Are you an Indonesian student who’s planning to study in Japan? Are you a Muslim who’s worried about the availability of prayer space and halal food in Kyoto? Are you worried about starting your life in Kyoto, like how to rent an apartment, or where to purchase cheap furniture and utensils? Do you often miss your favorite Indonesian cuisine such as Nasi Kuning, Rendang, Telor Balado, Bihun Goreng and so on? Or do you simply miss having a conversation with fellow Indonesians? Well, there’s no need to worry!
There are actually hundreds of Indonesian students currently living in Kyoto and its surrounding areas. To support the livelihood of Indonesian students, as well as fostering friendship among them, the PPI (Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia—Indonesian Students’ Union) Kyoto-Shiga was established in 1996. However, even though it’s called a ‘student union,’ PPI Kyoto-Shiga has since grow exponentially. Today, PPI Kyoto-Shiga’s membership counts not only undergraduate, master, and doctorate-level students studying in various universities in Kyoto and its surrounding areas, but also Indonesians studying at Japanese language schools, vocational schools, kenshusei (trainees), as well as the family members of the students. So it’s a big, happy family which includes Indonesians from all walks of life, regardless of their reason of stay in Kyoto and nearby areas, with a variety of programs and activities aimed not only at tightening the friendship between Indonesian students, but also at cultivating amicable relationships and mutual understanding between Indonesians and local residents in the Kyoto-Shiga area.