Foreigners are welcome to experience the traditional "bon odori" folk dance in Toyonaka, Osaka, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on July 30.

Participation is free and participants need to bring socks. Only 15 people will be accepted and reservations must be made by July 29 by sending an email to [email protected] (in English or Japanese) or call 06-6831-4133 (in Japanese).

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

Concerts, poetry, dancing at Lake Biwa event

Biwako Hall Summer Festa will run from Sunday until July 28 in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.

The event will feature concerts, storytelling, poetry reading, a puppet show and dancing. There is no admission fee for some of the attractions.

The hall is a three-minute walk from Ishiba Station on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line.

For further information about the event, visit www.biwako-hall.or.jp/natsufesta2013/ (in Japanese) or call 077-523-7136.

Cartoon drawing classes at manga museum

Kyoto International Manga Museum will hold classes on Aug. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 to teach interested people how to create illustrations and cartoons by hand and by computer.

Each session runs from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Participants are required to be the fourth graders at elementary school or older.

The cost per class is ¥2,000 in addition to the museum entrance fee.

Reservations can be made by visiting the museum in person or by sending a mail to www.kyotomm.jp/workshop/sws2013.php (in Japanese).

The museum is a two-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station on the Tozai and Karasuma subway lines. For details, call 075-254-7414.

Kids' theater to offer ballet, opera, story-telling

The Nagoya Touring Children's Theater project will offer opportunities to enjoy opera on July 25 and 26, Aug. 1 and 2, ballet on Aug. 15, 16, 17 and 18, and traditional "kyogen" on Aug. 20 and 21, Classic concerts will be performed on Aug. 24 and 25. Kyogen is a theater form of short comic or satirical plays.

Admission is ¥700 for children 3 years old or above.

For details, please check www.bunka758.or.jp/id/kodomozyunkai/25-kamiki_print.pdf (in Japanese) or call 052-249-9387.

Toyota festival to feature dancing, fireworks

Toyota Oiden Festival will take place in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, on July 27 and 28.

A dance performance, near Toyotashi Station on the Meitetsu Mikawa Line, will run from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on July 27 and 12,000 fireworks will be set off between 7:10 p.m. and 9 p.m. on July 28.

The dance performance will take place near Toyotashi Station on the Meitetsu Mikawa line.

The fireworks will be displayed around Shirahama Park, a 15-minute walk from Toyotashi Station and also the Shin-Toyota Station on the Aichi Kanjo Line.

For more information, visit www.oidenmaturi.com/index.html (in Japanese) or call 0565-34-6642.