Three Speeches Last Week in Jakarta

Last week, I stayed in Jakarta for one week. I had three opportunities to make my speech. Two were for Indonesian in Bahasa Indonesia and one was for Japanese in Japanese.

In March 2, I was invited by Jakarta Branch of Indonesian Handicraft Exporters and Producers Association (ASEPHI) as a speaker to talk about SME’s export promotion and potentiality of market in Japan.

I explained the change of Japanese market from Yen appreciation to the depreciation that did not so good for export from Indonesia to Japan. However, if the target was clear as goods for the aged, women, and Indonesian original ones. I recommended combination strategy of OEM products from Japanese buyers and Indonesian original ones. To realize this, I suggested the good collaboration between Indonesian side and Japanese side.

In March 4, I talked about current situation of the Jokowi administration for Japanese businessmen in the Indonesia Watch Seminar by JAC Recruitment Indonesia. This was in Japanese and I gave some positive and negative signals of Indonesia.

In March 7, I was invited to do keynote speech by Ikatan Pengusaha Kenshusei Indonesia (IKAPEKSI) or Association of Indonesian Businessmen who were trained in Japan. They were sent to Japan via IMM Japan and became businessmen after coming back from Japan to Indonesia.

IKAPEKSI was established by their own initiatives without any support from Japanese side. Maybe this is the first organization set up by alumni of IMM Japan trainee in the world. They do not want to get financial support from the government of Japan and of Indonesia, but want to be good business partner to Japanese side.

Under cooperation with Ministry of Labor Force, Indonesia, only no-problem alumni of IMM Japan can be the member. Members of IKAPEKSI were recognized as good graduates from training in Japan and the Government of Indonesia wants to improve the quality of overseas trainee by using the existence of IKAPEKSI.

I became the advisor of IKAPEKSI based on their request. I feel it is very honorable for me as a Japanese because it is the sign of their trust to me. The situation of Kenshusei in Japan will be more complex and has not only positive image but also negative one. I hope ex-Kenshusei in IKAPEKSI will make good reputation of Kenshusei with many success stories to promote more positive image, and will make a role to deepen Indoensia-Japan relationship in all regions in Indonesia (because the member of IKAPEKSI scattered in almost all provinces and regencies/cities) through their activities.