Czech Center Tokyo ~ Showcasing the Czech Republic's Rich Cultural Attractions ~

There are only about 420 people of Czech origin living in Japan (as of 2020), but there are many lectures, art exhibitions, concerts, and other activities related to the Czech Republic. Located in a quiet residential area of Hiroo, the Czech Center Tokyo is an affiliate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and is actively involved in promoting Czech culture. We interviewed staff members Ms. Yuka Inaoka and Mr. Jakub Válek.

Czech Centers are found in 26 cities around the world.

The Czech Republic is often referred to as being part of Eastern Europe, in Japan, but it is actually geographically located in Central Europe. Its population is about 10,690,000 (as of 2020), which is about the same as the total population of Tokyo's 23 wards. The country is about one-fifth the size of Japan, and is often compared to Hokkaido. "The Czech Republic is a landlocked country surrounded by Germany, Poland, Austria, and Slovakia. Since the Czech Republic is located in the center of Europe, it has long been a "crossroads of cultures" where a rich culture has been nurtured. The Czech Republic is also a country that has experienced many hardships due to the influence of neighboring countries, throughout its long history," says staff member Ms. Inaoka.
The role of the Czech Center is to promote Czech culture throughout the world. It is a key player in diplomatic activities. "The Czech Center has branches in 26 cities around the world. In 2006, the Tokyo branch office opened as the first Czech center in Asia. We are trying to promote Czech culture and create opportunities for cultural exchange between the Czech Republic and Japan," says staff member, Mr. Válek. The total number of events at the Czech Centers worldwide is 1,700 per year, with 99 million participants. They also have 190,000 followers on their SNSs.

A Beautiful Country with Medieval Townscapes

Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is a beautiful old city with a medieval streetscape. It was hardly bombed in the two world wars. As the world's major cities are lined with skyscrapers and losing their individuality, Prague is a historically valuable city. Ms. Inaoka's first encounter with the Czech Republic was during a family trip when she was in high school. Upon a request from her mother - who loves Puppets - she and her family traveled to three countries in Central Europe (including the Czech Republic) in search of marionettes. "The Czech Republic was the first place I landed abroad. It possessed the scenery of medieval Europe that I had imagined. The reliefs on the churches and buildings and the beauty of the cobblestones fascinated me; a world completely different from Japan. It left such a strong impression on me that I decided to take a Czech language course at university."
Do you know what the Czech language is? It belongs to the Slavic language family, the same as Russian and Polish. It is known to be one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn. Czech Center Tokyo offers Czech language classes three times a year, in spring, fall, and winter. There are 10 classes from beginner to advanced, with about 90 students studying each term. In addition, the center holds Czech language proficiency exams, and co-hosts Czech speech contests with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Japan.

Three Czech Universities have Japanese Language Departments

In the Czech Republic, there are three universities which have Japanese language departments: Palacky University, Charles University, and Masaryk University. Mr. Válek graduated from the Japanese language department of Palacky University. "When I first started, there were 180 students in the same grade. It is not difficult to enter universities in the Czech Republic, but the promotion exams are difficult, so only about 40 of us were able to graduate. I find that interest in Japan is growing every year. I think anime has a big influence, but there are also people who are interested in traditional Japanese culture, such as martial arts and tea ceremonies. I was first introduced to Anjin Miura through the American TV drama Shōgun, which I watched when I was in elementary school. There was a man who became an advisor to the shogun and lived as a Japanese samurai despite being a foreigner in the Edo period. I was interested in that, so I decided to join the Japanese language department," he told us.
In Ms. Inaoka's case, she says, "My former school, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, has a Czech language department with about 20 students per year. I am amazed at how many people are interested in Japan, especially considering the population of the Czech Republic."

Meet the Czech Republic Without Knowing It

The Czech Republic has a rich culture. It includes many cultural figures who are familiar to Japanese people. For example, for those who like classical music, Dvořák who composed From the New World, Smetana who composed Moldau, and Janáček who composed Sinfonietta, are all associated with the Czech Republic. And, when it comes to Czech art, there is Mucha, who represents Art Nouveau. The films One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus, which are well known in Japan, were directed by the Czech-born Miloš Forman.
The Czech Republic's traditional industry is glass, and it is well known that the winning wrestler of Japan's national sport, sumo, receives a Czech crystal cup. On the occasion of the 1970 Osaka Exposition, the Czech Republic was the first country to start the tradition of having one of their ambassadors bestow such an honor upon the winning sumo wrestler. The Czech Republic also has some famous athletes. Čáslavská, who won the gold medal in gymnastics at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, was born in the capital city of Prague. She was so popular that she was called the love of Tokyo, and many of older people may remember her. In fact, there are many things around us that are related to the Czech Republic. And, last year (2020), the Czech Republic and Japan celebrated 100 years of diplomatic exchange.

The Czech Republic is the World's Largest Consumer of Beer

"I think the Czech character is somewhere between American and Japanese. We are a little more shy than sociable. One of the similarities between Japan and the Czech Republic is that we both value our national traditions, and make use of new ones. I think the difference is that the Czech Republic is individualistic, and Japan is collectivistic. Both have their good and bad sides," says Mr. Válek. We asked Ms. Inaoka about Czech specialties. "It's beer. The Czech Republic is a big beer country. The annual beer consumption, per person, is 138 liters; ranking first among all the countries in the world (according to The Brewers of Europe / Evropa v datech, 2018). And, they have been number one for 26 years in a row," Ms. Inaoka told us. They drink much more beer than Austria, which is in second place. By the way, Japanese people drink 40.2 liters annually, per capita (according to Kirin Holdings, 2018), which means Czech people drink three times more than Japanese people.
The Czech Festival, where you can experience the Czech Republic in Japan, is held once a year in Tokyo and in Kansai. Organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Japan, the Czech National Tourist Office, and Czech Center Tokyo, the event is held every fall. So, please look forward to it in 2022.

*This article is based on information available at the time of the interview. For the latest information, please contact the organization directly.