The 55th Grand Antique Fair in Kyoto will be held from March 29 to 31, featuring more than 350 stalls from all across the nation.

The event will open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except on March 31, when it will close at 4 p.m. Admission is free.

To reach the venue, Kyoto Pulse Plaza, take a free shuttle bus from Takeda Station on the Kintetsu Line and the Karasuma subway line. For more information, visit www.gomoku-do.com (in Japanese) or call Gomokudo at (077) 522-2307.

Japan Pet Fair to appeal to animal lovers

Visitors to the 2013 Japan Pet Fair in Osaka on March 30 and 31 can enjoy discussions about animals, play with them and buy newly developed products to take care of their pets.

Eight booths will sell popular yet inexpensive local food from Akita, Hyogo, Mie, Okayama and Shizuoka prefectures. The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs ¥1,500 for adults but is free for elementary school students and children below this age.

The event is being staged at Intex Osaka, a five-minute walk from Nakafuto Station on the Nanko Porttown subway line. To receive further details, go to j-p-f.jp/english/index.html (in English) or phone (06) 7174-8035.

Over 200 ikebana artists showcase work in Kyoto

More than 200 ikebana flower arrangement artists from 34 different groups in Kyoto will display their works in the city from next Thursday through April 2.

There is an ¥800 admission charge for adults. The show is free for high school students and younger entrants. The exhibition will open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., but will close at 5:30 p.m. on March 30 and April 2.

Daimaru Museum Kyoto is a one-minute walk from Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto line and a two-minute walk from Shijo Station on the Karasuma subway line. For more information, call (075) 213-1000 or check out www.daimaru.co.jp/museum/ (in Japanese).

U.S. Embassy official to give nature lecture

Paul Fitzgerald, minister counselor for consular affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, will give a lecture in Nagoya on April 4 about the beautiful nature of the United States.

The lecture, cohosted by the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Nagoya American Center, runs from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Participation is free. The first 150 arrivals on the day will be admitted. The venue, Nagoya Urban Institute, is near Kanayama Station on the JR Tokaido Line, Meitetsu Nagoya Line, and Meiko and Meijo subway lines.

For more information, go to www.nagoya-boston.or.jp/event/list/44.html (in Japanese) or telephone the institute at (052) 684-0101.

Nagoya holding international orchid exhibition

The Nagoya International Orchid Show will run through Tuesday, giving visitors the chance to view rare and new varieties and attend daily lessons on how to grow the plants.

Admission costs ¥700 for adults and is free for junior high school students and younger children. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To access the Rannoyakata venue, it takes three minutes on foot from Yabacho Station on the Meijo subway line. For further details, see rannoyakata.net/new/news/index.html#news_20130304 (in Japanese) or call (052) 243-0511.