【Report】Summary of the lecture by Yusy Widarahesty

Dreaming of a Better Life: Journeys of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Japan

Yusy Widarahesty (Senior Researcher, Asia-Japan Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University)

On November 20, 2025, Dr. Yusy Widarahesty, Senior Researcher at the Asia-Japan Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, gave a presentation based on her new book, Dreaming of a Better Life: Journeys of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Japan, at Ritsumeikan University.

Dr. Widarahesty began her presentation by explaining that her book explores the ground-level experiences of Indonesian migrant workers who come to Japan through the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) run by the Japanese government. By examining such experiences, her study aims to show the complexity of Indonesia’s migration industry that sustains the TITP, despite its well-reported human rights violations.

The Ritsumeikan University researcher then explained the methodology used for the study. She conducted ethnographical fieldwork, interviews, participatory observation, and netnographic analysis to examine the perspectives of various actors—such as government agencies, individual migrant workers, and intermediary organizations—involved in the operation of the TITP in Indonesia. Furthermore, she used a longitudinal design and followed TITP migrant workers before departure, during the program, and after their return to Indonesia.

Dr. Widarahesty then shared her empirical findings with the audience. She explained different actors’ perspectives, interests, and experiences regarding the TITP and how their actions and practices normalize and obscure the dark reality of the program in Indonesia. Furthermore, she explained that many Indonesian migrant workers—despite regretting signing up for the TITP during their stay in Japan—end up not only supporting the TITP but also becoming part of the institutional processes that sustain the program in Indonesia because of the lack of job opportunities when they return home.

During the Q&A, the audience members asked many interesting questions, including those related to the role of social media in affecting the people’s perception of the TITP, the challenges to ethnography and netnography, the future of immigration in Japan, and Dr. Widarahesty’s current research on Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Filipino migrant workers.