An exhibition of Japanese ukiyo-e painting masterpieces opened at the Beijing World Art Museum on Thursday. (File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition of Japanese ukiyo-e painting masterpieces opened at the Beijing World Art Museum on Thursday.

    The month-long exhibition is hosted by the Chinese Association for International Understanding (CAFIU), showcasing a total of 100ukiyo-e paintings, more than 40 of which are first shown outside Japan. The exhibits are provided by the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum.

    Li Chengren, vice chairman of the CAFIU, said the exhibition was part of the activities marking the 35th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations and the 2007 China-Japan Year of Culture and Sports Exchange.

    Kosaka Kenji, ruling Liberal Democratic Party legislator, said he hoped the exhibition could further promote understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

    After the opening ceremony, Li Guixian, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, met with Kosaka and the two exchanged views on China-Japan relations.

    Ukiyo-e, literally meaning the pictures of the floating world, is the main artistic genre of woodblock printing in Japan. It mainly reflected the lives and pleasures of common Japanese people in Edo period from 1603 to 1867.

Japan names good-will ambassadors of Japan-China culture and sports exchange year

    TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Famous Japanese table tennis player Ai Fukuhara and pop star Noriko Sakai on Thursday were named good-will ambassadors of the 2007 Japan-China Culture and Sports Exchange Year.

    Fukuhara and Sakai will take part in almost all of important activities of the exchange year, which aims to enhance understanding between Japanese and Chinese people, especially the youth of the two countries, and to boost bilateral exchanges, said officials from the Japanese executive committee of the exchange year. Full story