1962 Japanese film Harakiri (切腹) in Pittsburgh, January 9 - 15.

The 1962 animated film Harakiri (切腹) will play in Pittsburgh from January 9 through 15.

In 18th-century Edo, a masterless samurai (Tatsuya Nakadai) wanders into the virtuous House of Iyi, asking to commit ritual seppuku (suicide). He is met with skepticism by the clan’s retainers, who have learned of drifting ronin making similar requests as a means of extortion. Nevertheless, the samurai promises to disembowel himself, but not before imparting the tragic circumstances that have led him to this final act. Adorned by stunning chiaroscuro compositions, an unnerving Toru Takemitsu score, and a bitingly acerbic script by Kurosawa scribe Shinobu Hashimoto, director Masaki Kobayashi’s slow-burn rebuke of authority culminates in a scathing takedown of the bushido code and the shallow valor it vowed to uphold.

It plays in Japanese with English subtitles at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Japanese School still recruiting new teachers.

The Pittsburgh Japanese School, which provides Japanese-language education on Sundays to kids from preschool through high school, is still recruiting teachers and volunteers, particularly those qualified to teach preschool and elementary school level. A Pennsylvania teaching certificate is not required, but requirements beyond native-like fluency include work authorization in the United States and a college degree with a demonstrated ability to teach Japanese.

国際社会の未来を担う子供達を育てる、やりがいのある仕事です。

◆常勤講師３名

• • 幼稚部1名

  • 小学部2名　（高学年を担当できる方　国語と算数）

︎米国内で就労可能なビザ(E2,L2を含む)またはグリーンカードを有している方。

︎短大卒以上で日本語での指導が確かな方。

︎教員免許がなくても子供が好きで教育熱心な方。

︎平日に仕事を持っていても、開校日のために授業の前準備や採点処理が出来る方。

Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble return to Pittsburgh, March 7.

Alash Ensemble will return to perform in Pittsburgh on March 7.

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 7:30 pm. Tickets are available for purchase at Jerry's Records, Vinyl Remains, Long Play Cafe, Government Center, and online for $25, or for $30 at the door.

Sumi's Cakery in Squirrel Hill closes.

Sumi's Cakery, the first Korean bakery in Pittsburgh, has finally closed its doors for good. The bakery had been temporarily closed for much of this year, since opening a second location in the Strip District's Novo Asian Food Hall.

When Sumi's opened in March 2012 it was one of two Asian bakeries on the street, joining the Taiwanese bakery Bubble Pi and followed by Pink Box two-and-a-half years later. It brought Korean cakes, pastries, and patbingsu to the neighborhood, and the city, and was the only Korean bakery around until international chains Tous Les Jours and Paris Baguette opened earlier in 2024.

via @sumiscakery, from November 2023

Additional day added for album making-of documentary RM: Right People, Wrong Place (still playing) in Pittsburgh on December 14 and 15.

An extra day has been added for the album making-of documentary RM: Right People, Wrong Place, which played in Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 5 and 8 and will stay here on December 14 and, now, December 15.

A film that chronicles artist RM's eight-month production of his second solo album, “Right Place, Wrong Person,” while candidly recording the endless concerns of the person Kim Namjoon, and the things he immerses himself in and loves.

It plays on December 14 at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and on the 15th at the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Lunar New Year Celebration at University of Pittsburgh, January 22.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host a Lunar New Year Celebration on January 22.

Celebrate the Year of the Snake! Fun Activities & Delicious Snacks. Come join us and bring in the Lunar New Yeat with joy and excitement!

It runs from 12:00 to 1:30 pm in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall (map), and is free and open to the Pitt community.

2006 Japanese animated film Paprika (パプリカ) in Pittsburgh, January 8, 9, and 12.

The 2006 Japanese animated film Paprika (パプリカ) will play in Pittsburgh on January 8, 9, and 12, part of the 2024-2025 Anime Expo Cinema Nights series.

Anime Expo Cinema Nights presents the 15th anniversary and a 4K restoration of the last film ever made by visionary director Satoshi Kon with his mind-bending thriller PAPRIKA. When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients’ dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson. Tickets are available online; the shows on the 8th and 12th are in Japanese with English subtitles, while the shows on the 9th are dubbed in English.

Miniso now open at South Hills Village Mall.

The much-anticipated Miniso at South Hills Village Mall is now officially open as of December 7, after a brief soft-opening period. Miniso is "a Japanese-inspired lifestyle product retailer offering high-quality household goods, cosmetics, and food at affordable prices," and has been described with terms like a Chinese Five Below or a Japanese Hot Topic with main attractions being Japanese snacks, figures, plushies, cosmetics, and more. It opened its first Western Pennsylvania location in Greensburg this summer, with locations at The Mall at Robinson and this South Hills Village one opening over the last few days.

2016 Japanese animated film A Silent Voice (聲の形) in Pittsburgh, December 15 and 16.

The acclaimed 2016 Japanese animated film A Silent Voice (聲の形) will return to Pittsburgh on December 15 and 16.

“A Silent Voice” follows the poignant and moving story of Shoya Ishida, a school bully, and Shoko Nishimiya, a young girl with a hearing disability. Their story begins in sixth grade when Shoko transfers to Shoya’s elementary school and quickly finds herself bullied and isolated due to her hearing disability. Years later, the tables turn, and Shoya finds himself the victim. “A Silent Voice” depicts the struggles and challenges of adolescence alongside coming-of-age outside the norm.

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

Concert film Babymetal: Legend-43 in Pittsburgh, December 11 and 15.

The upcoming concert film Babymetal: Legend-43 will play in Pittsburgh December 11 and 15.

Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents a special concert film of the band BABYMETAL with their worldwide tour Legend-43. In April 2023, SU-METAL (Vocal, Dance), MOAMETAL (Scream, Dance), and MOMOMETAL (Scream, Dance) entered a new stage as the newly born BABYMETAL. Since then, they have embarked on their largest world tour, "BABYMETAL WORLD TOUR 2023 - 2024," which took them to 25 countries, including Japan. The headline tour, excluding festivals and guest acts, drew a cumulative audience of more than 280,000 people for a total of 98 performances. The final chapter of the world tour, the first Okinawa performance "TOUR FINAL IN JAPAN LEGEND - 43", has been fully filmed. The film is BABYMETAL's first live film that allows viewers to experience all of the diverse music, unique worldview, production that only a tour final can offer, and the overwhelming performance of BABYMETAL, which has evolved even further during their world tour.

Babymetal performed in the Pittsburgh area in September 2023. The movie is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.