Foreigners can take a Japanese calligraphy lesson March 9 in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture .

Translation service in English will be provided during the lesson, which will run from 10 a.m. to noon.

Participation is free. Reservations must be made by March 5 by sending email to [email protected] (in English or Japanese) or calling (06) 6831-4133 (in Japanese). The first 15 people will be accepted.

The venue, Korabo Senri Bunka Center, is a few minutes on foot from Senri Chuo Station on the Kita Osaka Kyuko Line and Osaka Monorail.

Dolls displayed in special settings in Higashiomi

Visitors to Higashiomi in Shiga Prefecture can see about 100 dolls from the Edo Period to present day displayed in four traditional merchants' houses and a museum until March 20.

The exhibition for the doll festival is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Mondays.

Admission to all five venues is ¥900 for adults and ¥410 for elementary and junior high school students.

The sites are a 20-minute walk from Gokasho Station on the Omi Tetsudo Line.

For more information, go to www.higashiomi.net/kanko/ (in Japanese) or call (0748) 48-2100.

Foreigners' organizations in Kyoto highlighted

The Kyoto City International Foundation is holding a charity meeting from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday to raise awareness of activities by various Kyoto-based organizations of foreign residents and to support them.

Participants can take in ethnic dance and music in addition to introductions of a wide variety of cultural differences.

Admission is ¥300.

The venue, Kyoto International Community House "kokoka," is a six-minute walk from Keage Station on the Tozai subway line.

For more information, go to www.kcif.or.jp/HP/jigyo/katsudo/jp/shien-net/ (in Japanese) or call (075) 752-3511.

Nagoya shrine holding safe-maternity festival

Rokusho Jinja Shrine in Nagoya will hold its Kacchindama Matsuri festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Tuesday.

Visitors can buy 10-cm-diameter "kacchindama" candies that are believed to help bring safe deliveries for expecting mothers. Admission is free. The shrine is a 10-minute walk from Ozone Station on the Meijo subway line.

For more information, go to www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/out_and_about/out_and_about_english.pdf (in English) or call (052) 711-3609.

Special events on Peru and Mexico in Nagoya

Peruvian lecturers will talk about daily life in their country and introduce the nation's music and dance in Nagoya on Sunday, while people from Mexico will do the same on March 3.

Both sessions, which will be conducted in Japanese, will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Participation is ¥500 for each session. Reservations are required.

The venue, Nagoya International Center, is a seven-minute walk from Nagoya Station.

More information can be found at www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/japanese/nicnews/archives/8165 (in Japanese) or by calling (052) 581-5691.