Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010

Guided two-day English tour of Nagasaki offered

An English-language guided tour of Nagasaki Prefecture will be held Jan. 30 and 31 by Kobe Cross Cultural Center.

The tour will visit Western-style houses in the city of Nagasaki; Unzen, a hot-spring resort east of Nagasaki; and Shimabara, which boasts an old castle town. Local tour guides and an English-language interpreter will accompany the tour. Participants will meet the staff at Kobe Airport at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 30 and stay at Hotel Toyokan in Unzen.

Fifteen non-Japanese and 15 Japanese will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance reservations by phone are necessary by Dec. 10.

The fee is ¥41,560 per person, which includes tax. An additional ¥4,000 will be necessary for participants who join on a single basis and do not want to share a room. The fee should be paid by "genkin kakitome" (registered mail) or by bringing it directly to the center by Dec. 11.

For more details and advance reservations, contact the center at (078) 646-8127.

Training in emergency shelters for foreigners

Foreign residents will get a chance to experience an overnight stay in a "hinanjo" (evacuation shelter) from 4 p.m. Dec. 18 to 10 a.m. Dec. 19.

The training session will include lectures on disasters, and afterward participants will stay overnight in an evacuation shelter and try to cook and eat emergency food.

The overnight lesson is reserved for non-Japanese residents and families. Sleeping bags and food (a light dinner on Dec. 18 and breakfast the next day) will be prepared by the organizer, Osaka International House Foundation. Participants are urged to bring their own toiletries.

Participation is free. Advance reservations are necessary by phone or e-mail. The venue is Osaka International House, about 10 minutes on foot from Tanimachi 9-chome Station on the Tanimachi subway line.

For advance reservations, contact the organizer at (06) 6773-8989 or by e-mail at johokikaku@ih-osaka.or.jp with name, gender, date of birth, address, nationality and telephone number.

Thai cooking workshop set for Nishinomiya

The Nishinomiya City International Association is seeking participants for a Thai cooking workshop from 10:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 12.

Participants will learn how to cook chicken green curry, fresh spring roll, coconut milk with pumpkin and tapioca, and salad with minced pork. Both non-Japanese and Japanese are welcome.

Twenty people in the third grade of elementary school and older will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Participation is ¥1,000. Participants are urged to bring an apron, hand towel and dish towel.

Advance reservations are required by Dec. 8 via e-mail.

The venue is Nishinomiya Chuo Kominkan on the sixth floor, a three-minute walk south of Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station on the Hankyu Kobe Honsen Line.

For further information, contact the association at (0798) 32-8680. For advance applications, send an e-mail to nia@nishi.or.jp

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