Dewi Sukarno

Dewi Sukarno
Born	Naoko Nemoto (1940-02-06) February 6, 1940 Tokyo, Japan
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, social figure, television personality
Known for	Former wife of Sukarno, inaugural President of Indonesia

, commonly referred to in Japan as , is a prominent Japanese entrepreneur, social figure, and television personality. She was once married to Sukarno, the inaugural President of Indonesia.

Biography

Born Naoko Nemoto on February 6, 1940, in Tokyo, she is the daughter of Heishichiro and Masako Nemoto. After her father, a carpenter by trade, passed away when she was 15, she took a job at the "Copacabana" club to help provide for her family.

At 19 years old in 1959, Nemoto encountered Sukarno during his official visit to Japan; he was 38 years older than her. At the time, she was studying the arts and working as an entertainer. They wed in Indonesia in 1962, during which she embraced Islam and adopted the Indonesian name "Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno," translating to "the jewel essence of a goddess." The couple had one daughter named Kartika (born March 11, 1967), who was Sukarno's eighth child. Following Sukarno’s overthrow by General Suharto in 1967, he died three years later in 1970.

Subsequent to these events, Dewi Sukarno moved to Europe, spending three years in Switzerland, ten years in France, and another decade residing in the United States. By 2008, she had returned to Japan and settled in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, surrounded by various keepsakes.

As of 2012, she operates a cosmetics enterprise and frequently appears on Japanese television programs. She has also participated as a judge at events such as the Miss International 2005 pageant held in Tokyo. Renowned for her refined appearance, she denies undergoing any cosmetic surgeries despite circulating rumors.

In Japanese media circles, Dewi Sukarno is noted for her candid and forthright demeanor. In an interview with CNN Indonesia, she conveyed reluctance to be solely identified as the widow of President Sukarno decades after his passing.

Controversies

In January 1992, Dewi Sukarno became involved in a highly publicized incident in Aspen, Colorado, with Minnie Osmeña, heiress and granddaughter of former Philippine President Sergio Osmeña. The confrontation culminated with Sukarno striking Osmeña’s face using a champagne flute, causing injuries that required 37 stitches. As a result, Sukarno was held for 34 days on charges related to disorderly conduct. The conflict reportedly originated from earlier tensions linked to Osmeña’s political aspirations.

In 1993, Dewi Sukarno appeared in Madame d'Syuga: Dewi with Love, a semi-nude photo collection by Hideki Fujii published in Japan but banned in Indonesia under the New Order regime due to perceived disrespect toward her late husband’s legacy.

In 1997, she denied involvement in an altercation described as "hair-pulling" at a Halloween party involving Kaethe Schuchter, companion of fraudulent financier Martin Frankel. After Schuchter fled the United States amid fraud accusations, Sukarno’s defamation suit against her remained unresolved until Schuchter’s arrest in Italy in 2009.

Following North Korea's satellite launch in 2009, Dewi Sukarno publicly criticized the Japanese media's portrayal of the event. This stance provoked protests from right-wing groups outside her Tokyo residence. She confronted these demonstrators directly and openly criticized law enforcement's handling of the situation.

In 2012, she erroneously identified an individual accused of bullying related to a student suicide on her blog. This misidentification led to legal action seeking damages; in 2014, Kobe District Court ordered Dewi Sukarno to pay compensation amounting to 1.65 million yen. Although she contested the judgment initially, the matter was ultimately resolved through an out-of-court settlement.

In 2014, Tokyo police investigated allegations that she slapped a guest on a television program. She expressed remorse over the incident and confirmed it had been settled privately.

In 2017, Dewi Sukarno publicly supported Toshio Motoya, president of APA Group, amid controversy surrounding distribution of revisionist materials denying Japanese wartime atrocities. She defended Motoya’s right to free speech and redirected attention toward regional territorial disputes. Her association with Motoya later contributed to a boycott against Chinese entertainer Zhang Zhehan after photos surfaced showing him with Dewi Sukarno and at contentious shrines.

In October 2020, she issued an apology following remarks made on Kansai TV that linked female infertility to abortions and opposed abortion procedures.

In July 2023, Dewi Sukarno took to Twitter to defend the late Johnny Kitagawa against sexual abuse allegations by stating he "loved the children from his agency as if they were his own." These comments attracted criticism for appearing to minimize the severity of the scandal.

Politics and activism

Dewi Sukarno continues to hold Indonesian citizenship and was listed on the Permanent Elector's Roll at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo as of 2008, although she did not participate in voting. In 2016, she reiterated her commitment to retain her Indonesian nationality, emphasizing the importance of her passport for traveling to locations such as Blitar, where her late husband's grave is located.

Her engagement in Indonesian political affairs has been minimal since her husband's removal from power. In 2004, she spoke about her stepdaughter Megawati Sukarnoputri’s tenure as president, recognizing the difficulties encountered by a female Muslim leader. That same year, she collaborated with organizations like the Japanese Red Cross Society and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), expressing a willingness to support refugees and individuals living under oppressive governments, including North Korea.

After Suharto's passing in 2008, Dewi publicly condemned his authoritarian New Order administration, likening him to the Cambodian dictator Pol Pot.

In 2011, she launched an online campaign advocating for Crown Prince Naruhito’s disinheritance in favor of his younger sibling Fumihito.

On February 12, 2025, Dewi Sukarno partnered with animal rights advocate Horiike Hiroshi from the World Dog Alliance to establish the 12 Peace Party (12平和党). The party’s platform focused on enacting laws prohibiting the consumption of dogs and cats and aimed to secure representation in the House of Councillors. To participate actively in Japanese politics, Dewi sought to renounce her Indonesian citizenship and reclaim Japanese nationality. However, by April 20, she had not successfully regained citizenship status, resulting in the party's disbandment without nominating candidates.

Filmography

• PriPara Mi~nna no Akogare Let's Go PriPari (2016) – voice role as Ploria Ōkanda
• Idol Time PriPara (2017) – voice role as Ploria Ōkanda (episode 39)
• The Confidence Man JP: Episode of the Princess (2020)

References

Cited sources

External links

• Dewi Sukarno, JapanZone