COMPLETION REPORTA Study on Diversifying Japanese Trading Commodities in the Netherlands East Indies(1868-1942)
Meta Sekar Puji Astuti(+1)
Researcher / Lecturer
Japanese Literature Department
Faculty of Humanities
Hasanuddin University
One of the aime of this studies is the continuation of research previous by studies on Japanese economic
expansion and the Japanese migrations into Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Such as studies done by
Howard Dick (1987), Yano (1977), Astuti (2009; 2011), Hayase (2014), Post (1991), Goto (1987) andMurai (1987) and recently done by the writer in 2017. Through this research, there were significant
publications have been written. First, an undergraduate thesis supervised under by the recipient, written
by: Desy Ratnasari titled (in Indonesia); Komodifikasi Perdagangan Komoditas Jepang di Surabaya (18901942), The Commodification and Trading of Japanese Commodities in Surabaya (1890-1942). Date in in
September 2019. Secondly, there is a chapter under a book titled, History of Medicine in the Dutch East
Indies and Indonesia: Current Trends and New Directions this project is on going project and will becompleted in the end of 2020.
This research project succesfully identified, observed and analyzed the diversification of Japanesecommodities in the NEI especially in Semarang, Surabaya and other parts of Sulawesi, particularly inMakassar. It started in the 1890s (or earlier) and ran to the end of toko Jepang era, in the beginning of1942.
This study also succesfully compiled some refresh data and informations regarding Japanese commoditiesand also its brands that sold in the NEI. Some brands or service, such as Tansan, Sakura Beer, Bicycles,
some patent medicine, such as tjap Timbangan (distributed by Kaneko Yoko), Tjap Kipas distributed byR. Ogawa Company, or the O.S.K (Osaka Shipping Kabushikigaisha) have been consumed/used byIndonesian (indigenous) people and inhabitants. Tansan Mineral Water was one of a significant
commodity which at the beginning produced in Takarazuka, Kobe and later on produced by Asahi
Beverage Manufacture. This product also exhibited in Semarang’s Colonial Exchibition, 1914 and won anaward as an excellent product. Another new invention that one of O.S.K ship, Toyen Maru was one ofJapanese ships which took a part of 1918 Spanished pandemic by spreading the virus from abroad. One
interesting part of this study, that some commodities are still exist and sold in diferrent kind product bothin contemporary Indonesian/Japanese markets. Therefore, this project’s research, can be used foremphasizing, one the concepts of social history of “Change and Continuity,” in the history Japan-Indonesia
focused of economic relations and the globalization on Japanese products/economic penetration.
According to Indonesian Higher Education database, there are 35 Indonesian universities which haveJapanese Studies Program. One of main problems of the development on Japanese Studies in Indonesia isthe lack of original/genuine text books and references, especially created by Indonesianhistorians/academics. Therefore, the result of this project is not only merely will be useful for thedevelopment of the study on Japan-Indonesia relations history, but this research project, hopefully, will beuseful for teaching material on Japanese Modern History. In addition, this research project also analyzes
how did Meiji Restoration give a significant impact to the economic history of South East Asia, as a whole,and NEI/Indonesia in particular. Through this project, some seminar have been conducted, including inJapan’s university such as in Keio Fujisawa Campus, Tokyo, Hiroshima University, Rikkyo University.
In Indonesia the dissemination of this project have been done in Hasanuddin University, JemberUniversity, Airlangga University, LIPI, University of Indonesia, and ASJI Conference in Jakarta 2019.
I believed that, this research project gave an impact and also contribution on the development Japanesestudies by producing a “fresh” and brand new on new perspectives of Japanese studies references inIndonesia, and elsewhere.

Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
March 2019, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia, The General Lectures on The Reflection onthe History Japan-Indonesia, Focusing on the Heritage of Japan-Indonesia Historical Relations by MetaSekar Puji Astuti, Ph. DMay 10 2019, Public Lecture in University Indonesia, The Reflections on 400 years Indonesia-Japan
Relations, Presented by Meta Sekar Puji Astuti, Ph.D
June 2019, in Keio University, Public Lecture on Indonesia-Japan Relations, by Meta Sekar Puji
Astuti, Ph. D
June 2019 in Rikkyo University, Tokyo Japan, The Japan-Indonesia Relations Workshop andExhibition, The Prospect on the History of Indonesia-Japan Relations, by Meta Sekar Puji Astuti, Ph. D
July 2019, Public Lecture in Hiroshima University, The Reflections on 400 years Indonesia-Japan
Relations, by Meta Sekar Puji Astuti, Ph. DOctober 2019, LIPI, (The Indonesian Institute of Sciences) Jakarta, Launching Book on Historical
Relations Japan-Indonesia by Prof. Kurasawa Aiko, the title of presentation Reflections on 400 years
Indonesia-Japan Relations presented by Meta Sekar Puji Astuti, Ph. D as panel discussion.
December 2019, ASJI Seminar International Seminar in Hasanuddin University, Makassar, PanelDiscussion, presented by panel and also the Meta Sekar Puji Astuti, Ph. D.
March 2020, Online Seminar on Pandemic Spanish Flu 1918 and Reflection on Pandemic Covid-19,
Managed by The Indonesian Student Assosciation in Hiroshima University, presented by Meta Sekar
Puji Astuti, Ph. D
Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
20 September 2019, Komodifikasi Perdagangan Komoditas Jepang di Surabaya (1890-1942), TheCommodification and Trading of Japanese Commodities in Surabaya (1890-1942) (in IndonesianLanguage), the author is Desy Ratnasari, under supervised of Meta Sekar Puji Astuti and will bewritten as a journal for Lensa Budaya Journal (Hasanuddin University Journal)
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
A Book Chapter titled: The History of Obat Jepang (Baiyaku) in book titled History of Medicine in theDutch East Indies and Indonesia: Current Trends and New Directions (Editing Process). Will be
published by National University of Singapore Press