Haunted House Theater
OSAKA Sept. 1-11
 Expoland
was opened as the Amusement Zone at the International Exposition
in 1970. Although the exposition has long finished, Expoland has
been popular for more than 30 years as an Amusement Park. Boasting
more than forty kinds of rides, the park also offers enjoyable events
throughout the year. One such event takes place in the Haunted House.
As you walk through the darkness, professional actors wait to scare
the pants off you, but these are not the ordinary run of the mill
dressed in a white sheet ghost, these are all scary characters from
Seishi Yokomizo's mystery novel, Inugamike-no-ichizoku. The Inugamike
family owns a huge fortune and the story involves serial murders
involving this great wealth. I am told those who scare easily dash
screaming through the house and are in an out within five minutes!
The curse of the haunted house returns!
Expoland
Time: 9:45-21:30
Getting there: Osaka Monorail Banpaku Kinen-koen station
Entry: Adults ¥1,100, Child ¥600 (includes entry into Expoland)
Tel: 06-6877-0560
Naniwa Live! Inochinokoto
OSAKA Sep 11
The theme of this event is global peace. The promoters
want to make this an anti-dote to 9/11 and see this as the first
step to bring hope to those who are suffering in the world today.
During this peaceful event there will be a time and a place to come
together and pray for world peace. A time for each of us to think
about life, inochino-koto and how best to live life. Using music
as a medium for peace a whole range of musical genres will be represented,
from reggae-dub to the sitar, from jazz guitar to the didgeridoo.
A lecture will be given on Iraq and a short twenty-minute movie
that was taken at the World Press Photo Exhibi-tion will be screened.
Food and drink booths, a restaurant and flea market are planned
for the day. This is a message of peace from Naniwa, Osaka to the
world. Sponsored by the Peace Boat Center, Osaka.
Minato Machi Riverplace. Plaza 2 & 3
Time: Noon-20:00 • Entry: Free
Getting there: JR/Kintetsu/Subway Namba station
Tel: 06-6763-3916
http://www.keddy.net/~inochinokoto911/
Fiesta Mexicana
OSAKA Sept. 17-19
 A
real Mexican Fiesta takes place on a warm summer evening under a
canopy of stars. There will be festive lights, lively music, good
food, drinks, dance and entertainment that family and friends can
enjoy together. All these elements will be present at this Fiesta
Mexicana and to create the gaiety and atmosphere of a real fiesta
right here in Wonder Square, musicians and dancers have been flown
in all the way from Mexico. There will be salsa dance, folk music
as well as traditional Mexican music performed by Los Amigos. Children
can play piñata, a game where each child takes a swing at
a hanging animal or figure stuffed with sweets. Although this game
has proven very popular at children's parties overseas, it is still
relatively unheard of in Japan.
This is the 9th annual international exchange event showcasing Mexican
Culture and tourism and the largest of its kind in Japan. A Mexican
Art Exhibition will be held from 2nd-19th September as a pre-event
of the fiesta.
Wonder Square. The Floating Garden Observatory
Plaza
Time: 17th & 18th Noon-21:00,
19th Noon-20:00
Getting there: 5-minutes walk from Umeda/Osaka station
Entry: Free
Tel: 06-6440-3899
Nankin-machi Mid-Autumn Festival
KOBE Sept. 17-19
Chinatown, known as Nanking Machi will host a
traditional August moon festival called Chûshûsetsu,
one of the four Chinese festivals held during a year to mark the
seasonal changes. The theme of the event this year is hoyou, recuperation.
The emphasis will be on foods and traditional ways for the body
and mind to recuperate. Delicacies such as turtle soup with medicinal
properties will be available. The famous Shi Shi Mai, Lion dance
will be performed and a special China dress photo studio will be
set up for those who would like photos taken in traditional Oriental
garb. Images of the earth god are displayed in the square and in
front of the shops. Although the theme remains the same throughout
the three-day period, different events and temporary stalls are
planned for each day.
Kobe Nankin-machi, Chuo-ku
From: 11:30 till evening
Getting there: Motomachi Station on the JR or Hanshin Line.
Tel: 078-332-2896 (Nankin-machi Shopping Arcade Promotion Assoc.)
Events compiled by Mylene Oishi
Kansai Event Listings September
| September
1
Il Trovatore
A troupe from the J.K.Tyl Theater in Pilsen, Czech will perform
this Bohemian Opera. Il Trovatore (The Troubadour) is an opera
in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi.
The Festival Hall
Time: 18:30
Getting there: Higobashi subway station on Yotsubashi line.
Exit 4
Tel: 06-6453-6000 ABC Ticket Center
September 1-Mid February
Konoike Shinden Kaisho
Autumn opening to the public of this private mansion built
by the Konoike family some 300 years ago to manage the newly
developed Konoike Shinden paddy fields that were created when
the River Yamato was re-routed. An Important Cultural property.
Time: 10:00-16:00 Closed on Mondays
Getting there: JR Gakken-toshi Line Konoike-shinden station
Entry: Adult ¥300
Tel: 06-6745-6409
September 3-4
Nostalgic German Film
A line up of six German language films with Japanese subtitles
shown over a two day period.
3rd at 10:00 & 4th at 13:00:
Der Blaue Engel — 1930, starring Marlene Dietrich
3rd at 13:00 & 4th at 15:00:
Der KongreB Tanzt — 1931, starring Lilian Harvey
3rd at 15:00 & 4th at 10:30:
Der Schonste Tag meines Lebens — 1957, starring Joseph
Schmidt
Kobe City Museum
Getting there: 10mins from Sannomiya or Motomachi JR/Hankyu
stations
Entry: Free
Tel: 078-230-8150
September 7-10
Chicago
Award winning Broadway musical that tells the unsavoury tale
of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two jailbirds with blood on
their hands, is here for four days. Performed by an all-foreign
cast.
The Festival Hall
7th & 8th at 13:30 and 18:30.
9th at 18:30. 10th at 13:00 & 18:00
Entry: ¥5,500-¥15,000
Tel: 06-6233-8888
September 9-11
Trans-Japan Brain Power Sports Meet
Teams and individuals come together to play board games and
card games such as karuta, go, shogi and Japanese mahjong.
Great prizes to be won.
Osaka University of Commerce
Time: 10:00-17:00
Getting there: Kawachi-kosaka station
on the Kintetsu Nara line
Entry: Free
Tel: 045-563-7116
September 15-16
Anori Puppet Play
This is a traditional event that has been passed down at Anori
Jinja Shrine for over 400 years. There are over 70 puppets
and 300 wardrobe items. Individuals and junior high school
students work in groups of three to bring the puppets to life.
Anori Jinja shrine in Ago-cho, Mie
Getting there: From Ukata station on the Kintetsu line then
10mins walk from the last stop on the Anori route
Tel: 0599-43-3975
September 19
Fun by the Riverside
Otherwise known as the 7th Uchikawa, Doigawa Matsuri. Live
bands, stalls, flea market, competitions and lots more fun
events planned for the day.
Xavier Park and the banks of Uchikawa River, Osaka
Time: 9:30-16:00. Entry: Free
Getting there: Sakai stn. on Nankai Line
Tel: 072-259-5520
September 21
Century Orchestra Osaka Concert
Kazuhiro Koizumi will conduct the Century Orchestra Osaka
with classical numbers from composers Vysehrad, Vitava, Sarka
and others.
The Symphony Hall, Osaka
Time: 19:00
Getting there: JR Fukushima Station
Entry: ¥1,000-¥4,500
Tel: 06-6453-6000
September 24
Prague Mozartissimo Ensemble
Bass baritone is Ales Hendrych. Sopranos, Marketa Bechynova
and Marie Fajtova. Gabriela Krckova on oboe and recorder,
Stepan Koutnik on clarinet and Vladimir Lejcko on bassoon.
This ensemble will perform aria and opera by Mozart dressed
in the elegant court attire of that period.
The Symphony Hall, Osaka
Time: 14:00
Entry:¥4,000-¥15,000
Tel: 06-6453-6000
September 24-25
Kansai Camping Car Show 2005
The biggest show in West Japan featuring camping cars and
trailers organized by the Kansai Camping Car Show Executive
Committee c/o Media Max.
Intex Osaka
Time: 10:00-17:00
Getting there: Cosmos Square Station
Entry: Adult ¥1,000, Child ¥500 Preschool children
free
Tel: 06-6943-6771
September 25
Boobies
Tel Aviv based Inbal Pinto Dance Compa-ny present an entertaining
dance that combine the comical mating ritual of birds, vaudevillesque
and freakish characters, magical theatrical effects and an
eclectic musical score.
Biwako Hall, Shiga
Time: 14:00
Getting there: 5mins from Otsu station
Entry: Adult ¥4,000/¥3,000 under 25
Tel: 077-523-7136
September 25
Ushi Matsuri (Cattle festival)
A unique event featuring Tajima cattle. There are various
attractions, including an art contest, Tajima beef tasting
and
a cattle fashion show.
Hyogo Prefectural Tajima Pasture Park
Getting there: Bus from Hamasaka station on the JR line to
Tando bus stop
Tel: 0796-92-1131
Late September
Balloon Festival
A number of exciting events including a hot air balloon competition
where several balloons engage in a 'heated' battle in the
sky. Balloon rides, a photo contest, a sketch contest and
bingo.
River bed of Suzukagawa river and Suzuka Circuit, Mie
Getting there: From Shiroko station on the Kintetsu Nagoya
line, take a bus to Suzuka Circuit
Tel: 0593-82-9020
Late September to October
Tanba Kameoka Dream Cosmos Park
Five million cosmos plants of 20 different types bloom in
the five-hectare premises adjacent to the gymnasium. During
this season, food fairs and a market selling local produce
are held.
East side of Kameoka Athletic Park, Kyoto
Getting there: Bus to Kameoka Athletic Park from Kameoka Station
on the JR Sagano Line.
Entry: ¥500/¥300 under 12
Tel: 0771-29-5152 (Kameoka City Tourist)
October 10
Celebration of Sports 2005
An annual event of the World Olympians Association, in co-operation
with Osaka City. The event is a festival, which cele-brates
sport through music and entertain- ment, sport demonstration
by Olympians.
Ogimachi Park
Time: 11am-5pm. Entry: Free
Getting there: Ogimachi stn; Sakaisuji line
Tel: 06-4393-6830
(World Olympians Association)
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