Sunday, March 2, 2008

Irish ready to party with parade, music in Kyoto

The Kansai Chapter of Irish Network Japan will hold Ireland Festival 2008 to promote Irish culture from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 9 in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto.

The festival will feature a live performance of Irish music and workshops on Irish dance in Zest Oike, an underground shopping arcade in front of Kyoto City Hall. Irish products, including whiskey, CDs, books, accessories, T-shirts and tickets to the tap dance performance "Riverdance 2008," will be sold at the venue.

Live music will also be performed from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Hill of Tara, a pub near Zest Oike. Check out the Web site www.thehilloftara.com/ for a map.

A parade to commemorate Saint Patrick's Day will also be held starting at 2 p.m. on the west side of Oike Ohashi Bridge on Oike-Dori Avenue, turning around at Oike-Dori Higashi Toin Intersection and going back the same way toward City Hall until around 4 p.m.

Participation is free. The venue is near Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station on the Tozai subway line.

For more information, access the organizer's Web site at www.inj-kansai.com/ or e-mail stp@inj-kansai.com

English-speaking guide leads Kyoto temple tour

A volunteer guide is organizing an English-speaking tour March 16 to visit Tofukuji and Sennyuji temples in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward.

The tour is held to observe the grand architecture and enjoy the artwork kept at the temples, including huge picture scrolls.

Participants will meet guide Paul Satoh at 9:30 a.m. in front of Kyoto City Tourist Office on the second floor of the JR Kyoto Station Building. The tour is reserved for non-Japanese, and an advance reservation is required to be made by fax.

The fee to make the trip includes ¥500 for the round-trip bus fare, ¥1,000 for lunch, ¥1,200 for admission fees, and ¥1,000 as a tip for the guide.

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

Turkish 'kilim' textiles to be shown in Nakagyo

The Japan-Turkish Society is holding a display and sale of Turkish "kilim" textiles from next Thursday through Saturday in Kyoto's Nakagyo Ward.

Kilim is a type of flat-woven wool that was created by nomadic Turkish women. The colors and patterns vary from region to region, with the product typically made into carpets, rugs, bags, and other items.

About 500 products will be on sale, with prices starting at several thousand yen. Visitors will be able to touch the fabrics and will be provided with explanations on differences in patterns, colors and weaving techniques.

The event will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.

The venue, Nihon Toruko Bunka Kyokai, is on the fifth floor of Sanyo Muromachi Building, a three-minute walk from Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line or from Shijo subway station. An access map can be found at the organizer's Japanese Web site at www7.plala.or.jp/kyoto-nitto/

For more information, contact the organizer at (075) 255-7530 between 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, or e-mail nitto@silk.plala.or.jp

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