Five European nations' cultural exchange centers are jointly hosting a European Open Door Day from 12:30 p.m. on March 24 at their offices in Osaka's Chuo, Kita, Minato and Tennoji wards.

Centers representing Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and Spain will provide language lessons for beginners between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. A Dutch lesson will also be given at the Flanders Center, a liaison office for the government of the Belgian region of Flanders, while lessons in Catalan as well as Spanish will be available at the Spanish center.

Participants will be invited to a gathering at 6 p.m. at the Flanders Center in Tennoji Ward. A raffle will be held, with a round-trip ticket from Osaka to Paris as the top prize.

Participation is free, but reservation must be made in advance. Reservations must be made to each individual office, but participants can visit more than one center. The deadline for reservations is Feb. 28.

For reservations and more details, call the British Council at (06) 6342-5301, the Centre Franco-Japonaise-Alliance Francaise d'Osaka at (06) 6358-7391, the Flanders Center at (06) 6773-8850, the Goethe Institut Kansai at (06) 6576-2750 and the Spain-Japan Exchange Center Extension at (06) 6251-2686.

Genome center to ask paternity questions

Osaka University's Genome Information Research Center will host a free lecture in English on paternity testing between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on March 9 at the center's building on the university's campus in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.

Dr. Hidetoshi Hasuwa, an assistant professor at the research center, will speak on the theme "Who Is My Father?"

Admission is free, but applications must be made by March 7. The Iden Joho Jikken Center is located just inside the university gate near Kita Senri Station on the Hankyu Line.

For applications and more information, call the organizer at (06) 6879-8375 or fax (06) 6879-8376 or e-mail: [email protected]

Cultural center to visit key sites in south Kyoto

Kobe YMCA Cross Cultural Center is inviting foreigners and Japanese to take part in a one-day bus tour to southern Kyoto on March 16.

The southern districts of Kyoto, including the Fushimi, Daigo and Yamashina areas, played important roles in Japan's history in the 1,000 years between the Heian Period and the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate. The destinations will include the Okura Museum, which details the history of sake brewery in Fushimi, Daigo-ji Temple, which is famous for its five-storied pagoda and other treasures, and the Kiyomizu Pottery Complex where Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki porcelain are produced. Interpretations in English will be available.

Participants are to meet at 8 a.m. in front of the Shin-Hankyu Hotel on the east side of JR Osaka Station.

The participation fee is 9,600 yen, which includes lunch and admission to the sights. Reservations must be made by March 1. There are places for 20 foreigners and the same number of Japanese on a first-come, first-served basis.

For reservations and more information, call the organizer at (078) 241-8801.

Consultation sessions for foreigners planned

The Kyoto City International Foundation is organizing consultation sessions for foreign residents of Kyoto between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday at its facility in the city's Sakyo Ward.

Professionals will give advice on problems that foreigners often face, including legal issues, tax, employment and insurance. Interpreters will be available for speakers of Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Thai.

Participation is free, but reservations must be made in advance.

To make a reservation or for more information, call the foundation at (075) 752-3511 or fax (075) 752-3510 or e-mail: [email protected]

Church holds services in English on Sundays

Osaka St. Paul's Anglican Church holds services in English at 2 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of every month except December.

English interpretations for Japanese services are also available at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday. The church is located in Chaya-machi, in Osaka's Kita Ward, near Umeda Station on the Hankyu Line.

For more information, call the church at (06) 6371-0170.