Indonesia just became the hottest destination for anime fans worldwide — and you need to hear about it.
This weekend, Gandaria City Mall in South Jakarta transformed into a massive Japanese pop culture paradise as Merah! Merah! Anime Japan!! (MMAJ) Jakarta 2026 officially opened its doors for the very first time. Backed by both the Japanese and Indonesian governments, this is not your typical anime convention. Think of it as AnimeJapan meets Tokyo Dome City — but right here in Southeast Asia.
If you were not there on Saturday, you might want to sit down for this.
A First-of-Its-Kind Festival in Indonesia
MMAJ Jakarta is the inaugural edition of a Japan-themed anime and cultural festival officially endorsed by the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), The Japan Foundation, and JETRO. The event ran across two packed days — May 30 from 10:00 to 22:00 and May 31 from 10:00 to 20:00 — with free admission for general entry.
The scale is staggering. Dozens of major Japanese intellectual properties set up shop under one roof, from Chibi Maruko-chan and Doraemon to Ultraman Omega, Ultraman Tiga, Gunpla from Mobile Suit Gundam, Rooster Fighter, and even Pokemon Horizon: Season 3 episodes 1-4 screening on the big screen.
This is the kind of lineup that normally requires a flight to Tokyo to experience. Instead, it showed up at a shopping mall in South Jakarta.
The Star-Studded Musical Lineup That Blew Everyone Away
The real showstopper was the stage performances. MMAJ Jakarta pulled off something most conventions in the region can only dream about — landing Yoko Ishida as a headline act.
For those who do not know, Yoko Ishida is an absolute legend in the anisong world. She debuted in 1993 with Otome no Policy, the iconic ending theme for Sailor Moon R, and has spent over three decades voicing the soundtrack to some of anime’s biggest hits, including Strike Witches, Pretear, and Ai Yori Aoshi. Seeing her perform live in Jakarta? That is a bucket-list moment for any anime music fan.
But she was not alone.
Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku — affectionately known as Ebichu and self-proclaimed Kings of School Plays — brought their signature chaotic, high-energy idol performance to the Gandaria City stage. The Stardust Promotion group has provided theme songs for Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals and Pokemon, and their appearance alone drew thousands of screaming fans.
Adding to the stacked roster were Shiena Nishizawa, whose powerhouse vocals have become a staple of modern anime openings, Sophie Kirana representing the Indonesian side, DARUMA Rollin, BAN BAN BAN’s Sameshima, Hayataku, and otoha — a lineup that spans generations of anime music fans.
Film Screenings, Workshops, and Community Madness
Between the concerts, the festival offered exclusive film screenings that you could not find anywhere else. Highlights included Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers, 5 Centimeters per Second, Savior of Divine Blood, The Ramparts of Ice, Phantom Baby, Make A Girl, and Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Art World Tales.
On the interactive side, the Gundam Workshop was a massive hit — letting visitors learn Gunpla assembly from community experts in a hands-on educational space that perfectly captured the festival’s community-first philosophy.
And yes, the Haikyu!! x HELLO PANDA collaboration booth was exactly as fun as it sounds.
Why This Festival Matters Beyond the Hype
Here is the thing that makes MMAJ Jakarta special: it is not just entertainment. It is a cultural bridge.
The festival was co-organized by Kaori Nusantara with official backing from the Ministry of Creative Economy of Indonesia, the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia, JNTO, The Japan Foundation, and JETRO. This level of institutional support signals something bigger — a commitment to strengthening creative industry ties between Japan and Indonesia, two countries whose pop culture ecosystems are increasingly intertwined.
For Indonesian anime fans, this is the moment the community goes from importing culture to hosting it. The presence of IPs like Sanrio Characters, Kikipuppup, KASSO, Ponkotsu Quest, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, and Let’s go KAIKIGUMI shows how deeply Japanese media has penetrated the Indonesian market — and how eagerly the market responds.
The Ramparts of Ice, a rising anime property, even made a dedicated appearance at the festival — proving that MMAJ is not just about legacy IPs but also about platforming the next wave.
What Do You Think?
MMAJ Jakarta just proved that Southeast Asia is ready for world-scale anime events. The question is: what should they bring next year?
Would you want more anisong legends like LiSA or Aimer? More interactive workshops? A bigger cosplay competition with international judges? Or maybe a full-blown anime industry panel with directors and producers flying in from Tokyo?
Drop your dream MMAJ Jakarta 2027 wishlist in the comments — because if this year is any indication, next year is going to be even bigger.
