August 26, 2025 | 04:56 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Japanese Embassy in Indonesia visited a rural area in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Sunday, August 24, 2025. Among the locations explored was the picturesque village of Sumberrahayu, located in Moyudan, Sleman. This area is situated near the well-known Studio Alam Gamplong, a popular film location recognized for its grand, historic-style buildings.
During their visit, the Japanese Embassy team also engaged with the Literasi Desa Tumbuh community, a local group known for its empowerment initiatives within Sumberrahayu Village.
The discussions between the villagers and the Japanese delegation covered a range of topics, including establishing educational spaces, improving disaster mitigation, and developing alternative recreational ecosystems for the modern era.
"Japan is interested in collaborating on a sister village program, focusing on how to develop villages from various aspects of life that can improve the welfare of the residents," said Noor Huda Ismail, an activist from Literasi Desa Tumbuh, on Sunday.
Huda explained that the goal of exploring this sister village program is to create a framework that focuses on the villagers' own resources.
"So, the village is not just seen as an object of development, but as a subject that can collaborate across countries," she stated.
For instance, if a village possesses the natural potential for unique tourism, residents are encouraged to develop and manage its resources from a conceptual stage. This includes not only physical development but also organizing various attractive tourism packages.
In terms of disaster mitigation, residents are also encouraged to learn directly from Japan, a country with extensive experience in disaster literacy and community empowerment. The aim is to strengthen Indonesian villages that already have a tradition of mutual cooperation and cultural literacy in disaster mitigation.
The Japanese Embassy in Indonesia visited a rural area in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on August 24, 2025. Tempo/Pribadi Wicaksono
Tanaka Motoyasu, Director of Political Affairs at the Japanese Embassy in Indonesia, who participated in the visit to Sumberrahayu Village, stated that the rural areas in Sleman possess both fascinating natural potential and a strong community network among their residents.
"We can share more in-depth information and experiences through the sister village program among these villages in the future, so that there will be shared benefits," Tanaka said.
In addition to alternative tourism, Tanaka emphasized the importance of disaster mitigation literacy that could be developed among the villages. "Risk reduction in Japan is indeed given serious attention; every year, every school in Japan is required to conduct disaster simulations," Tanaka explained.
Meanwhile, Ismiyati, a resident of Sumberrahayu Village, noted that the visit from the Japanese Embassy provided new knowledge, particularly in developing sectors that support alternative tourism, such as culinary, souvenirs, and strengthening the local economy.
"A meeting with Japan is quite rare for us; we can directly learn about the traditions and mindset of the Japanese people, and how to develop tourism, education, disaster mitigation, as well as small businesses," she said. "We hope that the sister village program with Japan will truly come to fruition and be beneficial."
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