"Indonesia is deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake that occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture and around the Hokuriku region in Japan," wrote the ministry in the X social media account monitored from Jakarta on Tuesday (2/1/2023).
In the account, the ministry also expressed solidarity with the Japanese people and hoped that all those affected by the disaster would recover quickly.
"Indonesia expresses its solidarity with the people of Japan, and we sincerely hope that all those affected by this natural disaster can recover fully soon," wrote the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
An earthquake with a magnitude of around 7.4 struck Ishikawa prefecture, Japan on Monday (1/1/2024) at 16.10 local time. The earthquake was also felt in the prefectures of Niigata, Toyama, Fukui, Nagano, Gifu, Tokyo, Yamagata, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Tottori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Akita. The earthquake caused tsunami waves in several areas. The Japanese government lifted the tsunami warning on Tuesday (2/1/2023) so that most residents were allowed to return to their homes.
Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo Monitors Its Citizens
It is recorded that there are 1,315 Indonesian citizens living in Ishikawa Prefecture, 1,344 in Toyama, and 1,132 in Niigata. The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo said that they continue to monitor their citizen's condition. As of Tuesday (2/1/2023), the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo confirmed that no Indonesian citizens were victims of the Ishikawa earthquake.
"A few minutes after the disaster, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo team made telephone contact with community nodes at the disaster location. They generally have left their homes based on directions from the local government to live temporarily in shelter locations," said Ambassador Heri in an official statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo received in Jakarta on Tuesday (2/1/2023).
Ambassador Heri added that the embassy also preparing logistical assistance to anticipate emergency conditions for Indonesian citizens while they were in the shelter. According to him, this includes coordinating with the local government for data collection and the health conditions of Indonesian citizens.
“Obey the advice and instructions from local government officials. Do not return to a residential area in a situation that is not safe according to officials at the disaster location. The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, assisted by community groups, is ready to assist the urgent needs of Indonesian citizens in disaster areas," he added.
Meanwhile, an Indonesian student in Japan, Fadlyansyah Farid told RRI Voice of Indonesia in a special interview on Tuesday (2/1/2024) morning that the Indonesian citizens in Ishikawa are currently in good condition. Fadlyansyah, a member of the Indonesian Students Association in Japan, even said that some have returned to their homes.
"So Ishikawa itself is gradually recovering, so friends there have reported that several shelters have allowed them to go home, and friends there have returned to their homes. However, there are one or two shelters that are still under monitoring by the local government," he said.
