Sunday, July 10, 2005

Traditional summer festival in Osaka:
Foreigners and Japanese residents are invited to a summer festival with traditional amusements 11 p.m. to 4 p.m. July 17 at International House, Osaka, in Tennoji Ward.

Featured will be such traditional games as water balloons and ringtoss, as well as food stalls selling "yakisoba," shaved ice, cotton candy and Korean pancakes. There will also be Bon dance performance and a market selling fair-trade goods from developing Asian countries.

Entrance is free. The venue is a six-minute walk from Uehonmachi Station on the Kintetsu Line or a 10-minute walk from Tanimachi 9-chome Station on the Tanimachi or Sennichimae lines. For more information, call the organizer at (06) 6773-8989 or fax (06) 6773-8420.

Turkey's cartoons subject of seminar:
The Japan-Turkey Culture Society is hosting a seminar to introduce Turkey's cartoon culture from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. July 23 at Studio Kino in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto.

Kosei Ono, a "manga" critic who have introduced numerous foreign cartoons to Japan, will lecture on the attractions and diversity of Turkish cartoons, especially the sophistication of one-frame and four-frame strips.

The seminar will be conducted in Japanese. The participation fee is 1,000 yen.

Reservations must be made in advance. For reservations and more information, call the organizer at (075) 255-7530.

Performing artists featured in annual event
Performing Arts Messe 2005 in Osaka will be held July 25 to 27 at IMP Hall and several other facilities in Matsushita IMP Building and Twin 21 MID Tower, both located in the Osaka Business Park in Chuo Ward.

At this sixth annual event, a wide variety of musicians, dance troupes, theatrical companies, puppet theaters and other performing artists will showcase their activities through live performances, videos and information booths, while also discussing related topics at seminars and workshops. About 170 groups from all over the country, as well as performers from the Netherlands, Mexico and France, will take part.

Most performances will be held July 26 and 27. The first day will be devoted to pre-event seminars and workshops.

Admission for July 26 and 27 is 1,000 yen. Those with two-day tickets will be able to attend most live performances and other events for free, but advance reservations are required for some seminars and workshops.

The venues are a five-minute walk from Kyobashi Station on the JR or Keihan lines, or a one-minute walk from Osaka Business Park Station on the Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi Line.

Details in Japanese are available at www.osaka21.or.jp

For more information, call the organizer, Osaka 21st Century Association, at (06) 6942-2005 or fax (06) 6942-5945.

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