2023 International Anime Music Festival on March 14. From a press release:

The inaugural International Anime Music Festival announces its debut tour, bringing virtual music superstars to 37 venues across North America starting Feb. 6, 2023. This marks the first time the popular VTubers (virtually generated animated YouTubers) and Vocaloids (virtual singers with computer generated voices) appear on stage together.

Starring Kizuna AI Original Singeroid "#kzn", vocal duo HIMEHINA, vocal trio MaRiNaSu, the North American debut of fan favorite GUMI, and pop twins LiLYPSE, the show will be in LIVE, DJ-led multimedia concert rave. Featuring brand new songs and never-before-seen content, the tour brings these characters to life on state-of-the-art LED and high-definition digital projections. These characters are among the fan-favorites of the international anime-music movement. Originating in Japan, these superstar avatars have exploded globally over the past two years, drawing tens of millions of followers worldwide, generating over 62 million Google searches, and more than 1.2 billion views (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and others).

Tickets for the show are available online. The Roxian Theatre is located at 425 Chartiers Ave. in McKees Rocks (map).

Bayanihan Mural Unveiling at Philippine Center of Pittsburgh, November 26.

The Philippine Center of Pittsburgh will host a Bayanihan Mural Unveiling on Saturday, November 26.

Since 2018, the Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh (FAAP) has been working on making the Philippine Center a building to call “home” for the Filipino community in Western Pennsylvania. FAAP has been working with Eliseo Silva; a renowned Filipino artist with over 35 years experience creating murals and more than a hundred award-winning public art projects, exhibits, and installations all over the world; to develop a mural which embodies the Bayanihan* spirit. The installation of this mural will finally give this building its “heart.”

Join us this Saturday, November 26 from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm for the unveiling of the mural and a meet-and-greet with the artist. Refreshments will be served at this free event.

Reserve your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bayanihan-mural-unveiling-tickets-472110393897

*“Bayanihan” is known as the Filipino spirit of communal unity to achieve a goal. It can be traced back to rural Philippines where the town’s people were asked to help move a family’s entire house to a new location. In order for the volunteers to carry the house, approximately twenty volunteers would move in unison, carrying bamboo poles that were secured underneath the house. This image is central to the mural.

The Philippine Center of Pittsburgh is located at 200 Church St. in West Mifflin (map).