Himeji is located in the center of the Harima Plain in southwestern Hyogo Prefecture. Its terrain transitions sequentially from mountains and hills in the north to farmland and plains in the south, where the urban center and industrial-commercial zones are situated. The city also administers several islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

Syktyvkar is located in the northeastern part of the East European Plain in western Russia and on the left bank of the Sysola River, 1003 kilometers northeast of Moscow.Founded in 1780, it is the capital of the Komi Republic and serves as the social and economic center of the republic, as well as an industrial center in northern Russia.