Foundation to screen women authors' films: The Japan Foundation Kyoto Office is inviting foreign residents to free weekly showings of Japanese films, starting at 2 p.m. each Wednesday in April at its facility in the city's Nakagyo Ward.

The screenings will feature films based on the literary works of Japanese women authors.

The movies are "A House of Geisha," directed by Mikio Naruse, on Wednesday; "The Kii River," directed by Noboru Nakamura, on April 9; "Twenty-Four Eyes," directed by Keisuke Kinoshita, on April 16; "Elegy of the North," directed by Heinosuke Gosho, on April 23; and "Drifting," directed by Mikio Naruse, on April 30.

The films will have English subtitles. Admission is free and reservations are not required.

The venue is on the eighth floor of the Sompo Japan Universe Building, a five-minute walk from Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Line or from Shijo Station on the Karasuma subway line.

For further details, call the organizer at (075) 211-1312, or fax (075) 255-1273.

Nara guide offers tours of cherry blossom spots: Tours to view the cherry trees of Nara in bloom are being organized by an English-speaking guide on Saturday, April 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20.

The walking tour will take in several scenic spots in the ancient city, including the Ukimido floating hall, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Shrine, Todaiji Temple and Nara Park.

Participants are to meet guide Harry Horii at 10 a.m. at the fountain square of Nara Station on the Kintestsu Line.

The fee is 2,000 yen per person. For more information, call Horii at (0742) 46-3273, or (090) 3841-4784.

Genome center lecture to focus on proteins as cure: The Osaka University Genome Information Center is inviting people to attend a seminar, in English, between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at its facility on the university's campus in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.

Dr. Ann Sperry, a visiting assistant professor at the university, will speak on the theme "Twisted proteins: New therapeutic targets for brain disease" and discuss the belief that proteins are key to discovering the causes of incurable, degenerative brain diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Alzheimer's Disease.

Admission is free, but reservations are required by Wednesday.

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

Readers' chance to win clarinet concert tickets: Flanders Center, a liaison office representing the regional Belgian government of Flanders, is offering readers of The Japan Times a chance to win one of 30 tickets to a concert by a bass clarinet ensemble, to be held at 7 p.m. on April 11 at the center in Tennoji Ward, Osaka.

Belgian bass clarinet player Jan Guns will perform the concert with his students from Osaka and pianist Eiichiro Itakura.

To apply for a ticket, send a postcard stating your name, age, address, profession, phone number and that you are a Japan Times reader to Flanders Center's "G-kakari" at the Osaka Kokusai Koryu Center 3F, 8-2-6 Uehonmachi, Tennoji-ku, Osaka, 543-0001. The deadline is Saturday.

For more information, call the center at (06) 6773-8850, fax (06) 6773-8855 or e-mail: [email protected]

Foreign Buyers' Club plans annual spring sale: The Foreign Buyers' Club, a Kobe-based store that sells international groceries and English-learning materials for young children, is holding its annual spring celebration and sale between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on April 19 at its premises in Kobe's Higashinada Ward.

The celebration will include four parties for children, each featuring games and songs related to Easter. The parties will be held at 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. The shop is also reducing the prices of all items by 10 percent and there will be raffles as well as free drinks and snacks. Free baby-sitting and parking will also be available.

Advance tickets for the children's parties are 1,000 yen for each child.

The shop is a five-minute walk from Island Center Station on the Rokko Liner.

For more information, call the shop at (078) 857-9001, fax (078) 857-9005 or visit its Web site: www.fbcusa.com