Jakarta, Jan. 23 -- The Sakuranesia Foundation has stepped up efforts to strengthen friendship and cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and Japan through the appointment of a cultural envoy actively involved in a range of arts and cultural exchange activities throughout 2025.

In a statement received in Jakarta on Friday, the foundation said Japanese idol Ayaka Yasumoto, a member of the pop group Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, had been appointed as a Cultural Ambassador of the Sakuranesia Foundation.

"The foundation is engaged in cultural and educational exchanges between Indonesia and Japan," said Sakuranesia founder Tovic Rustam.

He said Ayaka Yasumoto's appointment followed her involvement in a number of Indonesia-Japan cultural initiatives...