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