Sunday, June 10, 2007

Lecture on India at Ashiya University

Ashiya University will host a lecture from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 23 by Om Prakash, consul general of India in Osaka-Kobe, on the theme of "India — Past and Present."

The lecture will be in English with Japanese interpretation available. Two hundred people will be accepted. An advance application should be made before June 20.

To get to the venue, take the Hankyu No. 13 or No. 15 bus lines from Hankyu Ashiyagawa Station and get off at the Hinodebashi stop. The venue is a five-minute walk north of the bus stop. On the day of the event, a free shuttle bus service will be available, leaving Hankyu Ashiyagawa Station at 1:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., and JR Ashiya Station at 1:20 p.m. and 1:35 p.m.

For application and details, call or fax Ashiya University International Center at (0797) 38-6710 or e-mail kokusai@ashiya-u.ac.jp

Lavender festival in Osaka's Expo Park

The Natural and Cultural Park (Shizenbunkaen Park) in Expo Park in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, will celebrate a lavender festival June 16 to July 1. The lavender valley in the park covers 4,000 meters and has 6,500 lavender plants, spreading a relaxing fragrance in the area.

On the Sundays during the festival, pressed lavender flower classes will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The class will be canceled in case of rain.

Healing music will be played by musician Mayumi Karashita at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 24.

The venue is near Expo Commemorative Park (Banpaku Kinen Koen) Station on the Osaka Monorail Line.

Participation in the festival is free, but 250 yen is required to enter the park.

For more information, call Expo Park Natural and Cultural Gardens at (06) 6877-7387 or e-mail info@expo70.or.jp

Travel narratives discussion in Kyoto

The Japan Foundation Kyoto Office will hold a lecture from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 15 by Dinah Roma-Sianturi, a Japan Foundation Research Fellow from the Philippines.

Her research interest is on the area of "representation" in travel narratives and she recently completed her doctoral dissertation. Her first collection of poetry, "A Feast of Origins," won the 2004 National Book Award for Poetry. She now teaches full time at De La Salle University, Manila.

The topic of her lecture is "The Aesthetics of Nostalgia in Contemporary Travel Narratives on Japan." The talk will be in English with Japanese interpretation.

The venue is the Auditorium of Urbanez Oike Building East 2F, Kyoto. No reservation is required and admission is free. Fifty people will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis.

For more information, call the Japan Foundation Kyoto Office at (075) 211-1312.

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