Why Indonesians behaving badly in Japan fuels official concerns

Indonesian officials are fighting back against speculation of a looming ban after a series of viral incidents involving their citizens

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A video of Indonesians in Osaka gathering on a pavement and obstructing passage has prompted social media comments criticising their behaviour. Photo: X/parsonalsecret

Published: 9:32am, 30 Jul 2025Updated: 9:42am, 30 Jul 2025

A string of controversial incidents involving Indonesian nationals in Japan has fuelled talk of a looming ban on workers from the Southeast Asian nation, prompting officials in Jakarta to dismiss the speculation.

A robbery in Ibaraki prefecture, viral footage of unruly behaviour by an Indonesian group in Osaka and social media posts purporting to reflect the concerns of Japanese employers have stirred debate about Indonesian migrant workers’ ability to adapt to Japanese norms and what Jakarta can do about it.

Indonesian officials warn that much of the backlash – and resulting panic – has been stoked by misinformation, with potentially serious repercussions for Indonesians seeking work overseas.

“Don’t let just three people cause hundreds of thousands of potential [Indonesian] migrant workers to become victims,” said Abdul Kadir Karding, Indonesia’s minister for the protection of migrant workers, on July 16, as quoted by state news agency Antara. “This is made worse by posts containing inaccurate data.”

The minister was referring to the arrest of three Indonesian nationals in connection with a robbery in the city of Hokota, Ibaraki prefecture – a case that drew widespread media attention after Japanese police made arrests on June 30, nearly six months after the break-in.

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