List of places for film shooting on location in Osaka drawn up
In an effort to attract movie studios and TV drama makers and to upgrade Osaka's name recognition as well as to reinforce its power to draw visitors, the Osaka Film Council has completed a list of facilities that the Osaka prefectural government and the Osaka city office can offer to cooperate with movie makers in shooting films on location.The council, which has its secretariat at the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries, drew up the list after it had asked the prefectural and municipal governments for their cooperation to enable movie companies to use public facilities for shooting films.
The list showed a total of 125 public facilities, including such celebrated places as the Osaka International Convention Center, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, Festival Gate and Rinku Town. It also includes a wide variety of sites ranging from parks to dams to underground shopping and restaurant walkways. The list makes it possible for movie and TV drama makers to sharply increase Osaka scenes in their production.
The council plans to add to the list additional relevant information, including the names of private sector facilities that could be made available for film and video shooting on location, the names of volunteer extras and of related video producing companies. It is scheduled to display them on its Web site due to open in July.
Takefu International Music Festival 2001
The Takefu International Music Festival featuring internationally prominent musicians and musical groups will be held from June 10 to 17 in Takefu City and other places in Fukui Prefecture. The 12th music festival will be sponsored by the Takefu International Music Festival Board, Takefu Cultural Promotion and Facilities Administration and cosponsored by the Takefu Municipal Government, Fukui Tan-nan Regional Association, Takefu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sabae, Nanjo and Oda local governments.The festival is aimed at designating the area centering on Takefu City as the 'stage' for music interchange. Thus far, 11 such festivals have been held. The 12th festival this year will highlight the works of Johannes Brahms and Arnold Schonberg, the two composers who occupy important positions in the history of European music, and the music of Germany and Vienna where Brahms and Schonberg were active while they were alive.
The world's leading soloist group 'Klangforum Wien Ensemble' to be invited from Vienna will present a wide range of selections, including Wiener Waltzer and J.H. Schrammel' s music.
Additionally, Takefu International Composition Workshop is scheduled for young competent composers who will come from various parts of the world to participate. Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa will be the music adviser.
Osaka YMCA International School to open in autumn
Osaka YMCA International School will open in Minato Ward in Osaka City in September for children of foreigners who come to Osaka on business and other purposes.The Osaka Municipal Government will establish school facilities measuring about 5,400 square meters at a cost of 293 million yen. International House, Osaka and Osaka YMCA will manage the international school which is for children in kindergarten as well as elementary and junior high school. Initially, it will start with about 35 children.
School officials, however, are geared toward receiving 150 children in 2007. In addition to offering education to foreign children, they intend to address such matters as getting children involved in interchange relations with regional residents and children clubs and in elementary and junior high school interchange activities.
Municipal officials hope the establishment of the school will lead foreign corporations and foreign-affiliated companies to advance into Osaka and create new business opportunities.
African business talkfest with native ambassadors
The ambassadors of Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Uganda in Tokyo will be invited to an informal gathering to discuss 'African business' scheduled for May 28 at the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Chuo Ward in Osaka City. It will be held under the auspices of the Kansai Economic Federation, Africa Society of Japan, Kansai Africa Society and Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries.To be present at the talkfest will be Yasushi Kurokochi, vice president of the Africa Society of Japan, Kenyan Ambassador Mary D. Odinga, Nigerian Ambassador Emanuel O. Otiotio, Zimbabwean Ambassador Andrew H. Mtetwa and Acting Uganda Ambassador B. P. Emanuel Hatiga. Based on updates in their possession, the envoys will deliver lectures on the economic situation and investment environment and Japanese corporate investment opportunities in their respective countries.
The sponsors said that since Japanese corporations normally are short of information on Africa they expect the upcoming meeting will be a good chance for the Japanese side to learn the present situation and future trends and to study business possibilities in African countries.
KIX marks record performance in FY 2000
Kansai International Airport (KIX) posted record highs in the number of aircraft departures and arrivals, the number of passengers on domestic and international flights, and the cargo volume during fiscal 2000, according to an announcement by Kansai International Airport Company (KIAC).The number of aircraft departing from and arriving in KIX totaled 124,112, which was an increase of 5 percent from fiscal 1999 and broke the previous record of 121,355 established in fiscal 1997. Cargo flights on international routes rose 24 percent while passenger flights grew 6 percent for an overall increase of 9 percent throughout the year.
Domestic and international flight passengers totaled 20,567,064, up 3 percent from the previous year for the second consecutive record high. The number of passengers on international flights continued to climb from the previous year since February 2000 and totaled a record high 12.84 million, an increase of 9 percent from fiscal 1999.
The cargo volume handled at the airport amounted to 972,151 tons, which represented an increase of 12 percent from the previous fiscal year for a record high. KIX is likely to do well in handling cargoes since regular international cargo flights recently opened between Kansai and Hong Kong.
RITE, Shanghai Jiatong Univ. conclude accord
The Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE), Kizu Town in Kyoto Prefecture, has concluded a research interchange agreement with Shanghai Jiatong University. RITE, which was founded in 1990 to engage in the research and development of innovative technology for the conservation of the global environment, has been maintaining an interchange relationship with Shanghai Jiatong University since 1995. They have jointly held international meetings on the environment and conducted joint research on the environment in Shanghai and the city's economic development.The conclusion of the accord will enable RITE and the university to further promote the relationship of research and development of technology on the conservation of the global environment, exchanges of information and study materials, interchanges of researchers and the holding of international symposiums.
Previously, it signed similar accords with Ben Gurion University (Israel), Asea Brown Boveri (Switzerland), Lurgi Oil Gas Co. and the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (Germany), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industries Research Organization (Australia), the University of Central Florida (USA) and the Netherland Organization for Scientific Research.
Kansai in Focus: Efforts to raise fireflies to restore towns, villages in Kansai
In the old days, fireflies played the leading part on the land along the edge of the waterside and in the grass on a summer night in Japan. While they were thought to have driven out of their habitats for sometime, the lively sounds telling of their 'regeneration' are being heard here and there prior to the opening of the summer season this year.Fireflies are very popular in the Kansai region, and it seems that a fantastic nocturnal view of them dancing together may revive in various places thanks to the assistance extended by civic volunteers and local municipalities to those who are striving to raise the lightning bugs. Of course, behind such efforts is a renewal of the environment for them to thrive, particularly the cleaning of rivers.
There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies in the world. The Japanese people are especially familiar to lightning bugs as demonstrated by the fact that they sing the 'glow of fireflies' at school graduation ceremonies to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. Two species of glowflies-'Genji Firefly' (Luciola cruciata) and 'Heike Firefly' (Luciola lateralis)-make up the nucleus of fireflies in Japan. Larvae of fireflies eat marsh snails and mud snails which are vulnerable to pollution. In the 1960s, agricultural chemicals and domestic wastewater caused a sharp decline in the number of fireflies.
Citizens of various places who loved fireflies came to their rescue from a crisis of extinction with a concerted chorus calling for a 'return of fireflies.' Ibaraki City in Osaka Prefecture was one of the local governments that made a quick response to the civic request. The city office's park and green land division started a firefly resuscitation project at Nishigawara Park in 1984. Since then officials have raised 'Genji' fireflies from eggs in their lightning bug rearing room, released them at an agricultural water channel in the park and have been holding citizens' gatherings to watch fireflies Saturday and Sunday of the first week of June every year.
Osaka City has been undertaking the challenge of raising fireflies by capitalizing on sewage treatment water and proving that the water is safe. Acting on citizens' proposal, Osaka City's Hirano sewage treatment facility has been raising 1,000 to 2,000 'Genji' and 'Heike' fireflies every year and inviting residents chosen by lottery to observe the glowflies.
Kozuki Town in Hyogo Prefecture has crafted an ordinance to protect the insects, while Hirakata City in Osaka Prefecture has held a firefly festival with the lightning bugs presented by Shionoe Town in Kagawa Prefecture with which Hirakata has a sister-city affiliation.
Sugawara Shrine in Ebisuno Town in Osaka's Sakai City keeps a firefly raising site in Sasayama City in Hyogo Prefecture and holds a party to appreciate fireflies every year with local residents. Kansai is active holding firefly appreciation gatherings and regenerating the insects. Civic groups' movements to protect fireflies, including a 'society of people and nature' in Ikeda City, Osaka and a 'society to protect Daibutsu fireflies' in Nara City, are attaining steady achievements.
The 'Hotaruno Mori Shiryokan (firefly forest materials hall)' in Moriyama City in Shiga Prefecture is the focus of attention. The municipality enacted a 'firefly ordinance' in 1999 to protect the insects. The city office accepted citizens' proposals in 1990, established the admission-free hall in the civic athletic park using the 100 million yen hometown revival fund it received from the central government and started raising fireflies and put them on display. As a result, citizens' awareness to keep waterways clean has enhanced and helped fireflies return to the city. It is reported that fireflies will make their appearance in the city centering on the vicinity of JR Moriyama Station from late May to around June 10.
It is around that time fireflies in Kansai are observed. You can go and catch some fireflies. (K)