A library tour will be offered for foreigners in the city of Suita, Osaka Prefecture, on Monday. The event will run from noon to 1 p.m. at Senri Library, which has the biggest selection of foreign-language books, CDs and DVDs in among the many libraries in the city.

Translation in Chinese, English and Korean may be provided, subject to availability on the day.

Participation is free. Participants are required to either live, work or study in Suita, and they should bring official documents confirming their name and address.

Reservations must be made by calling Suita Interpeople Friendship Association at (06) 6835-1192. The venue is close to Minami-Senri Station on the Hankyu Senri line. For more information, go to www.kaigisho.com/sifa/ (in Japanese) or call the association.

Horn-blowing session to attract Nara Park deer

Visitors to Nara Park can witness deer gathering after being attracted by the sound of a horn in December, February and March. The horn will be played for 15 minutes from 10 a.m. until Dec. 14, and between Feb. 1 and Mar. 17.

No performance will be held on Dec. 9, Feb. 4, 12, 18, 25, and March 4 and 11. Participation is free and no reservations are required.

The venue will be the Tobihino area in the park, which can be accessed by taking a Shinai Junkan (city loop) bus from JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara stations, and getting off at Kasugataisha Omotesando. For more information, go to yamatoji.nara-kankou.or.jp/contents/contents.php?contents=0000004330&detail_category_id=all (in Japanese) or call (0742) 22-2388.

Memorial service for needles at Kyoto temple

A memorial service for used needles will take place Saturday at Kokuzo Horinji Temple in Kyoto. The event has over a long period of time attracted people who wished to improve their sewing and entertainment performance skills. Visitors can put needles into pieces of "konnyaku" (devil's tongue) jelly during the ceremony, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Admission is free. The temple is a few minutes walk from Arashiyama Station on the Hankyu Arashiyama line. For more information, go to www2.ocn.ne.jp/~horinji/ (in Japanese) or call (075) 862-0013.

Nagoya's synthetic ice rink open until March 3

A skating rink in Nagoya, which uses special plastic materials instead of ice, will be open until March 3. The rink's opening hours will be from 1 to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. The facility will also extend its opening hours between Dec. 25-Jan. 4.

Admission is ¥1,000 for junior high school students or older, and ¥500 for younger children. The venue, Toyota Home Rink in OASIS 21 Ginganohiroba, is close to Sakae Station on the Higashiyama and Meijo subway lines.

For more information, go to www.nagoyatv.com/blogs/toyotahomerink/ (in Japanese) or call (052) 331-9966.

Nagoya to offer foreigners free medical advice

The Medical Information Center Aichi, an NPO, will hold a free medical consultations for foreign residents in Nagoya on Dec. 16.

The session will run from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The venue, Nagoya International Center, is a seven-minute walk from Nagoya Station.

For more information, go to mica.cloverix.net/chirashi/mica20121216.pdf (in English), or call (052) 588-7040.