Fadli Zon Appreciates Collaboration Between Wayang and Pikachu Characters

The Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, has expressed his appreciation for the launch of the ‘Poke Wayang’ programme. This programme represents a collaboration between Wayang, an Indonesian cultural icon, and a globally recognised intellectual property (IP), Pokémon.

According to Fadli, this strategic collaboration will accelerate the introduction of Wayang to the world. He added that the Ministry of Culture supports the partnership between Indonesian culture and Pokémon as a form of acculturation that brings together Indonesian cultural heritage with global popular culture, specifically the character Pikachu.

“This is a collaboration between a very large IP, namely Pokémon and Pikachu, with Wayang. We know that our Wayang is part of Indonesia’s cultural heritage, inscribed by UNESCO,” said Fadli during the ‘Pokémon Press Conference: Future Plans for Indonesia 2026-2027’ event in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Monday (14/09/2026).

He noted that the presence of ‘Poke Wayang’ could help drive the global recognition of Wayang. “We hope that Wayang becomes more widely known globally; naturally, they (Pokémon) also stand to benefit. This is a symbiosis that is mutually beneficial for everyone,” Fadli stated, accompanied by the Chairperson of Senawangi (the National Secretariat of Indonesian Puppetry), Marsdya (Ret.) FH Bambang Sulistyo.

He also expressed his pleasure that Wayang can finally be promoted to younger demographics, particularly Gen Z, through Pokémon characters. According to Fadli, both parties will benefit from the exposure provided by the ‘Poke Wayang’ promotion. “We are both spreading Indonesian culture, Wayang, and also Pikachu. This is a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and The Pokémon Company in Indonesia,” said Fadli.