Pittsburgh Taiko is dedicated to bringing Japanese group taiko drumming (kumidaiko) to the city of Pittsburgh. Open to anyone interested in learning about the art form, they seek to educate members of the community about taiko and about Japanese culture through performances and outreach activities.

Pittsburgh Taiko performs both regional Japanese drumming styles arranged for their group and original compositions. In this way, they not only look to pass on knowledge of what has come before, but also work to create new possibilities for taiko performance.

The Ippen Hijiri-e (1299) is a set of twelve Japanese handscrolls documenting the religious life and beliefs of Ippen (1234-1289), itinerant monk and founder of the Ji Sect of Pure Land Buddhism. The scrolls are unique for the inclusion of more than one hundred outcasts, or hinin (non-persons). In 14th-century Japan, outcasts were often despised and discriminated against because of their disregard for Buddhist proscriptions against killing.

Noh, a six hundred year old traditional Japanese performing art, combines elements of dance, music, theater, literature, and costume. In a series of two classes we will examine the hayashi (music) ensemble and the integral role it plays in creating the atmospheric aesthetics of this art. First we will discuss the individual instruments of the hayashi ensemble. Then, through live demonstration we will see how they interact to create a variety of musical textures at different points of a dramatic performance.

During the 17-year rule of Kim Jong-il, North Korea became a dictatorship armed to the teeth but unable to feed its own people without foreign aid. But with the death of Kim Jong Il on December 17th, foreign policy experts across the globe have wondered aloud what does the future hold for this nuclear power? “North Korea as we know it is over,” a Korea specialist who served in the second Bush administration confidently asserted in the New York Times, a mere two days after Kim died.

ASC and the Japanese language program at Pitt are offering a series of Japanese language tables on campus for students of Japanese language. The first session of the series is “Learning to use Japanese language on your computer.” This session is designed toward beginner; however, any level of students is welcome. Even if you already know how to type, you might learn some useful 裏技 [うらわざ means tricks)! We will cover the following topics;
- How to set up your computer to be able to type in Japanese
- How to type basic and some tricky Japanese characters and words.

Come to experience an extraordinary world class show -- Shen Yun Performing arts, it will be at the Benedum Center Feb. 15-16, 2012.

Reviving the purity and grandeur of Chinese classical dance and music, the show is inspired by the myths, legends, and divine beauty of 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.

Shen Yun and its breathtaking beauty are not to be missed. Its masterful choreography and graceful routines range from grand classical processions to ethnic and folk dances, with gorgeously costumed dancers moving in stunning synchronized patterns.

During the 17-year rule of Kim Jong-Il, North Korea became a dictatorship armed to the teeth but unable to feed its own people without foreign aid. But with the death of Kim Jong-Il on December 17th, foreign policy experts across the globe have wondered aloud what the future holds for this nuclear power. “North Korea as we know it is over,” a Korea specialist who served in the second Bush administration confidently asserted in the New York Times, a mere two days after Kim died. North Korea, the last Stalinist state on Earth, became the latest country to join the nuclear club in 20006.

Divination is a ubiquitous feature of everyday life in South Korea. Under the backdrop of economic liberalization, it proliferates as a medium for patrons to explore anxieties and desires, as they attempt to negotiate the unpredictable currents of the market economy. Divination conjures uncanny explanations for things that happen in the past, present, and future; and in this sense, it is explicitly tied to the theorization of knowledge as it reveals itself via character and fate.