KBRN, Jakarta: Indonesian handicraft products are being showcased at the Tokyo International Gift Show Autumn (TIGS) 2025 exhibition held from September 3–5, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. Indonesian Minister of Trade, Budi Santoso said this participation is part of the government's commitment to promoting value-added product exports.

The Minister added that TIGS is a platform to showcase the competitive local products in the global market. “We want the world to know Indonesia is not only a raw material producer, but also a source of design inspiration, innovation, and valuable products,” he said in his statement in Jakarta on Thursday, September 4, as quoted by kemendag.go.id.

The Ministry's Director General of National Export Development, Fajarini Puntodewi, said that the Indonesian Pavilion is the result of collaboration between the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Industry, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, and PT Pelindo. The pavilion features the theme “Crafting Peace, Living Harmony” with 10 businesses in the Life×Design zone.

Curation was conducted through administrative selection and pitching to ensure product quality and competitiveness. All selected companies had the opportunity to meet potential buyers through business matching during the exhibition.

Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Maria Renata Hutagalung, said that strict selection was essential for Indonesian products to be competitive in the Japanese market. Indonesian natural craft products are now trending among the young Japanese.

A total of 3,000 companies from 16 countries attended TIGS 2025 with an estimated 200,000 local and 5,500 foreign visitors. Indonesia held business matching, product pitching, and thematic discussions in collaboration with buyers, design communities, and the ASEAN Japan Center.

For information, Indonesian handicraft exports to Japan showed a positive trend, with export value reaching USD 16.4 million (IDR 269,69 billion) in January–June 2025, up 26.26 percent from the same period in 2024. Accessories such as woven hats, sewn hats, and other textiles contributed 20.41 percent of total exports.

Meanwhile, from January to July 2025, Indonesian handicraft exports to the global market amounted to USD 253.7 million. Japan ranks second after the US as a destination for Indonesian handicraft exports. ***