It’s not every day that a J. League club unveils its new foreign signing at an ambassador’s residence.
Yet that’s exactly the venue Tokyo Verdy chose to introduce Indonesian defender Pratama Arhan to Japanese media as well as 30 Indonesian outlets participating through Zoom — a sign of just how strongly both club and country believe in the 20-year-old’s potential not only as a player, but as someone who can deepen ties between Japan and Southeast Asia’s most populous nation.
“Next year will be the 65th anniversary of Japan-Indonesian diplomacy, and (Bali) will host the G20 Summit later this year,” Indonesian Ambassador Heri Akhmadi said Friday, seated between Arhan and Verdy President Takaaki Nakamura.