Bridges: What role does the Jakarta Japan Club play in strengthening the Japan-Indonesia partnership?
Kimura: JJC serves as a representative of Japanese companies in and around Jakarta. The JJC participates in public-private dialogues with the Indonesian government to express the opinions of Japanese companies and improve the business environment. JJC also participates in the executive committee of the annual Jakarta Japan Festival, a cultural exchange event held annually to introduce more Japanese culture to Indonesians.
How would you describe the relationship between the two countries today?
In the past, the relationship between Japan and Indonesia has been very strong among other countries. In the past, Japanese products and culture, including Japanese anime, manga, and TV dramas, were integrated into the daily lives of Indonesians. Today, Indonesians have more and more options in terms of business in many different countries. That is why our goal for this year is for Japan to continue to be trusted and chosen by Indonesia. Currently, JJC is working on human resource development projects and the Carbon Neutral Task Force.
What message do you have for our readers on the future work of the Jakarta Japan Club?
As an organization representing Japanese companies, JJC hopes to increase the presence of Japanese companies in Indonesia through cooperation with the Indonesian government and private sector. JJC aims to bring significant benefits to the Indonesian government and people, as well as to Japanese companies. In order to realize our target, we would also like to ask for your cooperation.