Kyoto's sister city - Prague's Jewish Quarter

A couple of hours became available in Prague just before going back home, so I took a look at Prague main railway station and got lost in Jewish Quarter.


I tend to like an atmosphere of station, where people come and leave. Especially European train station is of special interest as there are international trains, where are yet impossible to island nation of Japan. I found a train bound for Hungarian capital of Budapest on this occasion. It is understandable that they share the liking of goulash.

Prague main railway station, 20-Mar-2015

From main railway station strolled I to National Museum and Wenceslas Square, then to Old Town. There I just took a path bit off the heavy touristy area, and got lost in Jewish Quarter. Jewish Quarter is tourist spot on its own, but still I got lost. Christianity is imported to Japan mostly superficially, but Judaism is almost absent in Japanese soil. I didn't get the hint what Judaism is in just a short walk, but it was interesting to be lost in Jewish Quater.

Ceremonial Hall in Jewish Quarter, 20-Mar-2015

Spanish Synagogue in Jewish Quarter, 20-Mar-2015

Maisel Synagogue in Jewish Quarter, 20-Mar-2015

After enjoying being lost in Jewish Quarter, I emerged to Vltaba river that was becoming familiar view. I encountered two street music performer on the bridge, one playing accordion and the other playing glass. Both were comfortable to my ears on the bridge.

Glass music performer on Charles Bridge, 20-Mar-2015

 

Kyoto's sister city - Prague's Alfons Mucha

Certain number of my Japanese acquaintances seem to like Alfons Mucha's art works. So I tried two spots in Prague where Mucha's works are appreciated.

The photo is prohibited at Mucha Museum, so only photo from outside. His works when staying in Paris made him famous and even gave him celebrity status, but I rather like the works when he made back in Czech.

Mucha Museum, 08-Mar-2015

A bit of distance from Mucha Museum stands Veletrzni Palace, which houses National Gallery. Mucha's The Slav Epic pictures has been on display here for some time. It is convenient for tourists, and I am glad to see them, but somehow I like them to stay where they were originally.

Veletrzni Palace where Alfons MUCHA's The Slav Epic is on display, 08-Mar-2015

Unlike Mucha Museum, photo taking is allowed at this place as far as flash is off. And this place is far less crowded than the Charles Bridge, so I could appreciate and take photos relatively unobstructed.

The Slav Epic #1. The Slavs in Their Original Homeland, 08-Mar-2015

The Slav Epic #2. Coronation of the Serbian Tsar Stefan Uros Dusan as East Roman Emperor, 08-Mar-2015

The Slav Epic #12. Petr Chelcicky, 08-Mar-2015
  

The Slav Epic #13. The Hussite King Jiri of Podebrady, 08-Mar-2015

After Mucha of Prague, I went to National Museum at Wenceslas Square to take yet another classical music concert. The performance lasted for 65 minutes, including works by Mozart, J.S.Bach, Vivaldi, Liszt, Dvorak, Smetana, Tchaikovski, and Brahms. It's in Czech, but listening the live performance of Brahms' "Hungary Dance" in European soil was emotional. It seems that Hungary and Czech share the liking of Goulash dish, so it somehow justifies my feeling that Hugnary theme in Czech soil made an emotional experience. No offense to either Hungarian or Czech.

Wenceslas Square after dark, 08-Mar-2015

Kyoto's sister city - Prague

Somehow I found myself in Prague, which was once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. Kyoto  and Prague has been sister city since 15-Apr-1996. The size of the cities is similar, with Kyoto's population 1.4 million people and Prague's 1.2 million people. Prague is still the capital of Czech Republic, while Kyoto succumbed to Tokyo to abandon the status of capital of Japan. Yet I think both cities boast the ancient atmosphere.

Castle : Prague castle - Nijo castle
River : Vltaba river - Kamo river
Architecture : Church of Our Lady before Tyn - 5 storied pagoda of To-ji temple
Painter(s) : Alfons Mucha - Rimpa school of painters, including Ogata Korin
Writer : Franz Kafka - Haruki Murakami (Kyoto born)

Although I do the comparison, the comparison is meangingless or nonsense as the history, the custom and values had been quite different. It's just different!

My Czech colleagues kindly took a legion of us to Prague castle, river cruise, and the memorials of "Operation Anthropoid" (The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror) that is located beneath the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The last stop of the memorials of "Operation Anthropoid" is off tourist spots and crowd was thin, but of high educational value.

It's almost impossible for me to understand European history as Japanese history has been basically an isolated island history. Of course Japan' history has been significantly influenced by China and certain Asian countries, but there lies the sea that separates us from others and significantly protects us from direct conflict possibilities. European peoples has been living without deep sea that separates one peoples from the others. But for better communication on and off the work, understanding the history of its own and others is essential.

Vltava viewed on the way back from "Operation Anthropoid", 07-Mar-2015

Vltava and Prague Castle at sunset, 07-Mar-2015

I know that classical music's concert is often (daily?) performed at Clementinum's Mirror Chapel, but I am lucky to get into the one concert in which Smetana's Moldau is performed. It's one of my favorite classical music alongside Sibelius's Finlandia and Chopin's Etude Op.10,No.12. Listening to Moldau in Prague is dream come true. A bit of exaggeration, maybe.

Mirror Chapel of Clementinum where concert was held, 07-Mar-2015

More august concert hall is found at The Municipal house in Republic Square and its name is Smetana hall. Acutally I was there the day before to listen to Dvorak's Symphony "The New World". But I go again to take different composer and different masterpieces, including Vivadli's Four Seasons. It's worth it.

Smetana hall in the Municipal house where concert was held, 07-Mar-2015