2022 Japanese movie Lonely Castle in the Mirror (かがみの孤城) in Pittsburgh, June 21 and 22.

The 2022 Japanese movie Lonely Castle in the Mirror (かがみの孤城) will play in Pittsburgh on June 21 and 22. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Shy outcast Kokoro has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other students. When a girl in a wolf mask explains that they have been invited to play a game, the teens must work together to uncover the mysterious connection that unites them. However, anyone who breaks the rules will be eaten by a wolf.

From acclaimed director Keiichi Hara (Colorful, Miss Hokusai) and based on the bestselling novel by Mizuki Tsujimura, Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a heartfelt drama about the pains of growing up and the unlikely bonds that can bring people together.

It is scheduled to play so far at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Pitt hiring Chinese Language and Culture Instructor for summer classes to high school students.

The University of Pittsburgh's University Center for International Studies (UCIS) is hiring a Chinese Language and Culture Instructor for summer courses.

In this position, the instructor will teach Chinese Language and Culture classes for college credit to high school students which will run typically from 8:30 am to 10:00 am. Classes start on Monday, June 26th, and end on Friday, July 21st. There is no class on weekends, holidays (July 4th), or the last Friday of the program. In addition to what is normally expected of instructors in preparation for the course, you will be expected to attend the Orientation, on Sunday, June 25 at 1:00-2:00 pm; attend weekly staff meetings (Wednesdays 12:00-1:00 pm); conduct weekly student evaluations; and attend closing ceremonies on Friday, July 21.

In addition to the class time, the instructor is expected to prepare ahead of time by creating course materials and a course syllabus by June 1, 2023. Canvas will be available for instructors’ and students’ use. Any and all deliverables, reports, documentation, files, media, and other materials created by you in connection with the Governor’s School shall be considered “Work Product.” The Work Product shall constitute works-made-for-hire belonging exclusively to the University. To the extent that any Work Product does not constitute a work-made-for-hire owned by the University, you agree to assign and hereby do assign and transfer all of its right, title, and interest in such Work Product to the University.

Requirements: Fluency in the Chinese Language with a Master's in Chinese; Chinese Language and Literature; Education and Instruction; Education; Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Secondary Education; Language, Literacy, and Culture; or a related field.

Zen Ramen & Poke coming to Waterworks Mall in Fox Chapel.

Zen Ramen & Poke is coming soon to Fox Chapel. It will be located at 977 Freeport Rd. at the Waterworks Mall (map) in the spot most recently occupied by Italian Village Pizza. The menu includes items like takoyaki, katsu, gyoza, shumai, and tempura, in addition to the ramen and poke in the name. The owner also runs Zen's Noodle House in Oakland.

Eiwa Japanese Ramen and Bar coming soon to McKnight Road.

Signage recently went up for Eiwa Japanese Ramen and Bar at 4860 McKnight Road (map), at what was formerly McKnight Kitchen.

朝茶 TSAOCAA now open in Oakland.

The Oakland branch of bubble tea chain 朝茶 TSAOCAA is now open. Work began in early April at 124 Oakland Ave. (map), in what was most recently and briefly Oakland Craft House. The chain also brands itself as 朝茶 TSAō·CHA and opened its extremely popular Squirrel Hill location in 2020.

SUGA: Live from Japan in Pittsburgh-area theaters, June 3, 17, 18.

An upcoming concert by Suga of BTS will play in several Pittsburgh-area theaters on June 3, 17, 18. The concert comprising SUGA:Live from Japan will start at 5:00 pm Japan Standard Time in Kanagawa, so will not quite be live here. It is scheduled to play on June 3 locally, so far, at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

2023 movie Shin Kamen Rider (シン・仮面ライダー) coming to Pittsburgh, May 31.

The latest Kamen Rider movie, Shin Kamen Rider (シン・仮面ライダー), will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on May 31.

Hongo Takeshi awakens to discover he has been transformed into a grasshopper-hybrid cyborg. Becoming the Masked Rider, he must fight the mysterious evil organization SHOCKER to protect all of mankind. "SHIN KAMEN RIDER" is Anno Hideaki’s ode to the legendary Tokusatsu franchise, Japan’s biggest hero, and his dearest childhood icon. Go! Go! Let’s go!

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the AMC Classic South Hills Village, and the Cinemark Theaters in Monaca, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER WORLD TOUR (ACT: SWEET MIRAGE) IN LA: LIVE VIEWING in Pittsburgh-area theaters, May 28.

A live viewing of a TOMORROW X TOGETHER concert will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on May 28.

One more way to enjoy TOMORROW X TOGETHER’S second world tour! Don’t miss out on TOMORROW X TOGETHER WORLD TOUR [ACT: SWEET MIRAGE] IN LA: LIVE VIEWING. Watch it on a big screen at a theater near you!

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in North Hills and Robinson, and tickets are available online. TOMORROW X TOGETHER, also known as TXT, is a Korean boyband formed in 2019.

Kurosawa films Yojimbo (用心棒), Seven Samurai (七人の侍) at Row House Cinema, from May 19.

The Akira Kurosawa films Yojimbo (用心棒), Seven Samurai (七人の侍) will play at the Row House Cinema from May 19 through 25 as part of collection of an operations manager's favorite movies. A synopsis of the former, from the distributor:

The incomparable Toshiro Mifune stars in Akira Kurosawa's visually stunning and darkly comic Yojimbo. To rid a terror-stricken village of corruption, wily masterless samurai Sanjuro turns a range war between two evil clans to his own advantage. Remade twice, by Sergio Leone and Walter Hill, this exhilarating genre-twister remains one of the most influential and entertaining films of all time.

And the latter:

One of the most thrilling movie epics of all time, Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai) tells the story of a sixteenth-century village whose desperate inhabitants hire the eponymous warriors to protect them from invading bandits. This three-hour ride from Akira Kurosawa—featuring legendary actors Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura—seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action, into a rich, evocative, and unforgettable tale of courage and hope.

Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

"Mitigating the Pandemic's Achievement Gap in Korea" with Dr. Namgi Park, May 11 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's School of Education will host Dr. Namgi Park, former Gwangju National University of Education President and Pitt alumnis, on May 11 for his talk "Mitigating the Pandemic's Achievement Gap in Korea."

Dr. Namgi Park (PhD '93), a School of Education alumnus, will be visiting campus and presenting a talk on policies to mitigate the pandemic's widening achievement gap in Korea. The global pandemic has exacerbated the class divide in education achievement. This seminar will introduce the situation and reasons in South Korea and policies to mitigate this gap which can offer clues and suggestions to other countries around the world facing similar challenges.

The event runs from 2:00 to 3:30 pm in 4310 Posvar Hall and online via Zoom. Registration is required. Dr. Park was the subject of a 2016 PittEd article on his contributions to Korean higher education. In 2013 he received a 225 Medallion from the University of Pittsburgh, which recognizes him as a distinguished alumnus. And his admiration for particularly impressive hibiscus he found in a Squirrel Hill front yard was published in the Chosun Ilbo, a flower and column that grabbed attention since the hibiscus (무궁화) is the national flower of South Korea.