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Japanese emperor's birthday, a moment for "free lunch" diplomacy
Japan will provide much more than just food procurement and provision for students.
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Japanese Emperor Naruhito (left) and Empress Masako (right) pay respects to the graves of Japanese soldiers buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta during a visit on June 20, 2023. (YouTube/Courtesy of KompasTV) (YouTube/Courtesy of KompasTV)
J
apanese Emperor Naruhito will celebrate his 65th birthday on Feb. 23. I hope President Prabowo Subianto will use the occasion to send a charming message to that nation, including the wish to learn from Japan's globally praised school lunch program. Japan was neglected by president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who made China his top priority during his 10 years in office.
Prabowo fully realizes that relations with East Asian countries, especially Japan, China and South Korea, will always be crucial for ASEAN and Indonesia. He should not repeat the same mistake by becoming over dependent on China.
Hopefully, the President will phone Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on that day. During their bilateral talks at the Bogor Palace in West Java last month, Ishiba agreed to help President Prabowo’s free meals program. It is a most timely offer of assistance amid the chaotic implementation of the President's overly ambitious program. Japan's school lunch program is one of, if not the most, admired scheme for schools worldwide.
My suggestion may be excessive. There are ridiculous comments on social media about the proposition, saying it is just a waste of money because it is costly to send Japanese experts to Indonesia. What is being offered is not just physical things, this is not just about food. It looks trivial at first glance, but if you look deeper, it is substantial.
Japan will provide much more than just food procurement and provision for students. Japanese children have the fewest obesity problems compared with other countries. Our children not only have problems with malnutrition but many are also overweight.
Why Japan? As in previous years, the 2024 State of Southeast Asia Survey by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute found Japan remains the most trusted among five key powers, including the United States, the European Union, China and India.
For Indonesia, whoever is the prime minister, its relations with the world's fourth-largest economy will remain steady. The Indonesian public consistently regards Japan as their nation's most trusted partner because the Japanese always deliver what they promise.
