A ceremony to officially kick off the Japan cultural week was held Thursday evening in Tehran, featuring a concert by Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa.
Ogawa, based in both Japan and Britain, played pieces by composers including Beethoven and Debussy, receiving an enthusiastic applause from Iranians and Japanese who attended the ceremony.
Ogawa said she was initially concerned about a requirement under Islamic law for women to cover their hair and areas around their ears with a headscarf, or hijab, making it harder to listen to the piano. But she said, "There was no major impact."