The Embassy of Japan in Greece in New Building From November 8, 2004 the Embassy of Japan in Greece will be located in a new building, at 46, Ethnikis Antistaseos Street, Halandri, Athens.

The new building is designed by the architect, Dr. Kisho Kurokawa, who also designed various other high-profile projects. This will be his first project in Greece. The Embassy building is based on the key theme of "Eco-System", and provides various eco-friendly functions. Related links: - Embassy of Japan in Greece - Kisho Kurokawa

Greece and Japan Elected Non-Permanent Members on the UN Security Council
October 15, 2004
Opportunities for further collaboration occured between Greece and Japan after their election as non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms (2005-2006) beginning next January.

Greece at Japan Aerospace Exhibition 2004
October 1, 2004
Greece is among the countries who participate in Japan International Aerospace Exhibition 2004, organised by The Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies at Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall between October 6 (Wed.) and 10 (Sun.) 2004. The exhibition held every four years and this is the eleventh since 1966.
http://www.aero-space.jp/

Lafcadio Hearn Living on Through his Family
September 27, 2004
Folklorist Bon Koizumi is traveling across the nation these days, delivering lectures on his great-grandfather, Lafcadio Hearn, who took the name Yakumo Koizumi (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Japan Won 37 medals, Greece 16 in Athens Olympic Games
August 29, 2004
Japan came 5th at the medals table (rank by gold) of Athens Olympics, with 16 gold, 9 silver and 12 bronze (total 37 medals). Greece took the 15th place with 6 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze (total 16 medals).

Interview of Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis at The Yomiuri Shimbun
August 11, 2004
"There is a great deal of potential to develop commercial, investment, tourism and cultural links between the two nations" Greek Prime Minister told Yomiuri Shimbun Deputy Managing Editor Shunsuke Kanda on Monday, August 9.

The 2004 Olympic Games officially closed in Athens
August 29, 2004
"These were unforgettable, dream games" International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge told at the closing ceremony of Olympic Games, held in the Athens Olympic Stadium on Sunday, August 29.

Greek President meets Prince Hitachi
August 26, 2004
President Costis Stephanopoulos today received Japanese Prince Hitachi and his wife Princess Hanako at the Presidential Palace in Athens.

Prince Hitachi, Princess Hanako leave to view Athens Olympics
August 23, 2004
Prince Hitachi and his wife Princess Hanako headed to Athens on Monday to view the ongoing Olympic Games.
They plan to offer encouragement to Japanese athletes and watch the finals of the equestrian, baseball and synchronized swimming events, the Imperial Household Agency said. The couple plan to stay in Greece until the Games close Sunday. Prince Hitachi is the younger brother of Emperor Akihito (Kyodo news).
Their last visit to Greece was March 20-22, 1999 in the frame of the anniversary of the 100 years of Greek-Japanese Friendship.

ATHENS- Mizuki Noguchi took the lead on the longest climb of a wicked marathon course and held on for the gold medal. Her winning time was 2:26:20. Japan's Reiko Tosa was fifth while Japan's Naoko Sakamoto was seventh. Japan have now won medals in the event at four successive Games. Mizuki Noguchi, 25 years old, was born in Yokohama, on July 3 , 1978 and grew up in the city of Ise.

Tokyo train lines carrying latest Olympic Games news

"Olympic trains" began running on the JR Yamanote Line and Tokyo Metro's Ginza and Marunouchi lines, allowing passengers to get the latest Olympic news from Yomiuri Shimbun articles dangling over their heads while they commute. The Olympic news will continue to be carried in the trains until the day after the closing day of the Athens Olympic Games.
source: Yomiuri Shimbun

Japan's First Gold Medal at Athens Olympics

August 14, 2004 Judo champion Ryoko Tani won today in the women's 48-kilogram class Japan's first gold medal at the Athens Olympics. Profile of Ryoko Tani

Japanese tourists leaving for Athens
August 11, 2004
Japanese tourists are leaving for Athens two days before the opening of the Olympics. A crowd of people left Narita Airport, east of Tokyo, for Friday's opening ceremony, the most popular among all events.
Six travel agents are authorized by the Japan Olympic Committee to organize Olympic tours. They say about eight thousand people have booked tours, but they expect more, depending on Japanese athletes' performances in popular events including soccer.
source: NHK

Japan wins Asian Cup 2004
August 7, 2004
Japan's national soccer team has won 3-1 against China in the Asian Cup Finals in Beijing. That's Japan's second consecutive title, and its third cup at the Asia Cup Soccer Tournament.

Japan's delegation biggest ever for an Olympics
August 3, 2004
The Japanese delagation comprises 312 athletes and 201 officials, Japan's biggest ever for an Olympics.
For the first time in history, there are more female athletes (171) than male (141) on a Japanese Olympic team (participation in 26 sports).
Kyoko Hamaguchi, the five-time world champion wrestler (freestyle 72kg) will be the flag bearer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Aug. 13-29.

Japanese Visitors to Use 3G FOMA Service in Athens
July 17, 2004
Japanese company NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced that it will set up temporary 3G FOMA® base stations in Athens, from July 30 to September 30, 2004 enabling FOMA subscribers attending the competition to enjoy the service with the same handsets they are currently using in Japan.
DoCoMo expects a heavy influx of Japanese visitors to Athens during this period, providing a superb opportunity for DoCoMo to demonstrate its FOMA service in an international context.
The FOMA base stations set up within the city will be connected to DoCoMo's FOMA network in Japan via a private international line. All FOMA subscribers visiting Athens will be able to use their current FOMA handsets at no extra charge for services such as voice calling, video calling, and i-mode® mobile internet inside the temporarily established service area in the city. All communication charges will be applied as if calls originated from Tokyo and were placed at Japan Standard Time.

Peace Boat departed Tokyo for Athens
July 14, 2004
Peace Boat departed Tokyo for Athens on Wednesday to deliver "peace" flames from the A-bomb memorials of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the summer Olympic Games.

related links:

- Peace Boat sails for Olympic Truce (July 14, 2004)
(website of Greek Embassy in Japan)
- Peace Boat website (Japanese)

Olympic Truce: Fires of War into Flames of Peace
Greek Peace Ambassadors in Nagasaki and Hiroshima
July 9 -11, 2004
As the eyes of the world focus on Athens this summer for the 2004 Olympics, three young Greeks are travelling the world on Peace Boat's 46th Global voyage to help spark the renewal of Ekecheiria - the traditional cease-fire during the ancient Olympic Games. During the original Olympics, from seven days before and after the Games, all hostilities between rival city-state nations would stop and athletes, artists and spectators could travel to Olympia and return safely to their homeland....
related link:
http://www.peaceboat.org/english/news/index.html

Commemorative Euro Coins for Athens Olympic Games
July 6, 2004
Sumitomo Corp. and Taisei Coins Corp. will start accepting orders at financial institutions from Monday for commemorative euro coins issued by the Bank of Greece to celebrate the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
The designs of the coins are different from the ones that went on sale in January. The coins will be offered through Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Resona Bank and Saitama Resona Bank as well as 38 local banks, 16 member banks of the Second Association of Regional Banks and industrial banks.

Related link: Taisei Coins Corp

right photo from in.gr : celebrations after game, Athens, July 4 2004

Greece Win Euro 2004

July 4, 2004 Greece's extraordinary Euro 2004 odyssey has ended in a 1-0 victory over hosts Portugal in the final as they were crowned European champions for the first time (Reuters) EURO 2004 http://jp.euro2004.com/

Tokyo - Athens Ranking of Cost of Living
June 15, 2004
Tokyo remains the world's most expensive city, according to the latest cost of living survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting released June 13, 2004. Athens rose from No. 71 to No. 50 in this year's ranking of cost of living, as Euro appreciated more than 11 percent in the last six months. Osaka is No. 4 in survey.
The survey, drawn up twice a year, ranks cost of living for foreign workers, not local residents, and is used primarily by multinational companies to determine pay for expatriate employees.

i-mode Starts in Greece on June 7, 2004
June 5, 2004

As of Monday, 7th of June 2004, COSMOTE the leading provider of mobile telecommunication services in Greece will begin offering exclusively to the Greek mobile market, i-mode™, the world's most popular mobile Internet service.

The launch of COSMOTE's i-mode™ comes as a result of the close cooperation with its strategic partner NTT DoCoMo, leading mobile operator in Japan, and following a very successful five year track record with over 42 million i-mode™ users worldwide. COSMOTE is the first European operator to develop the platform infrastructure and launch i-mode™ in the record time of just six months, while being the only European operator to offer upon launch the service to all its customers, both contract and prepaid.

Finish of the Phaethon 2004
May 28, 2004
The epilogue of Phaethon 2004, the 5-days rally for solar-powered vehicles, was written today at the Athletic Centre of Galatsi, Athens. Once more Sky Ace Tiga of the Ashiya University won the event, leaving Mercury Model S of the Osaka Sangyo University in second place.

Bridges: Rion Antirion - Tatara May 24, 2004 After the today's insertion of the last section of Rion-Antirion bridge span, the bridge which is linking western Greece with Peloponnese became the longest cable stayed bridge in the world. Tatara bridge in Japan which is linking Honshu and Shikoku, remains the bridge with the longest span in the world (890 metres).

Rion-Antirion bridge - Greece

Tatara bridge - Japan

With a reference span of 560 meters, the Rion-Antirion bridge shall rank in the top 10 list of the world longest span for cable-stayed bridges. However with its 4 pylons (compared to the usual set of 2), it is the cable-stayed bridge with the longest suspended deck (2,252 meters) in the world. The Rion-Antirion bridge will be given to commuters by the end of August but on August 8 it will be open just for the Olympic Flame events.

Two Japanese Universities winners at "Phaethon 2004" in Athens "Old Hellinikon Airport"

May 23, 2004 Today completed in Athens "Old Hellinikon Airport" the circuit of "Phaethon 2004" the race for solar-powered vehicles, in the frame of the Cultural Olympiad 2001-2004.

The Ashiya University team won both heats of the circuit race. Second place went to the Osaka Sangyo team. The highest average speed was 95.365 kms/h. Tomorrow May 24, starts the Rally and the vehicles will follow the route Patras-Olympia-Itea-Delphi-Athens, of total distance 795 km. The finish will be May 28 at Athletic Centre of Galatsi, Athens. Related link: Phaethon 2004

New Website of Embassy of Greece in Japan
May 20, 2004
Greek Embassy in Japan is online with a new more informative and well-designed website http://www.greekemb.jp/

Greek Judo at the top of Europe
May 15, 2004
Greek champion Ilias Iliadis won today the gold medal in the weight category of -81 kg at the 2004 European Judo Championships (Bucharest, Romania). Yesterday, R. Zidiridis, won the silver medal in the category of -60 kg. Judo has its origin in the ancient Japanese martial art of jujitsu.

Athens Olympic Torch Relay Tokyo May 13, 2004 The "Athens Olympic Torch Relay Tokyo" Executive Committee announced the outline of the "Athens Olympic Torch Relay Tokyo" at the Japan Sportsman Club, Kishi Memorial Hall.

"Pass the Flame, Unite the World" is the theme of this Torch Relay which will start on June, 6 from the Big Sight at 11.00, pass through 11 locations in Tokyo and finish at the Tokyo Metropolitan Citizens Plaza at 18.50. 136 Torchbearers will pass the Flame at intervals of 350m onto the next Torchbearer. related link: ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay / Tokyo

Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Cyprus Situation
February 9, 2004
According to the statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations of Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan welcomes the news that from February 10, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders will resume negotiations in New York toward a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem upon the invitation of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
source:The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Vox Populi, Vox Dei ,"Hippocrates, Newton take root in the mind" (asahi.com)
http://www.asahi.com/english/vox/TKY200401190069.html

Japanese Media Art Installation
December 30-31, 2004 (from dusk till dawn)

D-K at the Acropolis: Embracing the Passage of Time

Featuring "Mystic Sound of ancient Japan" on the 31st : Stone whistle solo perfomance by K. Yokozawa

Place: The Odeion of Herodes Atticus (on the south slope of Acropolis)
Entrance: Free of charge

Produced by: Akira Hasegawa (Creator of D-K), Mihalis Koulouris, Ayumi Mito
Assisted by: The 21 Century D-K World Exhibition Preject Team
Supported by: Katayanagi Institute, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of japan in Greece, JETRO

Ukiyo-e: Pictures of the Floating World October 4 - November 30, 2004 - time: 10:00 -18:00

A floating world, momentary, sensual, colorful; this is the theatre world of Kabuki, which comes deep from within the popular traditions of Japan. The Athens Concert Hall dedicates this exhibition to this very universe of the Far East, on the occasion of its Kabuki performances given from 2 to 5 of October. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and is sponsored by Folli Follie and Sony. The exhibition presents works by Utamaro, Kunisada, Toyokuni, Kuniyoshi, Kunimasha, Chikanobu and Kitagawa, all loaned by the museum of the University of Wasada, the Art Museum Ota Memorial and the National Museum of Tokyo. Athens Concert Hall - Ground Floor Foyer Vas. Sofias Av. & 1 Kokkali Str., ATHENS tel. 210-7282333 Ticket Price: € 5,00 (general admission), 2,00 (students, children, families)

Νovember 19-28, 2004 Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, will present an anthology of six of his best films screened for the first time in Greece, in the frame of 45th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. 1. CURE (1997) 2. LICENSE TO LIVE (1998) 3. CHARISMA (1999) 4. SEANCE (2000) 5. PULSE (2001) 6. BRIGHT FUTURE (2003) related link

NEW HORIZONS: Hirokazu Kore-Eda Spotlight
Films:
1. MABOROSI (1995)
2. AFTER LIFE (1998)
3. DISTANCE (2001)
4. NOBODY KNOWS (2004)
related link

Νovember 26-28, 2004
International Seminar JODO - IAIDO
with Sensei Cook Victor, 7 Dan Kendo, 7 Dan Iaido, 5 Dan Jodo
Applications and booking until 07th of November 2004.
YUDOKAN DOJO 12, Vlahernon str. 551 33 Bizantio, THESSALONIKI

Jodo is one of the Koryu, or traditional martial arts, that grew out of the turbulent history of Japan. In Jodo a wooden staff of about 128mm in length and usually made of Japanese white oak is used to defend against an attacking swordsman.
Iaido is the traditional Japanese martial art of drawing and cutting with the samurai sword. The full name of the style of Iai-do that is the most widely practiced in central Japan today is muso jikiden eishin ryu, meaning "peerless, direct transmission, true-faith style of eishin." Eishin Ryu claims a lineage about 450 years long, making it the second oldest existant martial art form in Japan. The founder of eishin ryu was Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto Shigenobu, who lived between 1546 and 1621 in present-day Kanagawa prefecture.

Kabuki at Athens' Concert Hall October 3-4-5, 2004 time 20:30 A presentation of characteristic excerpts by traditional Japanese Theatre. Presentation - for the very first time in Greece - of Renjishi (Lion-dance), Ayatsuri Sanbaso (Marionette-dance), Snowy Heron. The artistic direction is by Akio Igarashi. Athens Concert Hall, Hall of the Friends of Music, Vas. Sofias Av. & Kokkali 1, ATHENS

The Cinematography of Yasuhiro Ozou Retrospective on the occasion of the completion of 100 years from his birth. September 17-26, 2004 In the frame of the 10th Athens International Film Festival

Programme:

LATE SPRING (108') Saturday September 18, 18:30 ΑΤΤΙΚΟΝ	ΑΝ ΑUTUMN AFTERNOON (112') Sunday September 19, 19.00 DΑΝΑΟS 1
TOKYO STORY (136') Tuesday September 21, 20:30   DΑΝΑΟS 1	END OF SUMMER (103') Wednesday September 22, 20:15 ΑΤΤΙΚΟΝ
EARLY SUMMER(135') Saturday September 25, 18:00 DΑΝΑΟS 2	THERE WAS A FATHER (94') Sunday September 26, 18:30 DΑΝΑΟS 2

10th Athens International Film Festival
Venues:
Attikon Renault, 19 Stadiou St., Athens tel. 210-3228821
Danaos 1 & 2, 109 Kifissias av., Athens (near Metro station Panormou), tel.: 210-6922655.

Demosthenes Stephanidis Piano Recital
September 1, 2004, 19:00 YOKOHAMA
"A Musical Journey from Greece"

Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall Concert Athen 045-322-7763 (Tickets: 4,000 Students 3,000)

Exhibition of Japanese Calligraphy and Kimono
August 10-20, 2004
Art centre "Giorgio de Kiriko", City of VOLOS

Mineikai traditional Japanese dance and singing ensemble
August 17, City of Nafplion
August 19, Athens
NAFPLIO: Municipal Theatre   ATHENS: Technopolis, Gazi

Photo Exhibition "The Land of Gods and Greek Orthodoxy – A prayer for Peace" by Motofusa Nakajima
July 14 – July 20, 2004
In his newest photo exhibition, opening on July 14th at the Ginza Photo Salon, in view of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games photographer Mr. Motofusa Nakajima seeks to present Greece, the land and its people – the nature, history, culture, religious life - and their eternal wish for peace, as manifested from antiquity till present day.
The ancient Olympics were actually created as a tribute to Zeus, the supreme god and lord of the universe, and took place in an environment of peace, all warfare banned and the Olympic truce prevailing.
The thousands of churches on the beautiful Aegean islands, which are like jewels on the blue sea, bear another testimony to the religious inner life and deep Orthodox faith of the Greek people throughout the centuries, still prevailing today. The long Greek history is depicted on the monuments Mr. Nakajima has captured with his lens – ancient temples and Orthodox churches, all of them acclaimed World Cultural Heritage – and along with it the ever-present prayer for peace.
text from: website Embassy of Greece in Japan
A number of 35 photographs from all over Greece will be displayed at the exhibition.
Venue: Ginza Kodak Photo Salon, Gallery 2, Tokaido Ginza Bldg. 3F, Ginza 6-4-1, Chuo-ku, TOKYO Tel.: 3572-4411 / Fax: 3572-4413

Olympic Posters Exhibition
June 30 - July 18, 2004 - TOKYO
Organized by the Japanese Olympic Committee and supported by the Greek Embassy in Japan, will be held at Original posters from the Munich Olympic Games in 1972 to the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 will be exhibited.
Also exhibited are the Olympic Games posters of Tokyo, Sapporo and Nagano as well as the gold medals, the silver medals, the bronze medals and the Tokyo Olympic Games memorial medal produced by Taro Okamoto.

Pola Annex Museum, 1-7-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, TOKYO
Tel. 03-3563-5501
Admission free, open at 10:00-20:00. Closed at 17:00 on the last day.
* Entrance before 30 minutes to the closing time.

Theo Angelopoulos Film Festival
July 10 -16, 2004
12 films by internationally acknowledged Greek film director Theo Angelopoulos.

http://www.pia.co.jp/pff/angelopoulos/index.html

Tokyo International Forum, Hall D1, TOKYO

"Turkoise Hours" Masayuki Murai Art Exhibition TOKYO
July 2 - 10, 2004
Art exhibition of famous artist in Japanese-style paintings Masayuki Murai, supported by the Greek Embassy in Japan.
Masayuki Murai has visited Greece repeatedly since his first visit to see the origin of European art about 20 years ago. Past two exhibitions at Wako Hall showed the tranparency expressed by the Greek scenery in daytime and the etermal history expressed by the ruins at night. It will be the accomplishment of his trilogy on Greece with 60 exhibits this time.
Wako Hall, 4-5-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku, TOKYO
Open at 10:30-18:00. (10:30-17:00 on the last day). Closed on July 4.

Graphic from http://www.oedipus-athens2004.jp

Hellenic Festival
SOPHOCLES OEDIPUS REX
July 1- 2- 3, 2004 Odeon of Herodes Atticus - ATHENS
Yukio Ninagawa directs a cast of 100 in this production of Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", in its first international performance since it premiered in Japan in 2002.
Production of the Cultural Olympiad

ΤICKETS: Hellenic Festival Ticket Office, Panepistimiou 38, ATHENS
Tel. Sales: 210 3221459
e-sales: www.ticketservices.gr
Tel. Credit card Sales: 210 7234567
e-sales: www.ticketservices.gr

SOPHOCLES ANTIGONE
July 1, 2004 Ancient stadium of Delphi
Director Satoshi Miyagi (Ku'Nauka Theater Company)
European Cultural Center of Delphi, tel 210.331.2781-5

In the frame of the international meeting dedicated to Sophocles 2,500 years after his birth and organized by the European Cultural Center of Delphi (ECCD). The meeting runs from June 26-July 3. Academics, researchers, critics, directors, playwrights and actors from Greece and abroad will attend the symposium, performances of plays, theater workshops and other cultural events.

"Myths" The Greek gift to our inspirations
June 24, 2004 Kioi Hall 19:00 - TOKYO

Piano & Violin Concert by Takako Okamoto and Mamiko Hashimoto The program of the concert includes the works of Greek and foreign composers inspired by the Greek Mythology. The concert takes place in the framework of the Cultural Olympiad in cooperation with the Greek Embassy. At the lobby will take place an exhibition of works by artist Masasuke Chiba (from 17:30).

Tickets: 03-3944-9999, Kioi Hall ticket center: 03-3237-0061 Electronic ticket PIA: 03-3237-0061 PIA P-code: 0570-02-9996 (P code: 169-540) E+: http//eee.eplus.co.jp 03-5815-452 Tokyo Bunka-kaikan Ticket Service: 03-5815-5452 CN Play Guide: 03-5802-2990

Performance of Greek National Dances and Traditional Costumes by the historical group "Lyceum Club of Greek Women" May 15 18:30 at the Tokyo Koseinenkin Kaikan Hall May 17 18:30 at the Nishinomiya Shimin Kaikan, Nishinomiya, Hyogo

Lykeion of Greek Women - Schedule

Helidonismata (Swallow Song): One of the rare surviving specimens of a song of Hellenistic times, it welcomes the coming of Spring and the return of the swallow.
Ververitsa: Dance and song. In essence, an invocation to the deity for rain during times of drought.
Patinada–Nizamikos–Tsamikos: Men's dances from Naoussa, Macedonia. The men, wearing masks, perform a dance in which ancient influences blend with newer elements, mainly related to the Greek War of Independence of 1821.
Dances from the Greek wedding ritual:
Songs and dances accompanying the preparation of the nuptial bed. The songs launding the bride and groom recall the "epithalamia" of the ancient Greeks. In the "Proskynitos", the women’s exclamation "ihou" is probably meant to ward off evil.
Dances of the medieval Greeks of Pontos:
Four dances, the "Omal", "Letsina", "Kotsari" and "Sera", strongly influenced by the culture of Byzantium, but whose origins may be traced even further back in time, since the "Sera" is believed to retain elements of the ancient war dance, the "Pyrrichios".
Dances of the Aegean Islands:
Circular and couple dances. The costumes – such as that of Skopelos – worn by the dancers are cut along the lines of the Renaissance dress. The songs breathe the air of the Aegean Sea, while the undulating movement of the dances seems to follow its unceasing motion.
Songs and Dances of Thrace:
From the Byzantine songs of Eastern and Western Thrace to the more modern form of the tunes and dances of the islands of the Easter Aegean and of the coasts of Asia Minor (the glorious ancient Ionia of the Greeks. In this suite are included dances such as the "Zonaradikos" of Thrace and the "Hasapikos" of Constantinople, the modern version of which is the well-known "Syrtaki" of the 1960s.

Organized by the Embassy of Greece in Japan.
Co-organized by the MIN-ON Concert Association.

Exhibition of Japanese Art
March 10-15 & 17-20, 2004
Opening ceremomy Wednesday 10 Μarch 2004, 19:00
More than 250 Japanese artists will present their work for the first time in Greece at an exhibition at the Melina Mercouri Arts Centre entitled ''World Peace Art Exhibition''.
This focuses on traditional styles of expression, such as the Japanese sumie ink paintings, calligraphy, pottery, as well as more western styles of artistic expression.
It has been organised by Japanese artists on the occasion of the Olympic Games in Athens, while the organisers in Greece include the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce, the Athens Municipality and the IPA Exhibition Committee of Japan.
It is supported by the Greek Chamber of the Arts, the Japanese Embassy and the finance ministry and is taking place under the aegis of the culture ministry.
The first part of the exhibiton will run from March 10-15 and the second part from March 17-20.

The Melina Mercouri Cultural Center, Iraklidon 66 & Thessalonikis, Thiseio, ATHENS

1st International Seminar Kendo
27-29 February 2004
Hellenic Federation Kendo-Iaido-Jodo-Naginata
Honor guest Sensei Wolfgang Demski.
Organising committee: Martial Arts Club "Atrapos"

Venue: Training Hall "Apollon Kalamaria" THESSALONIKI
More information: Κonstantinos Matzaras, Professor of Physical Education , Kendo 1st Dan tel: 2310 480089, 6974810444
http://www.yudokandojo.gr/ email: kendo@yudokandojo.gr

Lafcadio Hearn Event
25 February 2004, 17:30 - 20:00
The Open University (People's University) of the Society of the Friends of the People in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan, organize "An Evening Dedicated to the Memory of Lafcadio Hearn".

Program Coordinator: Dr. Claire V. Papapavlou, Professor of the P.U.

The programme:
- Greeting by the Ephor of the P.U. Dr. Nikolaos P. Bratsiotis
- Award of the Commemorative Medal of the Society to H.E. the Ambassador of Japan Mr. Toshio Mochizuki
- Greeting by H.E. the Ambassador of Japan Mr. Toshio Mochizuki
- Japan & Lafcadio Hearn in pictures-Short slide show
- An Overall View of Hearn's Work and its Reception in Greece, by Ex-Ambassador Mr. Constantine Vassis
- Hearn's influence on Japanese Contemporary History, by Mr. Hideaki Ninomiya, Counselor of the Embassy of Japan
- The Human Figure in Greek and Japanese Art-a Comparative View Based on Remarks by Hearn, by Far Eastern Art Historian Dr. Claire V. Papapavlou
- Discussion
- Review & Conclusions

Megaron of the Society (Hall of Ceremonies) 12, Evrypidou St., ATHENS tel: 210 3210295.

Chikamatsu Monogatari (1954)
15 February 2004, Sunday, 12:00
The film by Kenji Mizoguchi.
Apollon-Renault Filmcenter, Stadiou 19, ATHENS, tel: 210 3236811

12 January - 14 February 2004 Demosthenes Agrafiotis Alphabets."heavenlies", "earthlies" Intermedia (painting, poetry, video, photography) Exhibition by Greek poet, visual artist and professor Demosthenes Agrafiotis. Some works are inspired from Japan, using Japanese calligraphy techniques and Japanese handmade papers. Diana Gallery Armodiou 10, Varvakios Sq., ATHENS, tel. 210 3249626 Tuesday & Friday: 12:00-20:00 Wednesday & Thursday : 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-20:00 Saturday: 11:00-16:00 Sunday. & Monday closed.

click to enlarge photos

Days of Japan in Athens
8-20 January 2004
Exhibitions of ceramic art, photography and kimono, film screenings and demonstrations of origami, calligraphy and tea-serving.
The main event is the exhibition of traditional ceramic art at the Pierides Museum of Ancient Cypriot Art, Athinais multiplex venue. The exhibition features the course of contemporary Japanese ceramic art, through 65 works created by 55 artists of pottery.

The events are co-organized by the Greek-Japanese Chamber of Commerce, the Embassy of Japan in Greece and the Japan Foundation. Participation to all of the above is free of charge, more info tel. 210-3641650
Venue: Athinais Multiculture Centre, Kastorias 34-36, 10447 Athens (Votanikos) tel. 210-3480000
PROGRAMME