REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NAGOYA -- President Joko Widodo left Tokyo aboard a Shinkansen Nozomi 311 train for Nagoya to visit the Toyota factory in the city on Wednesday.

As part of the state visit, the president and his entourage left the Tokyo Station at 8:53 a.m. local time. He was accompanied by First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo and several ministers and state officials.

The president's entourage, among others, included Chief Economic Minister Sofyan Djalil, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, Trade Minister Rachmad Gobel, State-owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto, Indonesian Defense Forces Commander General Moeldoko, and Head of the Capital Investment Coordinating Board Franky Sibarani.

On arrival in Nagoya, the president and his entourage were welcomed by Gagoya Governor Aichi and several officials of the region.

At the Toyota factory, the president met seven Indonesians who were on an apprentice program.

Trade Minister Rachmad Gobel remarked that the visit to Nagoya was part of a series of the president's state programs in Japan. The visit is expected to help boost the automotive company's investment in Indonesia.

"We hope Toyota will serve as a Japanese investment ambassador in Indonesia because it has a long investment history in Indonesia," he noted.

The ministers also expressed hope that Toyota would make Indonesia as a manufacturing base to export its products to other countries and not merely view the nation as a market.

"That is why we have come here to convince them that Indonesia is a decent place to serve as a production base for automotive exports," he explained.

In a series of meetings held with Japanese businessmen on the second day of his official visit to Japan, on Wednesday, President Joko Widodo focused on efforts to increase investment in export-oriented businesses in Indonesia.

The president addressed a business forum, which brought together 1.2 thousand businessmen, held a luncheon with several leading businesspersons of Japan, and had a one-on-one meeting with chief executive officers of Japanese companies that would expand their businesses in Indonesia, the Foreign Affairs Ministry noted in a press statement released on Wednesday.

At the meeting with the representatives of 29 large-scale Japanese companies, Jokowi stressed that Indonesia had comparative advantage not only as a huge market but also as a production hub.

He lauded Japanese companies that had transformed Indonesia into a production hub for the Asian and global markets, and urged them to increase their exports.

Furthermore, the president vowed to always respond to and immediately resolve any regulation constraints that Japanese investors face while making investments in Indonesia.

At the meeting, the Japanese entrepreneurs expressed their commitment and plan to increase investment in Indonesia. Several automotive manufacturers from the country have made Indonesia their production hub for the Asian, Japanese, and global markets.

The Japanese businessmen also appealed to the Indonesian government to pay attention to land clearance, work permits, and infrastructure development.

Several entrepreneurs from Japan who joined Keidanren also affirmed their plan to pay a business visit to Indonesia in April.

Moreover, President Joko Widodo revealed the strategy and focus of the five-year development program.

He noted that strong political stability and macroeconomic conditions had made Indonesia a favorable nation for Japanese companies to increase investment in the country.

After his visit to the Toyota factory, the president and his entourage will leave for Chubu Centraair International Airport to continue his state visit to Beijing, China.

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