“Various competitions, cultural performances, and more are being held before and after August 17. This support is intended to strengthen solidarity among Indonesians in Japan while encouraging unity, striving for excellence, and promoting the good name of Indonesia,” a diplomat at the embassy said.
One of the events the embassy supported ahead of the commemoration of the Independence Day was the Virtual Karaoke Competition “Idola Indonesia di Jepang 2025”, Muhammad Al Aula, coordinator of Information, Social, and Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy, said.
According to the embassy's statement quoted in Jakarta on Monday, a total of 89 Indonesian citizens residing in Japan participated in the competition, held on August 8-9 for the first time as part of the Independence Day festivities in the country.
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Al Aula expressed his appreciation for the enthusiasm shown by the Indonesian community in Japan. He explained that the virtual format was chosen to address the embassy’s limitations in reaching citizens spread across the country.
“This way, our fellow Indonesian citizens from Okinawa to Hokkaido could participate. What is interesting is that all Indonesians residing in Japan also served as judges in the competition by voting for their favorite performances via Zoom,” he stated.
Several embassy officials were also present and involved in overseeing the two-day karaoke competition.
The virtual karaoke contest, which was open exclusively to Indonesian citizens residing in Japan, drew more than one thousand viewers over two days, all of whom took part in voting to determine the winners.
Of the 89 participants, Rivaldo from Nara won first place. The vocal group Petani Negeri Sakura (PNS) from Ibaraki secured second place, while Abdil Theo from Nagoya came third.
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Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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