The linguist Ann Kumar (2009) proposed that some
Austronesians migrated to
Japan, possibly an elite-group from
Java, and created the Japanese-
hierarchical society and identifies 82 plausible
cognates between Austronesian and Japanese. However, Kumar's theory is controversial because it lacks archaeological, genetic, and linguistic evidence.
Colonial–era relations In early 17th century
Japanese settlers were first recorded to settle in
Dutch East Indies. A larger wave came in the 17th century, when
Red seal ships traded in Southeast Asia. In 1898 the Dutch East Indies colonial records show 614 Japanese residing in the Dutch East Indies (166 men, 448 women). As the Japanese population grew, a Japanese consulate was established in Batavia in 1909, but for the first several years its population statistics were rather haphazard. Beginning in the late 1920s,
Okinawan fishermen began to settle in
north Sulawesi. There was a Japanese primary school at
Manado, which by 1939 had 18 students. In total, 6,349 Japanese people lived in Indonesia by 1938. The first Indonesian student to have studied in Japan was revolutionary and
Minang politician,
Abdoel Madjid Usman at
Meiji University studying Law. During his time there, he co-founded the
Serikat Indonesia (Indonesian Union), an organization for Indonesian students in Japan, and actively promoted Indonesia's independence in various international forums. He would become a
collaborator, an independence advocate, and politician. In 1942, the
Empire of Japan invaded countries in Southeast Asia,
including Indonesia. The Japanese seized the key oil production zones of
Borneo,
Java,
Sumatera, and the
Netherlands New Guinea (the modern day Indonesian province of
Papua, which was also conveniently abundant in highly valuable
copper) of the late
Dutch East Indies, defeating the
Dutch forces and were welcomed by many as liberating heroes by Javanese natives. Many natives saw as the realization of an
indigenous Javanese prophecy. The Japanese encouraged the spread of Indonesian nationalist sentiment. Although this was done more for Japanese political advantage than from altruistic support of Indonesian independence, this support created new Indonesian institutions and elevated political leaders such as
Sukarno. Through recruiting Indonesian nationalist leaders, the Japanese attempted to rally Indonesian support and mobilize the Indonesian people in support of the Japanese war efforts. The experience of the Japanese occupation of Indonesia varied considerably, depending upon where one's location and social position. Many who lived in areas considered essential to the war effort endured
torture,
sexual slavery,
arbitrary arrest and execution, and other
war crimes. Many thousands of people were taken away from Indonesia as
forced laborers, or
romusha, for Japanese military projects where there was a very high death rate. remains as the last Japanese Shinto shrine in
Southeast Asia after World War II To gain military support from Indonesian people in their war against
Western Allied force, Japan began to foster the Indonesian nationalistic movement by providing Indonesian youths with military training and weapons, including the formation of a volunteer army called
Pembela Tanah Air (PETA; Defenders of the Homeland). The Japanese military training of Indonesian youths originally was intended to rally the local's support to bolster the collapsing power of the
Japanese Empire. However, later this military training became a significant asset for the Indonesian Republic during the
National Revolution from 1945 to 1949. In 1945, with the Japanese on the brink of defeat, the Dutch sought to re-establish their authority in Indonesia, and requested the Japanese army "preserve law and order" in Indonesia. Unfortunately for the Dutch, the Japanese favored helping Indonesian nationalists prepare for self-government. On 7 September 1944, as the war was going badly for the Japanese,
Prime Minister Kuniaki Koiso promised independence for Indonesia, although the Prime Minister failed to set a date for this independence. On 29 April 1945, Japanese 16th Army force formed the
BPUPKI (), a Japanese-organized committee to work on "preparations for independence in the region of the government of this island of Java". The organization was founded on 29 April 1945, by Lt. Gen. Kumakichi Harada, the commander of
16th Army in Java. It discussed matters related to Indonesian independence, although the later
Indonesian Proclamation of Independence on 17 August 1945 was carried out independently by Sukarno and Hatta without the official support of Japan.
Post-Independence era relations , Central Jakarta. After the end of Japanese occupation, roughly 3,000
Imperial Japanese Army soldiers chose to remain in Indonesia and fight alongside local people against the Dutch colonists in the
Indonesian National Revolution; roughly one-third were killed, of whom many are buried in the
Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery, while another third chose to remain in Indonesia after the fighting ended, some of them becoming decorated as Indonesian independence heroes. After the
Indonesian Revolution, Indonesian independence was
recognized by the end of 1949. In the mid-1950s, talks between Japan and Indonesia began on war reparations after the
San Francisco Agreement was signed, and finalized with the Agreement on Compensation and the opening of diplomatic relations in 1958. The
Japanese automotive industry also began to dominate Indonesian market and today Japanese car manufacturers enjoys the largest market shares in Indonesia. Simultaneously Japanese consumer products began to pour into Indonesian market. However the Japanese economic domination over Indonesia has led to the popular opposition that escalated into the
Malari incident, (abbreviation of Indonesian:
Malapetaka Limabelas Januari or "Fifteen January disaster") when anti-Japanese and anti-foreign investment demonstrations led to riots on 15 January 1974, during Japanese Prime Minister
Kakuei Tanaka's state visit to Jakarta on 14—17 January 1974. Japanese investment in Indonesia has steadily increased since the 1980s continued well to 21st century. ==Economic relations==