The Osaka International House Foundation is seeking foreigners who have just started to learn Japanese and are interested in attending three sessions in March to learn more about Japan.

Participants, who need to attend all three sessions, will learn about annual Japanese events on March 8, Japanese food on March 15 and Japanese pastimes on March 22. Each event will run from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The participation fee is ¥1,500, covering the entire series. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 06-6773-8989 or sending a form that can be downloaded at www.ih-osaka.or.jp/news/20140123_2892/ (in Japanese). The foundation is near Osaka Uehonmachi Station on the Kintetsu Line and Tanimachi 9 Chome Station on the Sennichimae Line.

Early 20th century dolls on display in Osaka

To celebrate the Doll Festival on March 3, dolls from the early 20th century will be on display through March 5 in Osaka.

Admission is free. The exhibition is open from noon till 7 p.m. It closes at 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can attend the tea ceremony for ¥600 on Saturday.

The venue is Shibakawa Building, a one-minute walk from Yodoyabashi Station on the Keihan Line and the Midosuji Line.

For more information, visit shibakawa-bld.net/story/2014/01/post_119.html (in Japanese) or call 06-6681-6151.

Free opera performance offered in Otsu, Shiga

Songs from the opera “The Dead City” by Erich Wolfgang Korngold will be performed by three singers and a pianist at a free 30-minute concert starting at 11 a.m. March 2 in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, ahead of the full public performance of the opera on March 8 and 9.

A workshop on the opera will also take place at 10 a.m. March 9, with an entrance fee of ¥1,000.

The venue is Biwako Hall, a three-minute walk from Ishiba Station on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line.

For further information, check www.biwako-hall.or.jp/date/2014/03/ (in Japanese) or call 077-523-7150.

Nagoya holding lots of events for kids in March

The city of Nagoya will offer opportunities in March for children and others to enjoy reasonably priced live performances of attractions such as puppet shows, plays, circuses and orchestral music.

The performances will be held in the morning and in the afternoon on March 16, 21 and 23, and every day from March 25 through March 30.

The performances will take place in sites scattered around Nagoya. Admission for each performance will be ¥700 for children aged 3 and above.

More information is available at www.bunka758.or.jp/id_kodomozyunkai2013.html (in Japanese). Contact numbers are 052-781-7412 for the puppet shows, 052-304-8803 for the plays, 052-483-5959 for the circuses and 052-339-5666 for the orchestral performances.

Multicultural exchange in Midori Ward, Nagoya

Japanese and foreign residents are invited to a multicultural exchange event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 9 in Nagoya.

Participants can learn various tips from different countries to stay healthy and measures to reduce harm from natural disasters, enjoy dancing and try on ethnic costumes, and ask for daily-life advice about issues such as education and health. Participation is free. No reservations are required.

The venue, the Midori Ward Office, is 20 minutes on foot from Narumi Station on the Meitetsu Line.

To find out more, go to www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/archives/11936 (in English) or call 052-623-4919.