Foreigners invited on autumn colors tours: Non-Japanese are being invited to take part in tours by an English-speaking guide to view the autumn foliage in Nara every day in November except Saturdays.

Destinations include such popular sightseeing spots as Nara Park, Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple and Kasuga Shrine.

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

The fee is 1,000 yen per person and reservations are required in advance.

For reservations and more information, call Horii at (0742) 46-3273 or (090) 3841-4784.

Turkish dance troupe set to perform in Kyoto: A traditional Turkish dance company is visiting Kyoto to give a performance from 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Goethe Institut Kyoto in the city's Sakyo Ward.

Anadolu Folklor Uakfi is an award-winning company that studies and performs various styles of folk dance from different regions of Turkey. Dancers will perform in traditional costumes.

Admission is 2,000 yen and Turkish wine will also be served. Applications must be made by Friday.

For applications and more information, call the Japan-Turkey Culture Society at (075) 255-7530.

Pickle firm opens doors to show off 'senmaizuke': Kyoto-based Japanese pickle maker Daiyasu is inviting people to its factory in the city's Fushimi Ward to observe the process of making "senmaizuke" pickles between Nov. 8 and 11.

Senmaizuke is a kind of pickle made from thinly-sliced turnips. Extraordinarily large turnips are a common crop around Kyoto, and pickling them is a traditional preparation for winter in the area.

As part of the guided tour, which starts at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day, visitors will be able to observe the process of peeling and slicing turnips before they are packed in wooden barrels with salt. Visitors will also be able to sample some of the pickled turnips. Explanations will be in Japanese.

Anyone wishing to participate must apply in advance.

For applications and more information, call the company at (075) 761-0286, fax (075) 771-8756, or e-mail: [email protected]

Genome center seminar to address imprinting: Osaka University's Genome Information Research Center is organizing an English-speaking seminar for the public from 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at its facility on the university's campus in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.

Dr. Shin Kobayashi, a research associate at the university, will speak on the theme "Genomic imprinting -- an exception of Mendelian." Genomic imprinting is a phenomenon that does not follow the Mendelian inheritance laws, and is believed to play important roles in mammalian development, growth, behavior and also in several human genetic diseases and cancer. Dr. Kobayashi will give a historical review of the study of the phenomenon and discuss its biological significance.

The seminar is free, but reservations should be made by Nov. 13.

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