Ambassador Kartini Supports Expanded Cultural Cooperation During Visit to Fujisawa

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Ambassador to Japan Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir visited Fujisawa City on Monday, 18 May, to promote higher levels of cultural and academic cooperation. “Fujisawa City is home to a diverse international community, including more than 600 Indonesian nationals. This reflects close people-to-people ties between Indonesia and Japan that are continuing to grow at the local level,” Kartini said in a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday. Indonesian residents in the city include nurses, workers at the Isuzu car factory, and people involved in various other industries. Beyond work, Indonesians in Fujisawa are also actively supporting cultural collaboration with the Fujisawa community, including through Enoshima Bali Sunset, which will be held at the start of October 2026. “We also appreciate the ongoing communication between Fujisawa City and Badung Regency in Bali. The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo stands ready to support stronger cooperation and broader partnerships between Indonesia and Japan, notably with Fujisawa City,” said Ambassador Kartini. Fujisawa Mayor Tsuneo Suzuki appreciated Indonesia’s full support through the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo in strengthening friendship and cooperation with the Fujisawa City Government. “Thank you for the support from the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo for the cooperation that has been established, including cultural and tourism cooperation between Fujisawa City and Badung Regency, Bali, which has been in place since 2024, and the Enoshima Bali Sunset. May this friendship continue to grow in the future,” Suzuki said during a meeting with Kartini. During her working visit to Fujisawa City, Ambassador Kartini also visited Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus, with the aim of further enhancing opportunities for academic cooperation in the future. “Education and youth exchanges are pillars that are crucial for strengthening Indonesia–Japan relations. We hope this visit will also create further opportunities for academic, cultural, and student exchanges in the future,” she said. Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus, Prof. Kazunori Takashio, explained that the university hosts around five Indonesian undergraduates and about ten Indonesian students for master’s and doctoral programmes each year. Keio University, he noted, runs a short programme in cooperation with the University of Indonesia. “I hope academic cooperation with Indonesia can continue to increase, including in Indonesian student intake in the future,” said Prof. Kazunori Takashio, who was accompanied by Petrus Ari, visiting Associate Professor, Faculty of Management and Policy, who also teaches in the ‘Malay-Indonesian Intensive 2’ course at Keio University. During the visit, Ambassador Kartini also observed classes of the ‘Malay-Indonesian Intensive 2’ programme, which specifically provides instruction in Indonesian language and culture. During the visit, Kartini also introduced batik to Japanese students. Several Japanese students who are alumni of the Darmasiswa scholarship programme gave brief presentations in Indonesian before the Ambassador. During the session, they shared experiences from participating in the Darmasiswa programme and living in various Indonesian cities, including Malang, Semarang, and Lampung. One student spoke about a dissertation on indigenous communities on Lae-Lae Island in South Sulawesi.