Sig. Hiroshi Azuma
Japan Consul General in Milan.
He honoured us with a visit to the 2007 Higan Event, taking part with high interest in lots of appointments. His suggestions are always precious to us.

Prof. Giangiorgio Pasqualotto
He teaches History of Philosophy and Aesthetics and Philosophy of Cultures at the Master of Intercultural Studies of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Padua. In 1993 he was one of the founders of the Venice “Maitreya” Association for the study of Buddhist culture. Besides essays on the Frankfurt School and on Nietzsche, he’s published some works devoted to the Oriental cultures and thought: Il Tao della Filosofia - The Tao of Philosophy (Parma, Pratiche, 1989; Milano, il Saggiatore, 1995); Estetica del Vuoto. Arte e meditazione nelle culture d’Oriente -Aesthetics of the Void. Art and meditation in the Oriental cultures (Venezia, Marsilio, 1° ed. 1992, IV° ed. 2004); Illuminismo ed illuminazione - Enlightenment and Illumination (Roma, Donzelli, 1997); Yohaku. Forme di ascesi nell’esperienza estetica orientale - Yohaku. Kinds of ascesis in the Oriental aesthetics experience (Padova, Esedra, 2001); East & West. Identità e dialogo interculturale – East and West. Intercultural identity and dialogue (Venezia, Marsilio, 2003).

Prof. Aldo Tollini
Born at Domodossola April 4th 1947, he graduates in 1971 at the Faculty of
English Language and Literature at the L. Bocconi University of Milan and, in 1975, obtains his second degree in Japanese Language and Literature at the University of Venice. From 1977 to 1979 he lives in Japan thanks to a scholarship of the Japanese government, attending the Osaka University of Foreign Languages for six months, then the Kyoto University for a year.
From November 1st 1998 he’s an associate professor of Classic Japanese
Language at the Department of Studies on Oriental Asia at the “Ca’ Foscari”
University of Venice. Among he’s many publications the main ones are: Pratica e illuminazione nello Shôbôgenzô. Testi scelti di Eihei Dôgen Zenji – Training and Illumination in Shôbôgenzô. Selected texts by Eihei Dôgen Zenji (Ubaldini Editore, Roma, 2001); Buddha e natura-di-buddha nello Shôbôgenzô. Testi scelti di Eihei Dôgen Zenji - Buddha and nature-of-buddha in Shôbôgenzô. Selected texts by Eihei Dôgen Zenji (Ubaldini Editore, Roma, 2004); Le poesie di Kamo no Chômei – The poems by Kamo no Chômei (Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina, Venezia, 2002).

Prof. Antonio Paoli
Professor of Fitness Technical Theory and Didactics in the department of Physical Education at the University of Padova and professor of Human Physiology in the department of Nursing Sciences within the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, also at the University of Padova.
He is Responsible of a number of research projects at the Physical Exercise and Sport Physiology Laboratory at the Department of Anatomy and Human Physiology in the Physiology Department at the University of Padova.
Paoli has written many articles and books about fitness, nutrition and exercise physiology, he is the Scientific Coordinator of the Italian Fitness Federation. He is also a medical manager, responsible for professional teams and athletes of various sports.

Edoardo Rossi
Born at Padua the 12/12/1960, he graduates in oboe at Padua’s C. Pollini
academy of music in 1983. The same year he starts an intense solo international activity with important orchestras and chamber music groups. In 1985 he begins to develop his interest in bonsais, increasing his knowledge by participating to many work groups with the best teachers. In 1992 he enters the Bonsai Art School under the guidance of Master Hideo Suzuki. In October 1999 he graduates at Master Hamano’s Japanese School. In 1987 he’s one of the founders of the Euganean Association of Bonsais of which he’s the director of studies and arts. In 1995 he wins the New European Talent contest at Monaco (Principality of Montecarlo). He’s the founding and managing member of the Nippon Bonsai Sakka Kyookai Europe. Nowadays he performs professional work in the bonsai field, holding work groups and events in Italy and Europe and managing a bonsai garden open to the public.