The announcement of this year's plan

This is an announcement of this year's planned Unit 5 foreign dispatch and invitation of foreign researchers in accordance with the decision made at the Project Management Unit meeting. Last month, a meeting of representatives of each group within Unit 5 was held to consider this year's research plan. As a result of this meeting, the following was decided with regard to foreign dispatch and invitation of foreign researchers.

I. Foreign Dispatch

The following 2 groups will be sent on foreign dispatch.

• Sarai Album Research Survey: Islamic Cultural Propagation as Seen Through Images and Documents.

MIZUNO Minako will lead this group on foreign dispatch to Turkey in August or December. Accompanying her will be 4 research associates.

• Field Research and Gathering of Materials on Gardens in the Iranian Cultural Sphere.

SUGITA Hideaki will lead this group on foreign dispatch to Iran, Greece, and Armenia in September or October. Accompanying him will be 3 research associates.

II. Invitation of Foreign Researchers

An international workshop will be held based on the work of Group A.

The title has yet to be determined, but the subject will be "Ziyara (Pilgrimage)".

We plan to invite Abderrahman Lakhsassi from Morocco and Yusuf Raghib from France to this workshop. In addition, we will ask foreign researchers who are currently residing in Japan as well as Japanese researchers to participate. The workshop will be held this Fall or later.

Although there is much that has not yet been decided, the above brings you up to date on our plans as of the present. We would welcome cooperative participation by any other unit in research related to the above projects. Please send us information on the other units.