Among scores of world-class artists and orchestras performing in multiple venues in Leipzig, Germany, at the 2016 Leipzig Bach Festival, June 10-19, 2016, will be the St. Thomas Boys and Monteverdi choirs, the Gewandhaus Orchestra and American organist Cameron Carpenter. A new event, Cantata Day, on June 18, will feature 10 Bach cantatas, all composed from 1723 to 1724. Also to be noted, the 100th anniversary of the death of German composer/musician Max Reger. Visit www.worldwideticketing....

New 5-day tourist passes are good for unlimited train and bus rides (buses are limited to routes within train-stop cities). The Japan Rail Central tourist pass, costing ¥13,500 (near $112), covers rail travel between Kansai Airport (in Osaka) and the city of Nagoya, including Fukui, Kanazawa and Takayama. A Japan Rail West pass, at ¥10,500, covers rail travel between Nagoya and Kii-Katsuura, including Toba and Owase. Purchase online and see route maps at http://touristpass.jp/en.

The Italian town of San Vitaliano, just east of the customary birthplace of pizza, Naples, has banned the use of traditional wood-fired pizza ovens until March 31, 2016, in order to decrease pollution. San Vitaliano has suffered from poor air quality, with pollution exceeding European Union standards 114 times in 2015. 

Chefs and restaurants found in violation of the ban face fines of up to €1,032 (near $1,133).