Sunday, Oct. 9, 2005

Hiragana Times sets monthly gathering:
Hiragana Times, a bilingual magazine published in Japanese and English, is seeking participants for its monthly exchange party starting at 7 p.m. Friday at B.B.'s in the basement of the Hyatt Regency Osaka in Suminoe Ward.

The event is open to speakers of Japanese and English, including tourists.

Teachers from the magazine's English-language courses will also be in attendance.

Admission is 1,000 yen. Reservations are not required, but those with reservations will receive one free drink. Drinks cost 500 yen for beer and wine, and 300 yen for soft drinks.

For reservations, e-mail tikureikk@dream.com

Charity festival in Kobe to help kids:
An international charity festival will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kobe Club in Chuo Ward.

The seventh annual Kobe Global Charity Festival will feature stalls selling ethnic food, homemade sweets and barbecue, along with a children's costume parade. There will be a flea market, bingo, a raffle and attractions for kids.

The festival seeks to raise funds to support educational activities for children, especially in developing countries.

The festival will be held on Tor Road, a five-minute walk from Sannomiya Station on the JR or Hankyu lines.

For more information, call Kobe Club at (078) 241-2588.

ACCJ meeting in Kobe to offer startup advice:
The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan will host a meeting titled "How to create a successful startup in Kansai" 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at the P&G Auditorium on Rokko Island in Kobe's Higashi-Nada Ward.

Two guest speakers, Allen Miner, former president of Oracle Japan, and Carl Kay, an expert in entrepreneurship in Japan, will join the discussion.

Admission is 4,500 yen. The discussion will be conducted in English, with Japanese translation available.

Reservations must be made by Oct. 19.

For reservations and more information, call ACCJ at (06) 6944-5991, fax (06) 6944-5992 or e-mail kansai@accj.or.jp

Guided tour to Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri festival:
There will be a one-day guided tour Oct. 22 of Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri festival.

The Jidai Matsuri is one of the three largest annual festivals held in Kyoto. About 2,000 people will parade in costumes from the past millennium, representing every Japanese historical period, or "jidai," from the Heian to the Meiji Period.

Participants should meet guide Paul Satoh at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Kyoto City Tourist Information Office on the second floor of the JR Kyoto Station building.

The cost will be approximately 1,500 yen for transportation and lunch. An additional 1,000 yen will be accepted as a gratuity.

Reservations must be made in advance. The tour is limited to non-Japanese.

For more information, fax Satoh at (072) 831-2797.

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