VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Taking advantage of a weekend moment in early summer, hundreds of visitors consisting of Japanese people and Indonesian citizens in Japan, have packed the Pesta Indonesia held at a shopping area in Tenri city, Nara Prefecture, Japan on Saturday, June 17, 2023. The event, which took the theme 'Let's Get in Touch with Indonesia', was organized by the Tenri Indonesian Department Alumni, the Indonesia - Tenri Friendship Association, and Rumah Durian in collaboration with the Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka.

"Strengthening cooperation between Japan and Indonesia is certainly a necessity. One of the efforts that can be made is through strengthening people-to-people relations, which can be achieved through activities such as Pesta Indonesia Tenri today," said Consul General Diana. At the end of his remarks, the Consul General also invited visitors to visit Indonesia in connection with the lifting of the Covid-19 global pandemic status by the World Health Organization.

Diana Sutikno, Consul General of Indonesia in Osaka, emphasized that 2023 is a special year for Indonesia and Japan as the two countries celebrate 65 years of relations.

In his opening speech, the Mayor of Tenri, Ken Namikawa, expressed his happiness that after 3 (three) years of suspension due to the pandemic, the people in Tenri could again celebrate Pesta Indonesia Tenri. "I am proud that among the Japanese people in Tenri city, many can speak Indonesian," said Mayor Tenri.

Visitors to Pesta Indonesia were treated to performances of Indonesian arts and culture, including angklung by the Pasir Bintang Group, Balinese gamelan by Tenri Sansoukan, shadow puppetry by the Magika Maejika Group, pencak silat by the Setia Hati Group, Balinese dance by the Arjuna Srikandi Group, and Indonesian and Japanese songs performed by Youtuber Icazahra. Uniquely, the art studio community that performed the Indonesian art and cultural performances were mostly Japanese nationals.

In addition to art and cultural performances, visitors to Pesta Indonesia can also taste the delicious Indonesian culinary specialties, including chicken satay, soto ayam, fried noodles, fried chicken, dadar gulung, and stuffed tofu. The presence of Indonesian culinary at the food stand managed by Dharma Wanita Persatuan (DWP) of the Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka, Restoran Langit, and Rumah Durian is one of the efforts to support the mission of Indonesia Spice Up the World (ISUTW), promoting Indonesian specialties throughout the world.

During the ceremony, Hishashi Nakanishi, Chairperson of the Alumni of the Indonesian Language Department in Japan, announced that Tenri University will reopen the Indonesian language department. "After being closed for 10 years, the Indonesian department will finally reopen and accept students for the 2024 academic year," he said. Before becoming the Indonesian Department at Tenri University, Indonesian had been taught in the city since 1925 at the College of Foreign Languages, majoring in Malay.

In celebration of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Japan, Pesta Indonesia Tenri is expected to strengthen friendship and increase the interest of Japanese people, especially in the city of Tenri, in Indonesia. (VOI)