Bunkasai with Japanese Student Association at Pitt, October 15.

The Japanese Student Association at the University of Pittsburgh will host its annual Bunkasai on October 15.

🏮PITT JSA BUNKASAI 2023 (文化祭)🏮

Pitt JSA's 2023 Bunkasai 🎌 is approaching quickly!! ⏳This year's event will be on Sunday, October 15th from 4-7:30PM in the WPU Assembly Room!! 🙌🏼Come join us for a night of live performances, 🎤booths, 🎪 games, 🎳 and FREE FOOD! 🍣 This year's theme is Studio Ghibli’s very own Spirited Away so get ready for all the themed decor we have in store 😱🎨

You do not have to be in JSA or even a Pitt student to come! Bunkasai will be open to the public, so bring all your friends💪🏼

Hope to see you there!! 🙈

The event is free and open to the public.

Alash Ensemble in Pittsburgh, February 10.

Alash returns to Pittsburgh on February 10, 2024.

Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Masters of traditional Tuvan instruments as well as the art of throat singing, Alash are deeply committed to traditional Tuvan music and culture. At the same time, they are fans of western music. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, the musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage.

The group will perform at the First Unitarian Church in Shadyside (map) from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, with ticket information to follow later.

2022 Japanese film Plan 75 with Director's Q&A, October 7 in Pittsburgh.

The 2022 Japanese film Plan 75 will play in Pittsburgh on October 7, part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest. It will be coupled with a Director's Q&A.

In a near dystopian future, Japan’s government launches PLAN 75, a program encouraging the elderly to terminate their own lives to relieve its rapidly aging population’s social and economic burdens. In Chie Hayakawa’s remarkable and sensitive feature film debut, the lives of three ordinary citizens intersect in this new reality as they confront the crushing callousness of a world ready to dispose of those no longer deemed valuable. Chieko Baishō stars as a 78-year-old Michi who considers signing up for the program after losing her meager but fulfilling hotel job and the means to live independently. A young Plan 75 salesman Himoru (Hayato Isomura) initially believes in the program’s benefits and serves as the human face of the program. And Maria (Stephanie Arianne), a Filipino care worker living overseas, reluctantly accepts a position with PLAN 75 to send money home to her ailing daughter. On the surface, the plan and its hawkers exude a kindness that serves as the film’s chilling vision of bureaucratic indifference and our increasing loss of interconnectedness. However, Hayakawa’s view is far from grim, as these characters soon learn to fully reckon with their own lives and what it truly means to live.

The movie plays at 5:30 pm in the Harris Theater, in Pittsburgh's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online. SCREENSHOT: Asia screenings are free to those with Pitt IDs, so those guests may show them at the door to gain entrance, space permitting.

2023 film In My Mother's Skin, from Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, playing in Pittsburgh on October 5 as part of SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest.

The 2023 film In My Mother's Skin will play in Pittsburgh on October 5, part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest.

As World War II in 1945 Philippines is coming to an end, a wealthy family is trapped in their country mansion and terrorized by Japanese soldiers who are losing control of the island. The family’s patriarch, Aldo, is rumored to have stolen Japanese gold and hidden it nearby. Knowing that his family will be killed if the gold is found, Aldo leaves to seek help from the Americans. His absence causes the family to fear that he will never return, while the mother’s health deteriorates. Desperate for help, the family’s young daughter Tala turns to a deceitful and flesh-eating fairy, who plans to devour them all.

The festival provides a content warning for language, violence, and horror imagery. It plays at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) from 8:00 pm and tickets are available online. SCREENSHOT: Asia screenings are free to those with Pitt IDs, so those guests may show them at the door to gain entrance, space permitting.

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from October 14.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from October 14. The beginner classes run from 12:45 to 1:30 pm in Classroom A of the Oakland (Main) branch; a summary:

In this beginner-level class, we will use the textbook published by the Korean government for foreigners who learn Korean as a secondary language.

To get the most out of the class, it is recommended that you have a basic understanding of how to read and write Korean characters, known as 'Hangul'. Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to expand your vocabulary and gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively organize sentence structures.

The Intermediate classes start at 12:00 pm, and the Advanced class runs from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm:

In our advanced-level Korean class, we will delve into the official textbook sanctioned by the Korean government for non-native Korean learners. Prior to enrolling, we expect you to possess a foundational grasp of conversational Korean. Throughout this course, we will explore intricate aspects of Korean grammar and expand your vocabulary, enabling you to engage in more sophisticated oral and written communication based on the topics covered in each lesson.

Registration is required to participate and can be completed at the links above. The classes run six Saturdays in October and November: 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18. The Oakland branch of the Carneige Library of Pittsburgh is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by numerous city bus lines.

2023 Japanese animated movie Blue Giant in Pittsburgh, October 8 and 9.

The 2023 Japanese animated movie Blue Giant will play in Pittsburgh on October 8 and 9. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Dai Miyamoto's life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. A former high school basketball player, Dai picks up a saxophone and begins practicing day and night, determined to become one of the greatest of all time. He leaves his sleepy hometown for the bustling nightclubs of Tokyo, but soon finds the life of a professional musician is not for the faint of heart. His passion eventually wins over the cocky but talented pianist Yukinori, and after Dai convinces his friend Shunji to learn the drums, they launch a new jazz trio whose rough sound contains a raw energy that quickly wins attention from local audiences. But what does it take to truly be great?

From director Yuzuru Tachikawa (Mob Psycho 100) and based on the award-winning manga, Blue Giant is a moving ode to the power of music and the artist, featuring electric performances and a stunning jazz soundtrack.

It will play locally, in Japanese with English subtitles, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Work underway on Pittsburgh's first Paris Baguette.

In mid-August Pittsburgh's first Paris Baguette was announced for The Block Northway, and work is underway on the space it will occupy on the lower leven next to Blaze Pizza. The Block Northway is a shopping center on McKnight Road that emerged from the remnants of the old Northway Mall.
via @parisbaguetteus

Paris Baguette is a chain of Korean bakeries ubiquitous throughout South Korea that has over 150 locations across the United States. The menu boasts a wide variety of cakes, baked goods, sandwiches, juices, and coffees, in addition its eponymous French bread. It has several spots in Philadelphia already, and had a Youngstown location listed as "coming soon" though mention of it was removed from the website earlier this month. Paris Baguette's arrival is part of a boom in new Asian restaurants, particularly chain restaurants, making their way to Pittsburgh.

2022 Korean film Hail to Hell (지옥만세) in Pittsburgh October 6 as part of SCREENSHOT:Asia Film Festival.

The 2022 Korean film Hail to Hell (지옥만세) will play in Pittsburgh on October 6 as part of this year's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival.

In this black comedy from Na Mi and Sun Woo, who have been suffering from bullying and school violence throughout their school days, attempt suicide while their classmates go on a school trip. After the silly yet ridiculous suicide failure, the two try to take revenge on Chae Rin, who bullied them most and now lives happily in Seoul. However, their plans go awry. Ridiculously, Chae Rin, the worst bully ever, has found religion and has turned into a genuinely good person. What should they do now?

The festival posts viewer warnings about violence, language, and suicidal ideation. The movie plays at 5:30 pm in the Harris Theater, in Pittsburgh's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online. SCREENSHOT: Asia screenings are free to those with Pitt IDs, so those guests may show them at the door to gain entrance, space permitting.

Pitt hosting Dr. Esther Kim Lee, author of Made-Up Asians: Yellowface During the Exclusion Era, April 2024.

The University of Pittsburgh's Humanities Center will host Dr. Esther Kim Lee for a discussion of her book Made-Up Asians: Yellowface During the Exclusion Era on April 11, 2024.

The talk is based on the recently published book Made-Up Asians: Yellowface During the Exclusion Era, which traces the history of yellowface, the theatrical convention of non-Asian actors putting on makeup and costume to look East Asian. Using specific case studies from European and U.S. theater, race science, and early film, the book examines the development of yellowface in the U.S. context during the Exclusion Era (1862–1940), when Asians faced legal and cultural exclusion from immigration and citizenship. By examining the makeup technology of yellowface, the talk analyzes how theatre historians should rethink key foundational concepts and historical narratives. It questions the dominance of mimesis in discussions of acting and racialize performances and argues for a broader conceptualization of theatre history.

The talk runs from 12:30 to 2:00 pm and is hybrid, held in both 602 Cathedral of Learning and online via Zoom.

University of Pittsburgh hiring Mellon Chair in Korean Studies.

The Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh is hiring a Mellon Chair in Korean Studies. An excerpt from the job ad:

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh invites applications from nationally prominent scholars to fill the A. W. Mellon Endowed Chair at the tenured Associate Professor or Professor level in Korean Studies, with the appointment to begin in the 2024-2025 academic year, pending budgetary approval. In filling this chair, the Department seeks candidates with extraordinary credentials in research, teaching, and program development.    

We welcome candidates from any subfield and are particularly interested in scholars who will contribute to expanding our research and teaching in Korean Studies.  The new colleague will be instrumental in building our new Korean major within the context of our established strengths in East Asian Literature, Performing Arts, and Film and Media Studies.  We are looking for a dynamic colleague with expertise in one or more of the following areas: traditional Korean literature and performing arts and their significance in contemporary culture; Korean culture in East Asian contexts; gender and sexuality studies in traditional through contemporary Korean humanities; Korean music and global culture; Korean identities and diasporic communities; pop culture and intercultural communication; and visual studies, particularly in connection to traditional arts or new media.  The successful candidate will develop long-term cross-disciplinary research and teaching initiatives with colleagues at the University and other institutions and will have native or near-native ability in Korean and English in all skill areas.