1993 Japanese animated movie Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖) in Pittsburgh, from September 11.

he 1993 Japanese animated movie Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖) will play in Pittsburgh on September 11, 12, and 15 as part of the distributor's celebration of the 30th anniversary of the film.

Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents the classic anime Ninja Scroll’s 30th Anniversary with an all-new exclusive interview with director Yoshiaki Kawajiri. A mysterious vagabond sets out on a journey to confront his past. Little does he know he is up against a demonic force of killers, with a ghost from his past as the leader.

Tickets are available online. The September 11 and 15 shows are in Japanese with English subtitles while the September 12 shows are dubbed in English.

Miniso coming soon to South Hills Village Mall.

Chinese chain Miniso, "a Japanese-inspired lifestyle product retailer offering high-quality household goods, cosmetics, and food at affordable prices," is coming soon to South Hills Village Mall. The international chain arrived to western Pennsylvania in June with is Greensburg location, and is aiming to open in this suburban Pittsburgh mall in the fall.

MINISO is based on three core principles. Affordable high quality: guides our decisions from design to materials. Joy: the response our customers experience while in our stores. Lighthearted: the relaxed and happy feeling when encountering the large variety of goods available.
MINISO has collaborated with world-famous brands including Coca Cola, Marvel, Hello Kitty, Sesame Street, Mickey and Minnie, Pink Panther, We Bare Bears and Beijing’s Palace Museum, releasing playful crossover products that have been hugely popular with our young shoppers.

Miniso has been described as a "Japanese Hot Topic" or a "Chinese Five Below" and seems to specialize in kawaii products, plushies, Japanese snacks, and various Disney and Sanrio branded products, as well as other Asian products.

via miniso-us.com

2024 film Didi (弟弟) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) August 22.

The 2024 film Didi (弟弟), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 8, will remain here through at least August 22.

In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and select dates at the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill, and tickets are available online.

"Stories that Reflect and Heal: Young Women’s Suicide and Care in South Korea," October 10 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Humanities Center will host Department of Anthropology PhD candidate Jung-eun Kwon and her talk "Stories that Reflect and Heal: Young Women’s Suicide and Care in South Korea" on October 10.

Hosted by the Humanities Center and graduate fellow, Jung Eun Kwon. Respondents include Olivia Bloech from the Department of Music and Chikako Ozawa-De Silva, Professor of Japanese Studies and Anthropology at Emory University. This event will be hybrid, so you can attend it either in person in 602 CL or via Zoom as you prefer.

Jung Eun Kwon’s research examines the stories and lived experiences of suicidality among young women in South Korea, encompassing suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts. She focuses on their narratives and care practices to explore how these stories both reflect sociocultural factors contributing to their distress and serve as tools of care. Based on these stories, Kwon suggests that the women encountered constant exposure to patriarchal relationships and normative ideologies, which led to the production and internalization of self-hatred. As a form of care, they engaged in various modes of writing, such as journaling and creating fictional narratives, to envision alternative futures.

The event is held in 602 Cathedral of Learning from 12:30 to 2:30 pm; the Zoom link is here for those interested in attending remotely.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck coming to Ross Park Mall, September 28.

via @HellyKittyCafeTruck

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will return to Ross Park Mall on September 28.

Hello Pittsburgh! The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to Ross Park Mall on Saturday 9/28! Come say hello to us between the Cheesecake Factory and LL Bean from 10am-7pm, and pick up some supercute treats & merch, while supplies last! See you there!

More information about the truck and its tours available via Sanrio. Ross Park Mall is located in Ross Township in the North Hills, just off McKnight Road (map).

2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once returns to Pittsburgh for A24 x IMAX presentation, August 28.

The 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once will play in Pittsburgh on August 28.

When an interdimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, experience all universes at once in IMAX.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Pepper Space coming soon to Oakland, replacing Orient Express.

Signage is up for Pepper Space, coming soon to Oakland in the spot long occupied by Orient Express. Orient Express, near the intersection of S. Craig St. and Forbes Ave., closed in May after 19 years of business. Though menu information is not yet available, if the logo is any preview it looks to promise some of the spicy Chinese cuisine that has grown in popularity in parts of Oakland and neighboring Squirrel Hill over the last decade. Pepper Space will be located at 4609 Forbes Ave. (map).

Japanese films Paprika (パプリカ), Dreams (夢) at Row House Lawrenceville from August 9.

Two Japanese films, 2006's Paprika (パプリカ) and the 1990 Akira Kurosawa movie Dreams (夢), will help comprise the Row House Dream Journal film series from August 9. The animated film Paprika runs from August 9 through 15:

Satoshi Kon’s anime thriller stars a young dream detective named Paprika, who must stop terrorists from using a stolen machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams. The reality and dreams blur, and chaos breaks out in a not-so-far-off future.

Dreams plays the 10th and the 12th through the 15th:

Enter the dreams of Japan’s greatest directors in this deeply personal work. He explores the cost of war, the perils of nuclear power, and humankind’s need to harmonize with nature over the course of eight episodes rich in imagery and insight.

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

Pho51 Cafe opens in Brentwood, another Vietnamese restaurant from team behind Saigon88 Express, Pho Saigon Cafe, and Pho Kim 88.

Pho51 Cafe opened last month in Brentwood in the South Hills. The restaurant, which has been in the works since last fall, features pho, bunbohue, spring rolls, and bobble tea, with an assortment of other Asian dishes and appetizers. It is run by the same ownership of Saigon88 Express in Robinson and Pho Saigon Cafe in Bethel Park, both of which have opened in the last five years, and Castle Shannon's Pho Kim 88, which opened in 2006.

Oakland's TW Kitchen to close; a second Norheastern Kitchen to take its spot.

TW Kitchen, a Taiwanese (primarily) take-out restaurant, announced on social media last night that it will close, its owners set to enjoy retirement. TW Kitchen opened in March 2019 on North Craig St. in North Oakland. It will be replaced by another spot called Northeastern Kitchen, which already operates a is independent from the spot in Squirrel Hill with the same name. Here is the announcement, from their Facebook:

【中文版在下面】

Dearest customers,

After 5 years of business, we are regretfully announcing the closure of TW Kitchen. We have been running restaurants in Pittsburgh for nearly 30 years now, and after these many years of hard work, we are looking forward to the calm of retirement. It has been a great pleasure to serve the residents of Oakland our authentic Taiwanese food, and we humbly thank all of you for your patronage.

A new restaurant, Northeastern Kitchen, will be coming soon later this month, specializing in dishes and dumplings from Northeastern China! Please give them your love and support. If you purchased a prepaid card from us, you can continue to use it at Northeastern Kitchen!

With deep appreciation,
Stephen and Jenny Chow

親愛的顧客，

經過這5年的營業，我們台味厨坊已於7月31日結束營業。我們總共在匹兹堡經營餐館接近30年，經過這些年的辛苦工作，我們決定退休過平靜的日子。非常榮幸這些年服務奧克蘭地區所有喜愛台灣料理的顧客們。非常感謝各位的支持與惠顧。

接下來【東北厨房】將繼續在這個地點服務各位，他們專精中國東北菜色，包括水餃，包子等等，請繼續給與他們支持。如果你有買我們的預付卡，也可在【東北厨房】繼續使用！

非常感謝各位，
Stephen and Jenny Chow