Lunch Diplomacy: Ambassador Ishii’s “Grandpa Online” Strategy
When the food blogger and mukbang trends were all the rage, there was one person who didn’t want to be left behind. He is Masafumi Ishii, a 61-year-old Japanese senior citizen whose hair and eyebrows have almost entirely turned white. But Masafumi Ishii is no ordinary grandfather—he is the Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, a position he has held since 2017.
If you’ve never heard of Masafumi Ishii, try searching for the Instagram account with the username @jpnambsindonesia. Through that account, Ambassador Ishii regularly posts photos of his lunch while striking playful poses. Currently, 90.5 million people follow Ambassador Ishii on Instagram.
Ambassador Ishii’s posts are certainly not without purpose; as an ambassador, he is clearly implementing a cultural diplomacy strategy. Dishes from various regions across Indonesia are always featured on his lunch table. Whether it’s Nasi Langgi from Solo, Soto Padang, Se’i from Kupang, chicken satay, or home-cooked dishes like ayam goreng kremes and sayur asem, he always wears a long-sleeved batik shirt every day to complete his look. Occasionally, Ambassador Ishii also posts updates on his “Ambassador’s Batik Collection” to showcase the batik pieces from across Indonesia that he owns.
Ambassador Ishii’s playful poses while enjoying lunch have drawn adoring reactions from netizens. He isn’t shy about sticking out his tongue while pointing at his stomach, forming the letter “K” with his body to resemble the shape of the island of Sulawesi, or mimicking a miniature wayang puppet he took from a corner of his office as a prop. These spontaneous and off-the-cuff poses flooded Ambassador Ishii’s comment section with words like “funny,” “kawaii,” “adorable,” and “uwu.” It didn’t take long for Ambassador Ishii to go viral, even earning the title of “online grandpa” among his fans.
Source: Instagram @jpnambsindonesia
Engaging with social media has become essential today, including for fostering friendly relations between two countries. Diplomacy isn’t limited to formal events but also extends into the digital world, which is an integral part of many people’s daily lives. Although digital diplomacy isn’t limited to the use of social media, it is able to effectively reach a wider audience, particularly Millennials and Gen Z.
In addition to promoting cuisine and culture, Ambassador Ishii also regularly posts about his activities and work schedule. For example, he visited Palu to distribute donations, inspected the construction of the Jakarta MRT—which is partially funded by Japan—met with Gojek executives who have also received Japanese venture capital investment, and paid courtesy visits to high-ranking government officials during Eid al-Fitr. In some of his posts, he doesn’t hesitate to take selfies and strike playful poses, which have drawn adorable comments from his followers.
Source: Instagram @jpnambsindonesia
One interesting thing is that Ambassador Ishii has proven to be adept at reading the situation. During Ramadan, Ambassador Ishii did not want to disturb the solemnity of his followers’ fasting. He and his staff posted photos of their lunch at night, after the fast had been broken. Perhaps Ambassador Ishii didn’t want to make his followers drool over his lunch menu.
Digital diplomacy was previously practiced by Moazzam Malik, the predecessor of the British Ambassador to Indonesia. Unlike Ambassador Ishii, through his @MoazzamTMalik account, Moazzam Malik chose Twitter as a means to connect with Indonesian netizens. He actively shared updates on his visits and programs across various regions, including meetings with officials, the Liverpool fan community, and even students at a village Islamic boarding school. When his term in Indonesia came to an end, Moazzam Malik posted a farewell letter on his Twitter account. The heartfelt letter drew comments from his followers.
Ambassador Ishii’s popularity on Instagram has led many media outlets to compete to invite him to various television talk shows. Similarly, print and online media have been vying to interview him and write profiles about Ambassador Ishii. The tendency of the Indonesian media to feature viral content from social media has brought additional benefits to Ambassador Ishii. In addition to sharing his Instagram presence, Ambassador Ishii also had the opportunity to introduce cultural missions and strategic cooperation programs between the Japanese and Indonesian governments. By appearing on television or being featured on news portals, Ambassador Ishii can reach segments of the Indonesian public who may not yet use Instagram.
Armed with creativity in using Instagram, Ambassador Ishii seems to be carrying out public relations activities that are casual yet quite effective. He is able to present himself as an ambassador who is approachable and friendly toward the Indonesian people. In an interview, Ambassador Ishii acknowledged that Instagram helps him foster diplomacy that is closer to the Indonesian people.
Choosing food as a tool to win over netizens is a smart move, as cuisine is one of the things that can unite the Indonesian people. After all, who wouldn’t feel flattered that a grandfather from Japan is so passionate about Indonesian cuisine? Now, Ambassador Ishii has his followers eagerly awaiting each of his posts at lunchtime.
