Until Monday visitors to Kyoto can enter the Imperial Palace without the need to make applications in advance.

They can watch the ancient football game "kemari" at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday and the traditional court music and dance at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Sunday. The palace is open from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., and admission is free.

The palace is a five-minute walk from Imadegawa Station on the Karasuma subway line.

More details can be found at www.kunaicho.go.jp/e-event/kyotogosho.html (in English) or by calling 075-211-1215.

Osaka YMCA offers free tour to Omi Hachiman

The Osaka YWCA is offering a free tour of Omi Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 14, with the main feature being a visit to the Borderless Art Museum NO-MA. The event will be conducted in English.

Participants are required to pay for their own transportation and for admission to the museum, in addition to an optional lunch at a nearby restaurant.

People wishing to join the tour should meet at 11 a.m. at the ticket gate of Omi Hachiman Station on the JR Biwako Line. Reservations must be made by sending an email titled "Bridges event" to [email protected] no later than Nov. 7.

Free showing of Canadian film 'Starbuck'

The Canadian film "Starbuck," about a man who is suddenly notified that he is the father of 533 children, will be shown for free on Nov. 10 in the city of Suita, Osaka.

The film, in French with Japanese subtitles, will run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Numbered tickets will be distributed from 10 a.m. on the day of the showing.

The venue is the National Museum of Ethnology, a 15-minute walk from Koen Higashiguchi Station on the Osaka Monorail.

For more details, visit www.minpaku.ac.jp/museum/event/fs/movies1311 (in Japanese). The contact number is 06-6878-8210.

Nagoya high school to hold open evening

Foreign children and their parents in Nagoya are invited to join a program to visit Nagoya City Chuo Senior High School on Nov. 19.

They can watch classes and check out the school's facilities, as well as ask teachers about admission requirements, school life, and prospects after graduation.

Participation is free. Reservations need to be made by sending an email to [email protected] or calling 052-581-0100. Translation in Chinese, English, Tagalog, Portuguese and Spanish will be available for those who have made advance reservations.

To attend the event, meet at the ticket gate of Kurumamichi Station on the Sakuradori subway line at 6 p.m. The tour will end at 8 p.m.

For more information, go to www.nic-nagoya.or.jp/en/e/archives/10733 (in English).

Fall colors and 'sakura' on view in Toyota

Visitors to the city of Toyota in Aichi Prefecture this month can enjoy a rare combination of "sakura" cherry blossoms and autumn leaves at the same time.

The Obara area of the city is known for its 10,000 cherry trees, which blossom twice a year, in both spring and autumn.

The area can be accessed by taking a Toyota Oiden bus for an hour from Toyotashi Station on the Meitetsu Toyota line.

For further information, visit www.kankou-obara.toyota.aichi.jp/?cat=12 (in Japanese) or call 0565-65-3808.