Sunday, March 26, 2006

Chaplin symposium, exhibit set for Nakagyo:
A symposium and exhibition on Charles Chaplin are being held at the former Rissei Elementary School buildings in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto.

The event, hosted by the Chaplin Society Japan, is centered on Toraichi Kono, the Japanese secretary who supported the comedian from 1916 through 1934. Kono's mementos, recently discovered in Hiroshima, include hundreds of photos and letters of Chaplin.

The international symposium on March 26 will be the first of its kind in Japan and feature Chaplin researchers from around the world. The researchers will speak about various aspects of Chaplin's life and career. In addition, there will be speeches by Chaplin's daughter Josephine and actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, the society's chairman emeritus.

Interpretation into English and Japanese will be available.

The exhibition, being held through April 2 at the same venue, showcases some 200 of Kono's mementos, including photos of Chaplin posing with celebrities.

The symposium will be held between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., with Josephine and other special guests appearing at around 4 p.m. Admission to the symposium costs 3,000 yen and includes admission to the exhibition, which otherwise costs 500 yen for adults and 300 yen for high school students and younger.

The exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, except March 26, when it will open at 9 a.m. On weekdays, it will run from 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., except Tuesday and Thursday when it closes at 7 p.m.

The venue is a five-minute walk from Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Line.

For more information and other related events, call the organizer at 090-1146-4429 or (075) 751-2992 or visit the Web site: www.chaplinjapan.com

International exchange fair to be held in Kobe:
Kobe International Exchange Fair 2006 will take place March 26 at Duo Dome and Space Theater in the Chuo Ward.

More than 50 international organizations based mostly in Kobe, as well as students form local international schools, will showcase their activities, sell food and products from around the world, and perform on stage.

Both venues are near JR Kobe Station. Duo Dome is in Duo Kobe, an underground shopping arcade. Space Theater is in the basement of Kobe Harborland Center Building.

Admission is free. The fair will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, call the organizer at (078) 291-8441.

Osaka students sought for Japanese lessons:
Osaka International House Foundation is seeking students for three-month Japanese courses starting in May at International House, Osaka, in Tennoji Ward.

The courses are aimed at providing non-Japanese with conversation skills required in everyday life.

Four courses, held weekly, are available based on the participants' language skills. Each consists of 12 sessions. Elementary Class 1 (for entry-level students) and Elementary Class 4 will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays starting May 9, while Class 2 and 3 will meet at the same time on Wednesdays starting May 10.

The fee is 5,000 yen, including the cost of textbooks. Ten people will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applicants will have to take an interview to assess their language skills. The interviews will be held 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on April 18 and 19. Reservations for the interview must be made in advance.

For reservations and more information, call the organizer at (06) 6773-8989.

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