Dalai Lama kicks off Japan visit

TOKYO: The Dalai Lama (pix) arrived in Japan on Thursday for a 13-day visit to give lectures and attend symposiums across the country.
On Friday, the 79-year-old Tibetan religious leader is scheduled to fly to the northern island of Hokkaido for the first time, his liaison office in Tokyo said.
He will also travel to the eastern port city of Yokohama and Gifu, central Japan.
The office said he will deliver Buddhist teachings in Tokyo and that his lectures will be broadcast live to 29 theatres in Japan.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in Dharamsala, India, last visited Japan a year ago. It is his 21st visit to the country. – dpa