Participation of Mrs. KISHIDA Yuko, Spouse of the Prime Minister, in the official Spouse Program of the ASEAN Summit – Second Day (Summary)

[Provisional translation]

On September 7, 2023 (local time), Mrs. KISHIDA Yuko, Spouse of the Prime Minister, who is visiting Jakarta in the Republic of Indonesia with Prime Minister Kishida, visited the Jakarta Japanese School. She then visited the History Gallery of Former Japanese Soldiers, before visiting Jaya Obayashi, Obayashi Corporation’s local subsidiary in Indonesia.
 
1. Visit to Jakarta Japanese School
 
Mrs. KISHIDA Yuko, the Spouse of the Prime Minister, visited the Jakarta Japanese School, observed classes had a meeting with its teachers and staff. After receiving a lively welcome from students of the kindergarten department, Mrs. Kishida visited classes at the elementary and junior high school departments. At the junior high school department, Mrs. Kishida observed students learning about ASEAN and interacted with the students. Following a brief on the school from the principal, Mrs. Kishida had a talk with the teachers and staff.
 
In the welcome ceremony where all students gathered, Mrs. Kishida participated in a quiz contest led by the energetic students, which brought laughter and applause to the venue. Mrs. Kishida offered a set of “Kendama,” a traditional Japanese toy, as a gift, and presented a “shikishi” or cardboard on which Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio quotes a Confucian teaching that goes: “My Way has one (thread) that runs right through it.” Mrs. Kishida then conveyed her message as follows: “I hope you will work hard on each task in front of you, take advantage of various learnings and experiences, and play an active role as a bridge between Japan and Indonesia.”
 
2. Visit to the History Gallery of Former Japanese Soldiers
 
Mrs. Kishida visited the History Gallery of Former Japanese Soldiers, was briefed on the history of former Japanese soldiers who remained and participated in the Indonesian War of Independence and later obtained Indonesian nationality, and had a round talk with those who are the third generations of such former Japanese soldiers. Mrs. Kishida also received explanations about the exhibitions from the Yayasan Warga Persahabatan (YWP Foundation) which long supported remaining former Japanese soldiers and has engaged in the establishment and operation of the gallery. After watching the relevant video, Mrs. Kishida commented: “I felt sad in watching the video of the story of former Japanese soldiers. War is a terrible thing that changes people's lives and should never happen.” Mrs. Kishida also visited a cafe attached to the gallery, where several people with disabilities such as autism are employed, and had exchanges with the staff.
 
3. Visit to Jaya Obayashi
 
Mrs. Kishida visited Obayashi Corporation’s local subsidiary in Indonesia and exchanged views with the representatives on its initiatives for diversity. The company has been operating in Indonesia for more than 50 years, and Mrs. Kishida was briefed on the series of projects that it has engaged in to date, including the development of infrastructure such as Sarinah, Indonesia’s first department store built in the 1960s as part of Japan’s war reparations, construction of Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), and Jakarta’s water and sewerage systems.
 
As part of its diversity initiatives, the company has promoted the employment of women and people with disabilities. Mrs. Kishida was briefed on the employment of those with disabilities at its in-house cafe and the setting up of a nursing room for female employees who are currently breastfeeding. Mrs. Kishida also interacted with those with disabilities who work at the cafe.
 
Reference 1: Jakarta Japanese School The school was established in May 1969 as the Jakarta Japanese School attached to the Japanese Embassy, and the year of 2023 marks the 54th anniversary of its establishment. A total of 566 pupils and students are enrolled from the first grade of elementary school to the third grade of junior high school.
 
Reference 2: The History Gallery of Former Japanese Soldiers The History Gallery of Former Japanese Soldiers is a museum established by the descendants of the second and subsequent generations of the remaining Japanese soldiers with the aim of passing on the history of the first generation of such former Japanese soldiers who remained in Indonesia after World War II and fought in the Indonesian War of independence. It has preserved and exhibited photographs, letters, video testimonies and other materials from those days by digitalizing them. It is run by the Yayasan Warga Persahabatan (YWP Foundation), which is organized by the first generation of the remaining Japanese soldiers, and its attached cafe serves as a facility for employing those with physical or developmental disabilities.
 
Reference 3: Jaya Obayashi Jaya Obayashi is an Indonesian subsidiary of Obayashi Corporation, a major Japanese general contractor that operated in Jakarta for more than half a century and is actively promoting diversity initiatives. In 2022, the company obtained ISO 30415 (diversity and inclusion), an international standard on human resource management—diversity and inclusion. ISO 30415 was established in May 2021 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as a new standard for urging organizations to strengthen their businesses through the use of various human resources. Recognized as employing three people with disabilities in its in-house cafe and having set up a nursing room for female employees who are currently breastfeeding, the company became the second company in Indonesia to obtain this certificate and the first in the construction industry or as a Japanese company.