Osaka's Oimatsu area to host antiques festival: The 17th Oimatsu Antique Festival is being held Oct. 13 on Oimatsu Dori, a district in Osaka's Kita Ward famous for its numerous antique shops and galleries.

At the semiannual event, 42 local dealers will be selling a wide range of Asian and Western antiques, including ceramics, paintings and sculptures. The dealers will also offer free appraisals of antiques.

A charity auction with 150 items will be held from 10 a.m., with part of the proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The venue is in the Nishitenma area of Kita Ward, which is a five-minute walk north of Yodoyabashi station on the Midosuji subway line, and a 15-minute walk south of JR Osaka Station.

For more details, call the organizer at (06) 6365-1387.

Kobe Club festival to raise education funds: An international charity festival will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Oct. 18 and 19 at the Kobe Club in the city's Chuo Ward.

As part of the Kobe Global Charity Festival, stalls will be selling ethnic food, barbecued meat and homemade cakes, while children in costumes will stage a parade. There will also be a flea market, a bingo game, a raffle and attractions for children.

One of the festival's major objectives is to raise funds to support educational activities for children in Japan and other Asian and African countries.

Admission is free. The venue is the upper end of Tor Road, a 15-minute walk from Sannomiya Station on the JR or Hankyu lines.

For more information, call the Kobe Club at (078) 241-2588.

Excursion to take in Kyoto's Jidai festival: The Guide Interpreter Volunteer Club is organizing an excursion for English-speaking foreigners to Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri festival on Oct. 22.

The Jidai Matsuri is one of Kyoto's three largest festivals. About 2,000 people will parade in costumes from the past millennium, representing every historical period, or "jidai," from the Heian Period to the Meiji Era.

After observing the 2-km long procession, participants will have a buffet lunch and then will have the chance to visit Heian Shrine and the Shoren-in Temple.

Participants will meet guide Paul Satoh at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Kyoto City Tourist Information Office, located on the second floor of the JR Kyoto building.

The cost will be around 3,300 yen for train fare, lunch and admission to the temples. Another 1,000 yen is requested to support the club's activities.

The excursion is reserved for non-Japanese only.

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

Japanese get glimpse of foreign residents' lives: The Center for Multicultural Association and Assistance is offering Japanese residents an opportunity to learn more about foreigners living in the Kansai region with a series of fieldwork sessions in November.

There are two courses available. The South America course will be held on Nov. 2, 3 and 15, while the Asia course will take place on Nov. 8, 9 and 15. The first two days will be taken up with visiting the communities in Osaka Prefecture where many people from these areas live and work. The Nov. 15 session is a joint meeting of both courses during which participants will visit and talk to people at shops, markets and facilities used primarily by non-Japanese residents.

The participation fee is 3,500 yen for South America and 3,000 yen for Asia, not including lunch and transportation costs. The fee is for the entire course and it is recommended that participants take part in all sessions.

The deadline for reservations is Oct. 24 and 20 people will be accepted for each course.

To make a reservation, send your name, postal and e-mail addresses, phone and fax numbers, profession and the course you wish to join via fax, mail or e-mail.

For reservations, fax the organizer at (06) 4395-1378, e-mail: [email protected] or send a postcard to Tabunka Kyosei Center's "Tabunka Tankentai" at Room 401 of pia NPO, 2-8-24, Chikko, Minato-ku, Osaka-shi, 552-0021.

Reservations can also be made through the organization's home page: www.tabunka.jp

Culture center to explore Vietnamese cuisine: Kobe Cross Cultural Center is organizing a Vietnamese cooking class between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 at the Vietnamese-French restaurant Saigon Paris Garden in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture.

Dang Thanh Khiet, a cook at the restaurant, will demonstrate the preparation of three dishes with an explanation by restaurant owner Kazutaka Nakao. Interpretations into English will also be available. The dishes include chicken saute with "nuac mam," Vietnamese fish sauce, and jellyfish and shrimp salad. A buffet lunch, including the demonstrated dishes, will then be served.

Twenty-five people will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee is 3,990 yen.

For reservations and more information, call the center at (078) 646-7100.