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Paper short abstract

This research focuses on How did the Indonesian students who were exposed to the atomic bomb return home and how did they play a role in rebuilding relations between Indonesia and Japan and contribute to Indonesia's economic and social development after independence

Paper long abstract

Around 1943 and 1944, the Japanese government, especially the Ministry of Greater East Asia and the Ministry of Education, launched an education policy by providing the Nanpou Tokubetsu Ryuugakusei (Southeast Asian Special Exchange Students) scholarship program to Southeast Asian countries. This scholarship program aims to improve knowledge and understanding of Japanese language and culture. In addition, it is hoped that the awardees of these scholarships can replace officials from Western countries who once colonized their land and managed the future of their nation after independence. Students who aspired to become doctors were sent to Kumamoto, those who wanted to study agriculture were sent to Miyazaki, and those who wanted to study education were sent to Hiroshima. These students come from various regions, such as Malaya, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, Seram, Muang Thai, and Burma. Among the students from Southeast Asian countries, there were several students from Indonesia, such as Syarif Sagala, Arifin Bey, and Hasan Rahaya. However, as the pressure of the Pacific War increased, after the fall of Saipan to the United States and the series of B-29 bomber attacks on Tokyo, the Japanese government began to distribute students from Southeast Asia to regional universities for their safety. After taking the exam for their respective majors, Arifin Bey, Hasan Rahaya, and Syarif Sagala decided to continue their education at teacher training colleges. At that time, in Japan, there were only two "Universities of Letters and Sciences" that educated prospective teachers, one in Tokyo and one in Hiroshima. They were advised to choose Hiroshima because, at that time, the city had never been attacked by American bombers. However, on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped by a United States B-29 fighter jet on the city. This research focuses on the implementation of the repatriation program for hibakusha (Nanpou Tokubetsu Ryuugakusei) from Indonesia, their life experiences, and their careers after returning home, along with their contribution to social and economic development in post-independence Indonesia and their role as intermediaries in rebuilding Indonesia-Japan relations.

Keywords: Nanpou Tokubetsu Ryuugakusei, Indonesian Hibakusha, Repatriation, Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima