RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Tokyo, in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, held a Friendship Night for alumni of the Nihongo Partners and Darmasiswa Scholarship programs at the KBRI Tokyo building on Friday, 23 January 2026. The event, attended by more than 100 alumni of both programs, aimed to enhance people-to-people contacts between Indonesia and Japan through sustained engagement among program alumni.

Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of KBRI Tokyo, Maria Renata Hutagalung, said the Nihongo Partners Program has played an important role in strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between Indonesia and Japan.

“The program has played a significant role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between Indonesia and Japan. Through direct engagement with schools, students, and local communities across various regions of Indonesia, Nihongo Partners alumni have served as a bridge between the two countries and made meaningful contributions to people-to-people diplomacy,” Maria Renata Hutagalung said in a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday (January 24, 2026).

On the same occasion, Executive Vice President of the Japan Foundation, Masaya Shimoyama, expressed his hope that the event would further strengthen relations between the two nations.

“I sincerely hope this event serves as an opportunity to further deepen friendship and trust between the people of Japan and Indonesia. I believe that all Nihongo Partners and Darmasiswa alumni will continue to play an important role as bridges of friendship between the two countries,” Masaya Shimoyama stated.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director-General for Press and Public Diplomacy of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sakata Natsuko welcomed the organization of the Friendship Night by KBRI Tokyo.

“I would like to express my gratitude to KBRI Tokyo for organizing this event. To date, more than 1,000 Japanese citizens have travelled to Indonesia and become key figures in cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges between our two countries,” Sakata Natsuko said.

She added that the Government of Indonesia has provided scholarships to Japanese scholars studying the Indonesian language and culture since 1976 through the Darmasiswa Scholarship Program. According to her, the program plays an important role in promoting bilateral exchanges and nurturing individuals who serve as bridges between Japan and Indonesia.

Sakata also highlighted the increasing number of Indonesians living in Japan for study and work, noting that this development underscores the importance of promoting a multicultural society.

“I believe that Nihongo Partners and Darmasiswa scholars play an important role through their understanding of the traditional cultures of both countries,” she said.

As is widely known, the Darmasiswa Scholarship is a non-degree, one-year scholarship program offered by the Government of Indonesia to foreign nationals from countries with diplomatic relations with Indonesia. The program was previously administered by the Ministry of Education and Culture in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study the Indonesian language, arts, music, handicrafts, and other specialized subjects at 68 universities across Indonesia.

The Darmasiswa Program aims to increase interest in the Indonesian language and culture among foreign nationals, while also strengthening mutual understanding and cultural relations among countries.

Meanwhile, the Nihongo Partners Program is a cultural and educational exchange initiative of the Japan Foundation Asia Center that sends native Japanese speakers to secondary schools (senior high schools and vocational schools) across Asia, including Indonesia, for approximately six months. The participants serve as partners to local teachers in Japanese language instruction and introduce Japanese culture directly to students. In addition to teaching, the Nihongo Partners also learn the local language and culture to deepen cross-cultural understanding.