I’m happy to announce that I will be in Finland during Sept. 9-18, 2005 as an invited guest at a nature photo festival in a small town called Kuusamo. I am scheduled to give three slide shows on Japanese nature photography. I thank the town of Kuusamo for sponsoring my first trip to Finland.

Also, the Friends of Japanese Culture Society in Helsinki will host a separate slide show that I will give on Sept. 6. I plan to show my pictures and video clips of Japanese festivals. Details below:

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A small town called Kuusamo in Finland will be holding its annual nature photo festival during Sept. 9-18, 2005.

They invite a good number of nature photographers to give slide shows and exhibitions. Most are from Europe, and this year many are coming from Germany. They also offer day trips for rafting and bear watching.

This year will be its 10th festival, and they have invited me to give slide shows on nature photography in Japan. My slide shows will be held on Sept. 9, 10, and 11. This is the first time someone from Japan will be giving a slide show at the festival, and I’m honored to participate.

I plan to introduce nature photography in Japan, popular nature spots in Japan, and the works of the following three nature and wildlife Japanese photographers whom I have selected to show at the festival. They have kindly agreed to lend me their photographs and photo books (to be donated to the Kuusamo public library):

Mitsuhiko Imamori (Lake Biwa) http://www.imamori-world.jp/
Satoshi Kuribayashi (insects) http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~kuriken/
Ikuo Nakamura (marine life) http://www.squall.co.jp/index1.html

Kuusamo is north of Helsinki, about an hour’s flight and almost in the middle of the country slightly below the Artic Circle near the Russian border. It is surrounded by a wonderful natural environment with numerous lakes, rivers, bears, and birds. In winter, it is a popular base for skiiing.

Festival Web site here:
http://www.kuusamo.fi/naturephoto/english.html

Kuusamo Hall (festival venue):
http://www.kuusamo.fi/kuusamotalo/eng/tekniikka.html

Also, the “Finland-Nihon Bunka Tomo no Kai” (Friends of Japanese Culture Society) in Helsinki has agreed to host a separate slide show for me in Helsinki on Sept. 6 since I will be in Helsinki for a few days before flying to Kuusamo. I plan to show slides and movies of Japanese festivals.
http://www.japaninkulttuuri.net/english.html

I look forward to my first trip to Finland. Thanks to the town of Kuusamo for sponsoring my first trip to Finland.

Update: The trip was a great success. See pictures here:
https://photoguide.jp/pix/index.php?cat=97