* On the eve of the New Year or on New Year's holidays, make yourself a gift! Travel to Japan! Real Japan, accompanied by a real specialist, but without leaving St. Petersburg! The program is conducted by Elena Kabachinskaya, a member of the Board of the Russia-Japan Friendship Society. Program: 09:50 - 10:00 group meeting at Gostiny Dvor metro station (on the street, at the exit from the metro). Walking tour through the central part. - Gostiny Dvor. You will learn how and when the first Japanese appeared in our country. - Monument to Catherine the Great. You will visit the monument of Catherine II and learn about her personal acquaintance with the Japanese. The story was so significant and unusual that a book was written about it, and a film was made in our time. Some of the characters in this story are among the characters surrounding the monument to the Empress. - The building of the Noble Assembly, where the Japanese Red Cross hospital was located during the First World War. - The Cinema House, where Japanese Film Festivals have been held for more than 50 years. - The Shuvalov Palace, which housed the Russia-Japan Friendship Society. You will drive along Liteyny Avenue and visit the Kotokafe, modeled after Japanese Nekokafes. Take a walk through the Friendship Garden, where the most important sakura of St. Petersburg grows. Tasting of Japanese cuisine in a cafe with a lecture "Japanese winter". You will visit a cafe where you will taste several traditional dishes. During the food tasting program, you will take part in a master class on making ritual tato envelopes and hashibukuro chopstick cases. You will visit the Gunzechoyni Datsan and get acquainted with the attributes of Buddhism present in Japan. You will learn what Buddhism means to the Japanese, and what rituals exist during visits to Buddhist temples. 16:00 - approximate end of the program at Gostiny Dvor metro station. Those who wish can stay in the area of the metro station "Staraya Derevnya" and not go to the center.