In front of a crowd of about 30 fellow Indonesians, Daniel Pratama steps up to the mic and starts his routine — this one about the hardships of job hunting in Tokyo.
"I was once told by a client that they wouldn’t hire an Indonesian because ‘They always fast,’” the 36-year-old recruiter says. “But I explained that Indonesians only fast during Ramadan, and they are strong enough — unlike Arsenal, who haven’t won the league in 20 years."
Pratama is just one of several people who perform as part of Stand Up Indonesia Tokyo, a community of Indonesian comedians, comedy fans and others with ties to the Southeast Asian country seeking a semblance of the culture and connections they knew back home. The group convenes at various venues — most recently, an event space above a FamilyMart convenience store in Shinjuku Ward. Although not everyone in the audience performs, seven people took the stage at an event last month to share some laughs and keep the community strong.
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