Sunday, June 12, 2005

Galaxy of hydrangeas available for viewing:
A large hydrangea garden is open to the public through July 10 at Mimuroto Temple in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture.

About 10,000 hydrangeas of 30 varieties, including some quite rare, are in bloom in the temple's 16,500-sq.-meter garden.

The garden will be open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also, on weekends between June 11 and June 26, it will be lighted after dark from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Admission to the temple is 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for children.

The temple is a 15-minute walk east from Mimuroto Station on the Keihan Line, or an eight-minute bus ride from Uji Station on the Keihan and JR lines.

For more information, call the temple at (0774) 21-2067.

Discuss mental-health issues facing foreigners:
The Kyoto City International Foundation is inviting English-speaking foreigners to a discussion meeting on mental health from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at its facility in Sakyo Ward.

This is the third meeting in the monthly, four-session series of group discussions in which participants are invited to talk about mental-health issues often faced by non-Japanese living in Japan. This month's topic is "Third-culture kids — The rewards and challenges of a multicultural childhood." The discussion will be led by Sandra Kimball, a licensed counselor and member of International Mental Health Professionals Japan.

Participation is free. Reservations are not required.

The venue, Kyoto International Community House, or Kyoto-shi Kokusai Koryu Kaikan, is a six-minute walk from Keage Station on the Tozai subway line.

For more information, call the organizer at (075) 752-3511.

Meeting in Osaka for non-Japanese women:
The Osaka Gender Equality Foundation is inviting English-speaking non-Japanese women to its monthly discussion meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at Osaka Prefectural Women's Center, or Dawn Center, in Chuo Ward, Osaka.

The discussion group will meet every month and focus on common problems faced by foreign women, including those pertaining to cultural differences, employment and child care, and participants will exchange information and experiences.

This month, the group will discuss "Friendship Across Cultures in Japan."

Participation is free. No reservation is required.

To get to the Dawn Center, walk 350 meter east from Tenmabashi Station on the Tanimachi subway line.

For more information, call the organizer at (06) 6910-8588.

Little-known Turkish delights revealed:
The Minoh Association for Global Awareness, a foundation based in Minoo, Osaka Prefecture, will host a discussion meeting with a guest from Turkey from 10 a.m. to noon June 25 at its office.

The session is part of MAFGA's "Danwashitsu" discussion series, which is being held with the goal of sharing various views and a wide range of knowledge through conversation with non-Japanese residents.

The guest speaker for June is Seyhan Deniz, a pastry chef from Turkey, who will introduce the unknown allures of Istanbul.

The speech will be made in Turkish with Japanese interpretations. Participants will also be offered Turkish black tea.

Participation costs 500 yen. Applications must be made in advance.

For applications and more information, call MAFGA at (072) 727-6912, fax (072) 727-6920 or e-mail info@mafga.or.jp

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