Sunday, July 15, 2007

Free concerts offered at Museum of Kyoto

The Museum of Kyoto is hosting "yoiyama" free concerts July 15 and 16, coinciding with the Gion Matsuri Festival.

Musicians will perform in various genres, from jazz and pops to classical and tango. Concerts are scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 15 and 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 16 in a hall in the museum's annex building.

The venue is a three-minute walk from Exit 5 in Karasuma-Oike Station on the Karasuma Line, or a seven-minute walk from Exit 16 in Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

For more information, contact the museum at (075) 222-0888.

Summer festival set for Tennoji Ward, Osaka

Osaka International House Foundation is organizing a Japanese summer festival titled the Nigiwai for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 22 at International House, Osaka, in Tennoji Ward.

The event will feature traditional games like yo-yos and ring toss, and stage performances of traditional Japanese dances. Non-Japanese participants will be able to try on "yukata" summer kimono. International foods, such as "yakisoba" noodles, Chinese steamed dumplings, Korean pancakes and more will be sold.

The venue is a five-minute walk from Ue Honmachi Station on the Kintetsu Line. Admission is free. Details can be found at www.ih-osaka.or.jp/i.house/ in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese.

For more information, contact the organizer at (06) 6773-8989 or fax (06) 6773-8420.

Piano concerts on tap for Ashiya water exhibit

Ashiya City Museum of Art & History in Hyogo Prefecture is offering piano concerts from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on July 22.

They are being held to celebrate the start of an exhibition titled "How to Use the Water in Ashiya: Ecology in the Edo Period" at the museum. Dealing with water and nature, the exhibition is being held in cooperation with the Ashiya Museum Citizens' Network.

A curator will hold a 20-minute explanation session in Japanese at 2:45 p.m.

Entrance to the concerts is free, but 500 yen is required to enter the museum for the exhibition.

For more information, contact the museum at (0797) 38-5432.

We welcome your opinions. Click to send a message to the editor.