NEWS ON JAPAN
 
An Indonesian conglomerate owned by ethnic Chinese plans to develop a "Little Tokyo" on the outskirts of this capital city to cater to the growing number of Japanese sent here by their employers back home.
Lippo Group has teamed up with the Toyota Motor group and other Japanese companies to create an area for Japanese residents on the outskirts of Jakarta that will feature Japanese-style housing, kindergartens and commercial facilities.
 
Among the first completed projects is Axia South Cikarang, a residential property with 180 serviced apartment units and three detached homes. It opened in late September in the district of Bekasi, about 40km east of central Jakarta. The 13-story main building can be seen just after exiting the highway and can be reached by a quick five-minute drive through residential areas.
 
The property features a large public hot bath, a popular form of relaxation for many Japanese, as well as a Japanese eatery and even a Japanese supermarket. A 24-hour concierge service is staffed by Japanese-speaking personnel.
 
All these home-style amenities do not come cheap, however. Monthly rent, including utilities, comes to $2,500 for the least expensive units, which offer 38 sq. meters of floor space. More family-friendly 80-sq.-meter spaces go for $3,500 a month. But residents seem happy to be here.