Visitors at the 21st Tehran International Book Fair underway at Imam Khomeini Grand Prayer Ground (Mosalla). The event which runs until May 11 attracted over 3m people in the first three days.

Imam Ali (AS) Religious Arts Museum is holding an exhibition of calligraphy works by Iranian and Japanese artists titled ’The Pen’s Orient’ until May 10.
The event, which opened on May 1, is being held in cooperation with Cultural-Artistic Organization of Tehran Municipality (TM), Professor Kyoko Horie, head of the Research Institute for Traditional Art of Japan and the Japanese Embassy in Tehran.
The event seeks to improve understanding of the two civilizations and promote Iran-Japan cultural interaction, according to Iran Daily’s Art Desk.
’The Pen’s Orient’ consists of Japanese paintings and calligraphy works, Iranian artworks of contemporary calligraphers, including Master Ali Shirazi as well as historical manuscripts of the Museum.
Japanese Kimono ceremony and traditional tea ceremony (Sado) were also held at the exhibit’s inaugural day attended by Japanese Ambassador to Tehran Akio Shirota and TM deputy head, Majid Sarsangi.
In a workshop which was held by Master Shirazi on the day, Japanese calligraphers, including Masako Akita, Fujiko Masuda and Tatsuya Hayakawa, created calligraphy works through selecting the Japanese translations of poems by renowned classical Persian poets, including Abolqasem Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam and Molana Jalaleddin Rumi.
Japanese handwriting is mixed with creativity and elegance. Belonging to the mythological land of sunshine, it dances under the Sun, swirling, stretching and sometimes bending herself and in the end in an absolute harmony, representing the inner secrets of Japanese calligraphers.
Iranian calligraphy, however, depicts amorous and restless souls of the Iranian artists whose adorable and graceful writings of the characters manifest the godly concept.
Iranian calligraphy evolves with various manners and through innumerable hardships in the world of art and the inner world of the artists finally bringing complete unity between the two.
History of Japanese calligraphy (Shodo) has been heavily influenced by Chinese calligraphy.
Historians believe that Kanji (Chinese alphabet which is considered to be the origin of Japanese writing system) was created before 1,300 BC.
Then paper was invented in 107 BC in China. Pencil and paper (together with Kanji alphabet) were brought to Japan from China by Donchu, a Buddhist monk, in 610 AD. This can be considered as the birth of Japanese calligraphy.

Veteran TV, theater and cinema actor, Esmaeil Davarfar, died of heart attack on Saturday at the age of 76.
Born in Tehran in 1932, Davarfar began his artistic activities with theatrical groups at the age of 24. The artist acted in various films, most notably Dariush Mehrjouei’s ’Cow’ in 1969, said IRNA.
Some of his works include ’Summer Holidays’, ’Death in Autumn’, ’Detective’ and ’Rhinoceros’. Davarfar is most remembered for his roles in TV serials ’Friendship Agency’ and ’Apartment #13’.