【Aikido × Travel:】 Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague – Part 01

On October 25–26, 2025, I took part in a seminar in Prague led by Fujimaki Shihan from the Aikikai Hombu Dojo.

The journey began with my encounter with Tomáš, who had once been a trainee at Hombu Dojo. Even before becoming a trainee, he visited Japan every year without fail to train, and through those repeated visits we naturally became close.

He and his friends would often say, “You should come to the Czech Republic someday.”

If this had been just an ordinary sightseeing trip, I might not have felt such a strong pull. What truly motivated me was the fact that the annual Prague seminar would be taught by Fujimaki Shihan, to whom I am always deeply grateful.

The thought of training under a beloved teacher together with friends in the Czech Republic became the driving force behind this trip.

I had originally planned to visit in 2026, but due to family circumstances, the trip was moved up by a year.

While preparing for the trip, Tomáš shared a very helpful tip: “It’s cheaper to fly to Vienna and take a train to Prague than to fly directly from Narita.”

When I looked into it, the difference was nearly 50,000 yen per person—an easy decision.

We chose China Airlines, which my friends in the Czech Republic often use. Despite the name, it is actually Taiwan’s flag carrier.

The price was reasonable, and being able to check in two 23kg bags was a huge plus. Since I cannot eat beef, I was also grateful that I could select a “no beef” meal in advance.

✈️ Check Prague options on Traveloka

Since this was my first trip to the Czech Republic, I wanted to make the most of it—not only attending the seminar but also sightseeing and visiting friends’ dojos.

Our plan was to arrive a few days early to explore Prague and join the seminar. After that, we would head to Bruno for sightseeing and training at Tomáš’s dojo. Then we would travel to Hranice, where our friend Kuba—Tomáš’s childhood friend—lives.

There, we planned to enjoy hiking and visit his dojo as well. Finally, we would return to Vienna and spend a full day sightseeing before flying home.

Once the schedule was set, the next step was finding accommodations. In Prague, we chose the same place where Tomáš will be staying. In Bruno, we picked a hotel close to the dojo. Hranice is a small town with a larger city nearby, and although Kuba kindly offered to pick us up no matter where we stayed, we decided to book a place within his town to make the most of the visit.

◆TDiscover your perfect stay in Prague.

During the seminar period, Tomáš had the important role of assisting with the teacher’s transportation and schedule.

Even with such responsibilities, he still offered to pick us up at the Vienna airport—a gesture that touched us deeply.

However, since the drive from his home in Bruno to Vienna takes about two hours, and then another long drive to Prague afterward, we didn’t want to burden him. We had heard that public transportation in both Austria and the Czech Republic—trains, buses, and trams—is excellent, so we decided to make the journey on our own.

Thanks to the convenience of online booking, we purchased RegioJet train tickets for our trip from Vienna. From Prague to Bruno, we would ride with Tomáš, which was a relief.

RegioJet: https://regiojet.com/

The only part we hesitated over was the route from Bruno to Hranice. Normally there is a direct train, but due to construction, part of the route required switching to a bus.

Our friends speak English, but we do not speak Czech, and it would be our first time navigating the area.

We love traveling, but past experiences have taught us how stressful unexpected issues can be. So we decided not to force it and planned to ask our friends for advice once we arrived.

Fortunately, there was a direct train from Hranice to Vienna, so we booked that in advance and were all set.

◆TDiscover your perfect stay in Prague.

As for the seminar fee, payment was supposed to be made in advance, but international transfers from Japan can be expensive. Tomáš kindly offered to pay on our behalf, and we reimbursed him in person.

For those considering attending overseas seminars, many organizers will allow on-site payment if you ask in advance—something worth keeping in mind.

Now all that’s left is to wait for the day of departure.

See you soon, Prague!

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