Indonesia is moving towards ‘Golden Year 2045’ marking 100 years of independence and the country’s dynamic transition toward becoming a developed country. Bridges speaks with Ambassador of Japan to Indonesia, Yasushi Masaki about the expanding cooperation between the two countries and Japan’s continued contribution to Indonesia’s development.
Bridges: How are you enjoying your time in Indonesia? What advice do you have for visitors to Indonesia?
Ambassador Masaki: It has now been four months since I took up my post in December 2023. The difference in the weather and lifestyle from Brussels, where I spent three years as Ambassador to the EU, means that I find everything to be a refreshing discovery every day. Jakarta is an exciting metropolis that rivals Tokyo.
At the same time, Indonesia stands out because of its vast diversity. Those who come to Indonesia should visit different regions to experience its various cultures. I am eager to visit each region in Indonesia myself. Indonesia’s vast territory with its 17,000 islands is alluring due to the flora and fauna that can be seen only in particular regions, as well as people’s lifestyles and cuisine that are unique to each region.
Another appealing aspect of Indonesia is that, with their average age of 29, you can experience the vibrant energy of its young people and society.
How would you describe the current Indonesia – Japan partnership?
The year 2023 marked the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Indonesia. It was a symbolic year for the bilateral relations between our two countries and was marked by the visit of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan to Indonesia and the active exchange of leaders as Japan chaired the G7 and Indonesia chaired ASEAN. The bilateral meeting at the ASEAN Summit in September also saw our bilateral relationship being upgraded to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).”
In line with the priorities set by Indonesia, which is undergoing a dynamic transition toward becoming a developed country by 2045, Japan is promoting further cooperation that would leverage the assets of our past bilateral cooperation while adapting to new changes.
There is already a wide range of cooperation that leverages Japan’s strengths. The Patimban Port Development and the Bekasi Automobile Proving Ground Project will support the facilitation of automobile exports that will turn Indonesia into a hub in the region. Meanwhile, connectivity projects such as the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Development are helping to solve urban issues. In addition, Japan steadily promotes cooperation on existing projects such as energy transition, including the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), maritime cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges in line with Indonesia’s priorities.
The flourishing economic activities of the approximately 2,000 Japanese companies operating in Indonesia are also evidence of the depth of the Japan-Indonesia relationship.
The Embassy of Japan in Indonesia is promoting all-Japan cooperation with Indonesia together with local Japanese residents and Japanese companies.
Yasushi Masaki, Ambassador of Japan to Indonesia
The longstanding cooperation in a wide range of fields with Indonesia, a key player in the Global South and a leader of ASEAN, is becoming increasingly important to the international community in terms of strengthening ties to resolve various issues facing the international community, such as food supply, climate change, and energy, as well as regional issues in Asia and the Middle East.
With relations between the two countries continuing to grow, what is the Embassy doing to strengthen these relations?
The Embassy of Japan in Indonesia is promoting all-Japan cooperation with Indonesia together with local Japanese residents and Japanese companies. Currently, there are 16,000 Japanese people in Indonesia, most of whom are business people.
The Embassy is literally working every day to provide daily support to Japanese companies in Indonesia and those wishing to expand to Indonesia, as well as to help solve the problems faced by these companies. The Embassy also plays a role in coordinating with the Indonesian government to promote existing projects.
One of the Embassy’s roles is to create new opportunities for cooperation in our multi-layered bilateral relations. Amid Indonesia’s changing society and rapid national development, new business opportunities abound within the country.
In terms of human resources exchange, it is a win-win situation where Japan can utilise Indonesian human resources through the Japan Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement (JIEPA), specified skilled worker system, and technical intern training system and where Indonesian workers who have acquired skills can return and contribute to the Indonesian economy.
In cooperation with the Indonesian government, the Embassy also held a Job Fair to help match returning EPA nurses, care worker candidates, and technical intern trainees with local medical institutions, Japanese companies, and so on.
In terms of diplomacy, since the security environment surrounding Japan and Indonesia is becoming increasingly severe, the Embassy leads close cooperation between our two countries to cooperate strategically in areas such as security, maritime cooperation, and regional conflict resolution.
What are your hopes for the future of the Japan – Indonesia partnership?
President-elect Prabowo visited Japan in early April, and through talks with the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, they confirmed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
One of the Embassy’s roles is to create new opportunities for cooperation in our multi-layered bilateral relations. Amid Indonesia’s changing society and rapid national development, new business opportunities abound within the country.
By expanding and deepening existing areas of cooperation between our two countries, Japan will contribute to a balanced development as we move towards the “Golden Year 2045” advocated by the Indonesian government. To this end, it is important to have a win-win relationship that benefits Indonesia’s economic growth and social issues, while also helping to ease Japan’s labour and resource issues in a complementary manner.
In order for Japan to continue to be an important partner for Indonesia, we hope that Japan’s unique cooperation in “Hitozukuri (human resources development)” and “Monozukuri (manufacturing)” will continue to improve the living environment in Indonesia and benefit the Japanese economy.
In the field of security, we will further deepen defence cooperation and exchanges between the two militaries, including joint training, defence equipment, and technology cooperation. As a maritime democracy, we would like to advance cooperation in the maritime field through granting patrol vessels and fishery monitoring vessels to counter IUU, capacity building, and developing fishing ports and markets on remote islands, and so on.
Furthermore, Japan has consistently supported the expansion of the OECD’s outreach to Southeast Asia and is supporting the progress of Indonesia’s accession process toward OECD membership. We hope that promoting the AOIP advocated by ASEAN and the OECD international standards under Indonesia’s leadership will attract private investment to Southeast Asia and lead to sustainable economic growth.
As Indonesia increases her presence as a key player in the Global South, we would like to make continuous efforts to further develop our relationship as the best partner to Indonesia.
