For many, French dining may give off an impression of being extremely formal and a bit too pricey. Diners Club International hopes to fix that.

The Diners Club France Restaurant Week is an event for which participating restaurants will lower their prices in the hopes of attracting new clientele. For those unfamiliar with French cuisine, this is a great chance to explore new foods.

The campaign was created in France last year under the name "Tous au Restaurants" ("Let's all go to the Restaurant"). It started with the aim of offering meals at an affordable price in order to celebrate the richness of French culinary culture.

This time in Japan, 313 participating restaurants will offer lunch courses for ¥2,011, and dinner courses for ¥5,000 (including tax and a service fee).

There are a variety of restaurants to choose from, including high-class bistros and eateries with old-fashioned home cooking.

One of the restaurants is Luxele in Taiyouen, Osaka. It offers fusion dishes that mix a traditional French style with contemporary Japanese ideas. They say they use organically grown vegetables in order to accomplish their concept of yasashisa (kindness).

Another restaurant is Vinetcuisine Cedo in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, which features down-home meals and wines.

Diners Club France Restaurant Week will take place from Oct. 4 to Oct. 10. A list of the 313 participating restaurants can be viewed at www.francerestaurantweek.com. Reservations can be made by telephone or online (though additional registration with ikyu.com is required). Diners Club International members will also receive a free drink with their meal.