Jakarta: Nov.29-Dec.4, 2015

I came to Jakarta for the first time in about 18 years and walked around the city. A mask was indispensable to prevent the dirty air from coming into my body.

I found dramatic changes of the town. The city was full of energy for development, and messy.

Skyscrapers, traffic jam, motorbikes, air pollution, busway, and mobile phones are among the keywords which symbolize current situation of the metropolis.

Jakarta was huge but flat in my memory 18 years ago. Now, there are hundreds of skyscrapers in many districts in the city.

The buildings are not only tall, but also massive.

Constructions are under way everywhere. 

In addition to the buildings, works to make transportation system (Mass Rapid Transit, which includes subway) are being conducted.

There remain old houses around the modern skyscrapers (see the top photo). 

The sidewalks are full of holes.

The water remains long on the road after the rain. 

The canals are dirty. The contrast between the new and the old is impressive.

Traffic jam is heavy. It took more than 15 minute to move a bloc by taxi. There are so many motor bikes (like other Southeast Asian nations) and three wheelers (the also second photo from the top). 

Jakarta does not have its subway system so far (it is under construction). Instead, they have the "busway" system. I took on it (see also the third photo from the top).

The air pollution is mainly caused by the emission of the bikes and cars, not by the haze here in Jakarta. I had a headache when I forgot wearing a mask on my mouth.

I found the development of the middle class. The new shopping centers in central Jakarta are large and spacious. They attracted many shoppers. I found the prices of the goods and foods were as expensive as those in Tokyo, but many customers were enjoying their shopping and meals.

I saw the customers making lines to make their shopping cards in the “Plaza Indonesia”, one of the leading shipping malls.

There are shopping centers for less rich people, too. I visited one of them in the northern part of the city. Many goods were displayed in narrow spaces. The prices of the goods were lower. The prices were much lower in the open-air stalls outside.

The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, which makes a problem as economy rapidly develop.

Families enjoyed their holidays in the Murdeka Square, central Jakarta. They took pictures in front of the 132meter-high Monas monument, which commemorate the independence.

Hundreds of people gathered in the Fatahillah Squre in Bativia, northern part of the city. The area is the birthplace of Jakarta. Old Dutch court stands at the side of the square. The first construction of the Bativia CIty was in the early 17^th century or about 400 years ago.

The mobile phones were used every where.

The Japanese pop culture was popular, I found. JKT 48' s theater is in a commercial building in Senayan, southern Jakarta. I also found various Japanese characters used in the packages of food products even if the products were not made by Japanese companies.