2025 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival lineup announced.

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville has announced the lineup today for its annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, running this year from March 14 through March 27.

• Ghost Cat Anzu (化け猫あんずちゃん) - March 14, 15
• Ghost Killer (ゴーストキラー) - March 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
• Yojimbo (用心棒) - March 15, 16, 18, 19, 20
• Baby Assassins: Nice Days (ベイビーわるきゅーれ ナイスデイズ) - March 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
• Versus (ヴァーサス) - March 15
• Samurai Marathon (サムライマラソン) - March 16, 17, 18, 19,.20
• Akira (アキラ) - March 17
• Kill! (斬る) - March 20
• Ice Cream Fever (アイスクリームフィーバー) - March 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
• Onibaba (鬼婆) - March 21, 22, 24, 25
• The Hidden Fortress (隠し砦の三悪人) - March 21, 22, 23, 25, 26
• Look Back (ルックバック) - March 21
• The Colors Within (きみの色) - March 21, 22, 24, 25, 26
• Cha Cha (チャチャ) - March 22, 24, 26
• Red Beard (赤ひげ) - March 23
• Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (座頭市千両首) - March 26

Single tickets, ticket packages, and showtime information is now available online. Additional films and special events may be added later. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

2025 Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海) in Pittsburgh, from February 13.

The 2025 Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海) will play in Pittsburgh from February 13.

After the catastrophe, although the souls of Nezha and Aobing were saved, their bodies would soon be shattered. Taiyi Zhenren planned to use the seven-colored lotus to rebuild their bodies.

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

1985 Japanese animated movie Vampire Hunter D (吸血鬼ハンターD) in Pittsburgh for 40th anniversary, April 9, 10, and 13.

The 1985 Japanese animated movie Vampire Hunter D (吸血鬼ハンターD) will play in Pittsburgh on April 9, 10, and 13 to mark its 40th anniversary. A synopsis from the distributor:

Anime Expo Cinema Nights Presents special 40th anniversary screenings of the cult classic Vampire Hunter D. In the year 12,090 AD, technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world, leaving the land desolate and despotic. The remnants of humanity are scattered into small communities and live in fear of vampires who compose the ruling Nobility. When Count Magnus Lee tastes the blood of Doris Lang, she is forcibly chosen to be his next wife. In an effort to escape her ill-gotten fate, she hires a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D, who comes from a peculiar lineage.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront, though more locations are likely to be announced in the future. Tickets are available online.

New Japanese animated movie Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning (機動戦士 Gundam GQuuuuuuX - Beginning - ) in Pittsburgh, from February 27.

The new Japanese animated movie Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from February 27. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Amate Yuzuriha is a high-school student living peacefully in a space colony floating in outer space. When she meets a war refugee named Nyaan, Amate is drawn into the illegal mobile suit dueling sport known as Clan Battle.

Under the entry name “Machu,” she throws herself into fierce battle day after day, piloting the GQuuuuuuX. Then an unidentified Gundam mobile suit pursued by both the space force and the police appears before her, along with its pilot, a boy named Shuji.

Now their world is about to enter a new era.

The first-ever major collaboration between studio khara, the studio behind the EVANGELION Series, and SUNRISE, the historic home to the Mobile Suit Gundam animated works, brings together an all-star creative team for a groundbreaking new entry to the Gundam universe. Directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL), with a screenplay co-written by legendary screenwriter Yoji Enokido (Revolutionary Girl Utena) and acclaimed filmmaker Hideaki Anno (EVANGELION Series), Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- is a stunning visual feast that will captivate fans, both old and new.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, though more theaters are likely to be added in the future. Tickets are not yet on sale.

Online tai chi and qigong classes in March from local wushu and tai chi master.

Mengjun Wang, a wushu champion and master instructor at Win-Win Kung Fu Culture Center in Squirrel Hill, will be offering a series of online tai chi and qigong classes.

✨ Start Your Journey to Wellness This March! ✨

🏮 Transform your mind and body with the ancient Chinese practice of Ba Duan Jin. Relieve back pain, digestive issues, anxiety, insomnia, and more!

📅 Flexible Schedule: Suitable for all ages and physical abilities.

💡 Limited-Time Offer: First class is FREE—limited spots available!

Registration can be completed online or via the QR code in the poster.

More dates, theaters announced for 2024 compilation film Attack on Titan: The Last Attack (劇場版「進撃の巨人」 ～THE LAST ATTACK～), February 10, 11, and 12.

More theaters and dates have been announced for Pittsburgh-area screenings of the 2024 compilation film Attack on Titan: The Last Attack (劇場版「進撃の巨人」 ～THE LAST ATTACK～), consisting of the last two episodes of the anime series, from February 10 through 12.

Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK brings together the last two episodes of the highly acclaimed anime series in the franchise's first-ever theatrical experience delivering the epic finale in a colossal-sized omnibus film. Humanity lived quietly behind massive walls built to protect themselves from the threat of monstrous creatures called Titans. Their century of peace was shattered by an attack on their city that left a young child, Eren Yeager, motherless and vowing revenge on the titans. Years after joining the Survey Corps, Eren finds himself facing a deadly foe, and ultimately gains a special ability that unveils a new truth about the world he knows. After venturing beyond the walls and separated from his comrades, Eren finds himself inspired by this new truth and plots the "Rumbling," a terrifying plan to eradicate every living thing in the world.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, with some shows dubbed in English and others in Japanese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online.

Two information sessions on Huayu Scholarship for Mandarin-language study in Taiwan, February 10 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will present two information sessions on Huayu Scholarship for Mandarin-language study in Taiwan on February 10. The scholarship is open to University of Pittsburgh undergraduate and graduate students. The sessions run from 1:30 to 3:00 pm in the Global Hub on the first floor of Posvar Hall (map). More information about the scholarhsip to National Taiwan Normal University is available via this Qualtrics survey.

The Way of Tea 茶道: Recital and Ceremony, March 10 at The Art Room.

Pittsburgh Opera will present "The Way of Tea 茶道: Recital and Ceremony" on March 10, part of a series of events surrounding its production of Madama Butterfly starting on March 22.

Ceremony

The tea ceremony, or Chado (The Way of Tea), is a traditional Japanese art involving the ritualistic preparation of tea. Influenced by the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, the core teaching of chado is to attain a spiritual state of selflessness and peacefulness through making and sharing tea. Join us to learn the history and philosophy of Japanese tea ceremony while tasting Japanese tea and sweets.

Yuko Eguchi is a native of Tokyo, Japan and holds a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. She received her tea master title and name, Soyu, in 2009 and the associate professor of tea title in 2013, certified by the head master of the Urasenke school. Yuko has performed and lectured on Japanese traditional arts at various higher institutions.

Recital

Japanese mezzo-soprano, Nozomi Kato, is in demand at leading opera houses in Italy, Spain, Japan and beyond. In particular, she has made a name for herself internationally as Suzuki in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, which she will perform at Pittsburgh Opera in March of 2025 reprising her role in a production originated at Cincinnati Opera (dir: Matthew Ozawa).

The evening of events starts at 6:00 pm, and tickets are available online. The Art Room is located at 2010 Smallman St. in the Strip District (map).

Screening of After Spring, the Tamaki Family (海的彼端), March 1 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Café Philo-Pittsburgh will present a screening of the film After Spring, the Tamaki Family (海的彼端) on March 1.

Join a movie screening of <After Spring, The Tamaki Family…> on Saturday, March 1 at 2pm at CMU.

This documentary delves into the history and identity struggles of the Tamaki family, the largest Taiwanese clan on Japan's Ishigaki Island. Forced into repatriation, the family endured the 228 Incident and 30 years as stateless refugees under U.S. rule in Okinawa. As the first generation ages, the Tamaki children plan a final journey to Taiwan to reconnect with their roots.

This is an event to commemorate the February 28 massacre of 1947 in Taiwan.  

Admission is FREE. Please reserve your tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/after-spring-the-tamaki-family-movie-screening-tickets-1227065819899 

Check-in for the event starts at 1:30 pm, a brief intro will start at 2:00, the film will start at 2:10, and the movie will be followed by a post-screening talk. The events will be held in McConomy Auditorium in the Jared L. Cohon University Center at Carnegie Mellon University (map). The screening is sponsored by Taiwan International Democratic Film Festival (TIDFF), KITA Foundation, Taiwan Aloha, and the Taiwanese Scholar Society in Pittsburgh (TSS).

Chinese movie Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force (封神第二部：战火西岐) continues in Pittsburgh through February 12.

The Chinese movie Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force (封神第二部：战火西岐), which opened in Pittsburgh on January 29, will stay here through (at least) February 12.

Helmed by visionary director Wuershan, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force continues the epic Fengshen Trilogy adapted from the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods. Jiang Ziya and Ji Fa, aided by the Kunlun immortals, lead Xiqi’s defense against the Shang Dynasty’s dark forces. As the battle for the Fengshen Bang intensifies, alliances shift, and secrets emerge in this stunning clash of mortals, gods, and monsters.

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