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 at the AMC Loews Waterfront, andtickets are available online.

Ocean Vuong, "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation, May 20.

White Whale Bookstore will present Ocean Vuong and his "The Emperor of Gladness" Reading and Conversation at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland on May 20.

White Whale Bookstore is thrilled to welcome bestselling author, award-winning poet, and MacArthur Genius Ocean Vuong back to Pittsburgh in celebration of his latest novel, The Emperor of Gladness! Join us May 20th at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall for an unforgettable evening.

Tickets are required to attend this event. Each ticket—except discounted student tickets— will include a signed copy of The Emperor of Gladness, to be picked up at the event. The author will not be personalizing books, or signing any books brought from home.

Can't attend this time? You can preorder The Emperor of Gladness here. For every confirmed preorder of this book, Penguin Press will donate $0.50 to Queer Liberation Library. Let them know you preordered here.

Sushi I coming soon to downtown Pittsburgh, from team behind forthcoming Hong Kong Dim Sum.

Work is nearly complete on Sushi I, a new sushi place coming soon to downtown Pittsburgh from the Hong Kong Dim Sum. It will be located at 245 4th Ave., a short distance from Market Square in the former Harris Grill (map). Sushi I anticipates an opening date roughly around April 18 through 23, after finishing touches to hiring and inventory. The development team sends a few photos:

2016 Korean film The Handmaiden (아가씨) in Pittsburgh, from April 11.

The 2016 Korean film The Handmaiden (아가씨) will play at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville from April 11 through April 17, part of its Erotic Thrillers series.

Park Chan-wook’s visually stunning and suspenseful South Korean psychological thriller that weaves a tale of deception, betrayal, and forbidden love. In 1930s Korea, a swindler and a young woman pose as a Japanese count and a handmaiden to seduce a Japanese heiress and steal her fortune.

Tickets and showtimes are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

Free screening of 1927 Chinese silent film The Cave of the Silken Web (盤絲洞) at Pitt for SCREENSHOT: Silent Asia 2025, April 7.

The University of Pittsburgh's SCREENSHOT: Asia and the Department of Music will present a free screening of 1927 Chinese silent film The Cave of the Silken Web (盤絲洞) for SCREENSHOT: Silent Asia 2025 on April 7. From the Asian Studies Center newsletter:

The film, which was thought lost until a partial copy was rediscovered in Norway, has been translated into English by UBC professor Christopher Rea. The silent film adapts an episode from the Ming dynasty tale The Journey to the West, in which the monk Tripitaka is held prisoner in a cave by magical spider-women, before being rescued by the Monkey King and his companions.

The version of the surviving print  is a restored digital copy that the National Library of Norway shared with the UBC Chinese Film Classics Project, the world’s largest free online collection of early Chinese films with English subtitles.

It will run from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in 125 Frick Fine Arts (map). 

"Mascots, Cryptids, and UFOs: Civic Monsters in Contemporary Japan," April 10 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. William Tsutsui and his talk "Mascots, Cryptids, and UFOs: Civic Monsters in Contemporary Japan" on April 10.

Why are cute and creepy mascots so ubiquitous among Japan’s cities and regions? Is there a Japanese Bigfoot? Have extraterrestrials ever landed in Japan? This lecture traces the history of Japanese mascots, cryptids, and UFOs, exploring how invented, imagined, and unexplained creatures have been deployed in tourism campaigns, the creation of regional identity, and local commercial boosterism. These “civic monsters” grew from Japan’s rich and distinctive monster culture of folkloric yōkai and cinematic kaijū but are also deeply woven into global circuitries of politics, capitalism, media, and play.

Why are cute and creepy mascots so ubiquitous among Japan’s cities and regions? Is there a Japanese Bigfoot? Have extraterrestrials ever landed in Japan? This lecture traces the history of Japanese mascots, cryptids, and UFOs, exploring how invented, imagined, and unexplained creatures have been deployed in tourism campaigns, the creation of regional identity, and local commercial boosterism. These “civic monsters” grew from Japan’s rich and distinctive monster culture of folkloric yōkai and cinematic kaijū but are also deeply woven into global circuitries of politics, capitalism, media, and play.

It runs from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the Barco Law Building's Alcoa Room (map).

Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim and "When God Became White," April 10 at Pitt.

The Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburgh will present Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim and her talk "When God Became White" on April 10.

Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim is Professor of Theology at Earlham College. She has written or edited two dozen books, many of which converge on the themes of race, gender, and religion. Some of her most recent books include When God Became White: Dismantling Whiteness for a More Just Christianity; Intersectional Theology: An Introductory Guide (with Susan Shaw); and Invisible: Theology and the Experience of Asian American Women.

Free "We Learn: Basic Japanese Language and Culture," Fridays at downtown Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, from May 2.

"Osaka, Japan" by Pedro Szekely (Creative Commons).

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's downtown branch will host "We Learn: Basic Japanese Language and Culture" on Fridays from May 2 through June 6, marking the return of free Japanese ourses at one of the local libraries after a several-year pause.

Enjoy learning the basics of the Japanese language and culture from a certified, native Japanese instructor.

1. Greetings
2. Etiquette, manners
3. Survival phrases for traveling to Japan
4. Interesting tourist locations
5. Ordering food and shopping
6. Reading and writing - Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, Emoji
7. Anime, Manga

Each session is designed to be interactive and fun. The agenda can vary based on the interests of the students. 

Registration is required and can be completed online. The classes run from 11:00 am, and the library is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).

Korean film Fanatic (성덕) and Zoom Q&A with director, April 9 at Carnegie Mellon.

The Carnegie Mellon University Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics will host a screening of the 2021 Korean film Fanatic (성덕) followed by a Zoom Q&A session with director Oh Seyeon on April 9.

Organized as part of LCAL's 82-253 Korean Society through Film and Literature course, this event offers a unique opportunity for the CMU community and beyond to experience this acclaimed documentary with English subtitles.

Don't miss out on Korean snacks and insights into a film celebrated at prestigious festivals like Busan International Film Festival and Udine Far East Festival, not yet available in U.S. theaters or on English-language streaming platforms!

A synopsis from the Far East Film Festival:

In Oh Se-yeo’'s Fanatic, the filmmaker follows former fans of Korean stars accused of crimes who are “suffering more because they loved them.” A former fan herself, Oh started the project out of spite, which eventually became therapeutic, revealing conversations with friends and other friends that are ultimately heartfelt, contemplative and, at times, hilarious.

The event runs from 6:30 t0 9:00 pm in Posner Hall Room 153 (map) and is open to the public.

New photos from Hong Kong Dim Sum, set to open in Oakland in the next two weeks.

The development team shares new photos from inside Hong Kong Dim Sum, aiming to open in the next two weeks in Oakland.


It will be located at 4520 Centre Ave. in North Oakland's One on Centre complex (map). The space features a large dining room plus three private rooms for events. Announced back in September 2023, Hong Kong Dim Sum was to help fill in one of the remaining gaps in Pittsburgh's Asian food scene, though dim sum offerings have expanded around town since then.

HK Dim Sum is hiring ahead of its planned opening, and is recruiting server/waitstaff, host, dishwasher, busser, and line/prep cook positions. Those interested may text 917-618-7307 or 718-415-0546 to apply.