The Imperial Palace in Kyoto, which usually requires reservations to visit, will be open to the public from Wednesday to April 13.

The palace, a five-minute walk from Imadegawa Station on the Karasuma subway line, will be open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and admission will be free.

For further information, check kyoto-design.jp/event/9111 (in Japanese) or call 075-211-1211.

Oldest ikebana school plans display in Kyoto

Ikenobo, the nation's largest and oldest school of traditional flower arrangement, will display its ikebana works at night on April 11, 12, and 13 in Rokkakudo, the Kyoto temple where the school originated 1,400 years ago.

The exhibition is open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

The temple is a three-minute walk from Karasuma Oike Station on the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines.

For more information view www.ikenobo.jp/english/reports/report2014springexhibition.html (in English) or call 075-221-2686.

Brahms, Strauss and Mozart on tap in Shiga

Several free classical concerts will take place in Shiga Prefecture in April.

The first concert features Brahms' violin sonata from 1 p.m. on April 11 in Biwako Hall; the second and third features songs from Strauss' operetta from 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. on April 12 in Viva City Hikone; and the fourth features songs from Mozart's operas from 1:30 p.m. on April 13 in Takashima Shimin Kaikan.

Biwako Hall is a three-minute walk from Ishiba Station on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line, Viva City Hikone in front of Minami Hikone Station on the JR Biwako Line, and Takashima Shimin Kaikan. It is also three minutes from Omi Imazu Station on the JR Kosei Line.

To learn more about the events, go to lfjb.biwako-hall.or.jp/event.html (in Japanese) or call 077-523-7150.

Aichi river to host washing of kimono textiles

Yuzen-printed textiles mainly used to make kimono, will be washed in the Kurokawa River in Nagoya from 10 a.m. on April 5 to commemorate the traditional craft.

Koto will be played during the event. Admission is free.

The venue is a five-minute walk from Kami Iida Station on the Kami Iida subway line.

For more details, visit www.city.nagoya.jp/kita/page/0000045711.html (in Japanese) or call 052-917-6436.

Attend a tea ceremony for free in Nagoya

Visitors to Shirotori Garden in Nagoya can join the tea ceremony for ¥500 on April 5 and 6.

The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the tea ceremony takes place from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visitors wearing kimono during the period will be exempted from the entrance fee of ¥300.

The garden is a 10-minute walk from Jingunishi Station on the Meijo subway line.

Further information is available at shirotori-garden.jp/calendar/march/hanami/index.html (in Japanese). The contact number is 052-681-8928.