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Jakarta Post

Old meets new at Jak-Japan Matsuri

Hand in hand: A group of men carry a mikhosi (a divine palanquin) during a parade near Plaza Tenggara at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta on Sunday

Takehiro Masutomo and Fahda Kurnia Dimas Putra (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, September 10, 2018 Published on Sep. 10, 2018 Published on 2018-09-10T01:36:22+07:00

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and in hand: A group of men carry a mikhosi (a divine palanquin) during a parade near Plaza Tenggara at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta on Sunday. (JP/Charisa Vanessa G)

A mix of Indonesians and Japanese grooved to music performances by top artists in Central Jakarta over the weekend.

The annual Jak-Japan Matsuri, sponsored by multiple Japanese enterprises, returned with a music concert and traditional performances to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Jakarta and Tokyo.

As soon as J-Pop duo Skima Switch played its hit songs, including theme songs for animations known widely among Jakarta youngsters, an audience of over 1,000 went wild at the main stage on Saturday night.

The male group, which rarely performs overseas, told media after the gig that they were willing to collaborate with Indonesian artists given the opportunity. They pointed out that there were similarities in the structure of Japanese and Indonesian pop songs.

This year event’s was divided into two parts. The traditional Matsuri, a Japanese word for festival or holiday, was held from morning until afternoon at three places in the Southeast Plaza of the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex in Senayan. The music concert took place later in the evening.

Decorated with red-and-white chochin paper lanterns, the venue was filled with a sense of excitement.

Many waited in lines to buy from vendors various Japanese snacks, such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki and shaved ice, among other items common during the Matsuri.

What made the Matsuri even more authentic was the presence of mikoshi (a divine palanquin). Indonesian and Japanese youths together carried three mikoshi on their shoulders and marched through with cheerful chants.

“Most of the bearers are college students who volunteered for mikoshi. This parade-like culture is so common in Japanese festivals,” a mikoshi coordinator, identified only as Ichi, told The Jakarta Post.

A large number of Jakartans who were interested in or even obsessed with the Japanese culture gathered at the venue.

Quite a few of them specially wore clothes and accessories with their favorite animation characters printed on them.

Aya, 24, rode a bus from her home in Bekasi, West Java, to attend the long-awaited festival with her friend. She said she was excited to see AKB 48, a Japanese idol group, for the first time.

AKB 48, which collaborated with Indonesian sister group JKT 48 on stage, surprised its fans by announcing on Sunday that some members from the two groups would “study abroad” in each country.

Kiroro, whose cover songs are popular in Indonesia, featured in the concert.

Chiharu Tamashiro, a vocalist of the female duo, said her hometown of Okinawa was similar to Indonesia in that the people from the two places had genuinely friendly smiles and Chanpuru, an Okinawan stir-fry dish, had its origins in the archipelago.

The Matsuri, which entered its 10th edition this year, still has its traditional charms.

Tokyo resident Kotomi Naka, who played the taishogoto, a Japanese stringed instrument, in a group, appreciated the warm reactions from the Indonesian audience. “I was glad everyone clapped for us from the bottom of their hearts.”

Locals also took part in the event, such as by joining in on the traditional Yosakoi dance.

“I participated as a volunteer for Yosakoi because I love Japanese culture,” Thalita from Bogor told the Post. “I got this opportunity from a Japanese culture-lover association.”

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Masafumi Ishii said he appreciated the concert and told the Post that it was amazing that more than half of the audience was Indonesian.

“I was surprised by how well they knew Japanese language songs,” he said, adding that he was now convinced that the two countries could strengthen its relationship in different fields. He reiterated that, through the Matsuri, the Japanese government would like to convey a message of kerja bersama, maju bersama (work together, develop together).

— The writers are interns at The Jakarta Post.

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