Anime Japan Festival Opens in Jakarta to Boost Ties

Jakarta is hosting the "Merah! Merah! Anime Japan!!" (MMAJ) 2026 festival, a vibrant celebration of Japanese pop culture designed to foster collaboration and strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Japan. The event, held at Gandaria City, aims to serve as a cultural bridge, leveraging the creative industry to deepen connections between the two nations.

Organizers envision the festival as a platform showcasing the significant potential of anime, music, cosplay, and fashion. By engaging audiences through these diverse entertainment elements, MMAJ 2026 seeks to build emotional connections and stimulate creative economic cooperation for the future.

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Merah! Merah! Anime Japan!! is an event for fans, as well as a B2B event for everyone involved in the entertainment industry and business. We combine both because we want to create a new movement.

Distinguishing itself from typical pop culture events, MMAJ 2026 adopts a hybrid model. It caters to the business needs of industry professionals while simultaneously offering a maximum recreational experience for the anime community. Co-Founder Takayuki Yamanaka emphasized the event's core essence: inclusivity for all facets of the Japanese entertainment ecosystem.

"Merah! Merah! Anime Japan!! is an event for fans, as well as a B2B event for everyone involved in the entertainment industry and business. We combine both because we want to create a new movement," Yamanaka stated during a press conference. This integrated approach, previously tested successfully in India, was brought to Jakarta due to the massive enthusiasm observed in the Southeast Asian market, particularly in Indonesia, driven by the active and loyal characteristics of Japanese culture enthusiasts in the country.

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The view in front of me now actually tells everything. All parties from the industry, media, events, talents, to fans and