Japanese prime minister’s visit to Indonesia in 1983

Thu, January 12, 2017 / 02:48 pm

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Then Japanese prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and his wife Tsutako Nakasone arrive in Jakarta on April 30, 1983. JP/Alex Lumy
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Then president Soeharto [second left] walks beside Nakasone [center] upon his arrival in Jakarta in 1983. JP/Alex Lumy
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Nakasone and Soeharto stand during a state ceremony to welcome the Japanese prime minister at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in Jakarta. JP/Alex Lumy
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Nakasone and Soeharto walk past a row of the Indonesian Military soldiers, at that time called the Indonesian Armed Forces [ABRI], during a state ceremony welcoming the guests. JP/Alex Lumy
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Children holding Indonesian and Japanese flags line a road to see the Japanese state motorcade on its way to the State Palace. JP/Alex Lumy
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A motorcade transporting Nakasone and Soeharto passes along a Jakarta street on its way to Merdeka Palace. JP/Alex Lumy
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Soeharto [right] gestures to Nakasone [center] to take a seat at the palace in Jakarta ahead of a bilateral meeting on May 1, 1983. JP/Alex Lumy
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Soeharto [second left] and Nakasone [right] hold a bilateral meeting at the palace. JP/Alex Lumy
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Nakasone gives a press statement after his meeting with Soeharto. JP/Alex Lumy
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Nakasone [left] and his wife Tsutako [second left] pose for a picture with Soeharto [right] and then first lady Tien Soeharto after the bilateral meeting, in front of the State Palace. JP/Alex Lumy
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Soeharto, Nakasone and their wives greet Indonesian ministers before a state dinner at Merdeka Palace. JP/Alex Lumy
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Soeharto [right] and Nakasone [center] prepare to attend a state dinner at the palace. JP/Alex Lumy
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Soeharto gives a souvenir to Nakasone prior to the state dinner. JP/Alex Lumy
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Tien Soeharto shows a book to Tsutako Nakasone before the state dinner. JP/Alex Lumy
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Soeharto [third right], Nakasone [fourth right], Tsutako [second right] and Tien [third left] make a toast during the state dinner. JP/ Alex Lumy

The Jakarta Post’s first photojournalist, the late Alex Lumy, once had an opportunity he could not refuse: documenting the visit of a foreign state leader up close, from arrival to departure.

In 1983, Alex had the chance to photograph a state meeting between Japan’s then prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and Indonesia’s then president Soeharto.

Nakasone’s visit and his meeting with president Soeharto in late April to early May 1983 led to one of the first collections stored in the Post’s photo library.

Alex’s documentation of Nakasone and Soeharto was pivotal because it laid the foundations for visual journalism for the Post, which was at the time only about a week old.

Alex photographed Nakasone’s arrival at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in East Jakarta, the state dinner at the State Palace and the moments before the prime minister left the palace. The photo series left audiences with a sense of personality and intimacy.

Nakasone is now 98 years old while Soeharto passed away in January 2008.

The Post has presented Alex’s photo series of Nakasone and Soeharto ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Indonesia, scheduled for Jan. 15, to meet President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

The photo series serves to remind readers of the longtime friendly relations between the two countries. [evi]