Tokyo – Joni Firdaus, who is known as Uda Jon, never imagined that his move to Japan in June 2011 would lead him to become an entrepreneur in Sakura Country. This man from West Sumatra now runs Rantau Tokyo, a premium car rental company serving guests from Indonesia to Korea. As a member of the advisory board of the Japanese Minang Family Association (IKM), Uda Jon is known for being active in the migrant community. He came to Japan after marrying his wife who studied in Sakura Country. “My wife studied Japanese and then international relations in Shizuoka, near Mount Fuji,” he said. He met his wife through taaruf, introduced by his brother-in-law who was on the same campus as him in Padang. Before actually settling in Tokyo, Uda Jon lived back and forth between Indonesia and Japan for three years. He has two companies in his hometown, namely Solek Express Indonesia in the cargo sector and Solok Panca in the goods supply sector. “One month in Indonesia, one month in Japan. But over time I had to choose, because working here it is difficult to pray on Friday prayers,” he said. Scroll TO CONTINUE CONTENT After trying several part-time jobs at a number of companies and at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Uda Jon finally found an opportunity in the transportation business. Initially, he only ran a travel service using a white plate car – a private car used to transport guests. However, after the rules were tightened, Uda Jon decided to take a big step. “I bought a Korean company in January 2024. With permission, I changed the name to an overseas Tokyo company,” he explained. The process of changing the name took eight months. Now Rantau Tokyo has 10 cars consisting of three New Alphards, four Hiaces, two 2018 Vellfires and one old model Alphard. “If we don’t update our fleet, what’s the difference with other big companies,” he said with a smile. Competition in Tokyo is quite stiff, especially with a number of companies from China offering cheaper prices. Despite this, Uda Jon remains confident in the premium segment. “We rent premium, the newest fleet is 2025,” he said when met in Tokyo on Friday (17/10/2025). Through his Instagram account @rantautokyo.jp, Uda Jon often shares the activities of his company which is now the choice of many Indonesian tourists in Japan. He said, Rantau Tokyo employs managers from various countries – Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia. “Now there are five Indonesians, most of them from a network of friends. There is also a Japanese person, his wife is Indonesian, so he can speak Indonesian,” he said. Half of Rantau Tokyo’s customers come from Indonesia, the rest from Korea. Many of them are officials and businessmen visiting Japan. “Usually from the Indonesian Embassy, BNI, to BI as well,” said Uda Jon. Even though he is well settled in Tokyo, Uda Jon still longs to return home. “If this business is really up and running, I want to return to Indonesia. But for now, I’m still looking at the Tokyo Overseas first,” he concluded the conversation. Also watch the video “Grilling Achievements of the Nation’s Children at the 2025 Tokyo International Choir Competition” here: (tor/idn)
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