Upon Arrival in Japan, President Takes Time to Meet and Selfie with Diaspora

A number of Indonesian diaspora in Tokyo, Japan welcomed the arrival of President Prabowo Subianto, who took the time to shake hands and capture the moment by taking selfies during the occasion. According to a statement from the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom) received in Jakarta on Sunday, the diaspora present included Pito Putra, who works in the manufacturing sector in Yokohama while pursuing education in Japan, and Airawan, who works as a caregiver while studying business administration in Shinjuku. “I am very impressed with Mr Prabowo’s friendly response. Even though it was our first meeting, he was very friendly. Actually, it wasn’t a selfie, but a video, because there might not have been time for a selfie. So, it will just be cropped from the video later,” said Pito Putra. Airawan also expressed his happiness at being able to meet Prabowo directly in Japan, something he had never imagined before. He even considered this first meeting as an unexpected blessing. “It turns out that my fortune in Japan has brought me to meet the number one person in Indonesia. Alhamdulillah, I was able to take a selfie earlier, and there’s a video too. I am very happy,” he said. The diaspora also conveyed their hopes to Prabowo for closer relations between Indonesia and Japan, as well as greater attention to Indonesian workers abroad. “For the future, we hope Mr Prabowo remains healthy. Especially for us workers abroad, we hope for more attention. In addition, we also hope that Indonesia-Japan relations become closer and can collaborate in various fields,” he said. Previously, the President and his entourage arrived at Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan on Sunday at 19.10 local time. In this first official visit to Japan, the President will meet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Earlier, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, when providing information to reporters in Jakarta on Sunday, stated that during the visit, President Prabowo will discuss various strategic matters that have long been the strength of cooperation between Indonesia and Japan. “These meetings are certainly to strengthen the friendship cooperation between the two countries, and specifically, Mr President will certainly discuss many strategic matters that have been the strength of our cooperation with the Japanese Government,” said Prasetyo. “For example, in terms of trade, then technology, education, and including in the scope of forestry and environmental cooperation,” he added.