IN Malaysia, we have come across foreign celebrities who have mastered the art of speaking fluently in Bahasa Malaysia such as singer Cassidy Anderson who is from Australia.
We also have Mat Dan, a British native who became a television personality, thanks to his ability to speak fluently in Bahasa Malaysia with a thick Terengganu accent.
Another international artiste who is eager to spread her wings in Malaysia is Haruka Nakagawa, a petite and “kawaii” (cute) 26-year-old from Tokyo, Japan.
A first impression of her will have you thinking she’s just another foreign celebrity, but don’t be surprised by her ability to banter fluently in Bahasa Indonesia! During a Press meeting at the Dentsu office in Damansara Heights, Nakagawa came across as extremely friendly and easy going.
Like many Japanese women, she looks younger than her age, especially with her choppy fringe and shoulder-length hair, paired with a knee-length dress.
Nakagawa has visited Malaysia a few times, and like many tourists, she has described her love for Malaysian food.
“I went to Jalan Alor, and stuffed my face full with local delights. I love the food here and it’s something I look forward to every time I come to Malaysia,” she said.
The high spirited young woman started her career in showbusiness when she was just 14 as a member of the Japanese Idol group AKB48 in 2006.
In 2012, Nakagawa was transferred to JKT48, the sister group to AKB48. JKT48 is based in Indonesia.
The rest, you could say is history, as Nakagawa set about building a career in Indonesia after falling in love with the people and the country.
However, she soon bid goodbye to JKT48 and embarked on a new adventure as a solo artiste.
Within half a year of living in Indonesia, Nakagawa was able to master the language, with help from friends in the industry.
In the six years that she lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nakagawa, who is now managed by Dentsu X, became widely known among Indonesians.
She described her journey as an artiste in Indonesia as a pleasant one despite encountering naysayers who believed she would be better off building a career back in her homeland.
“It’s normal to come across haters especially on social media. But I’m the type who likes to respond with kindness. I feel that’s the best way to deal with a negative environment.”
Now she is itching to penetrate the markets outside of Indonesia as well, and because Bahasa Malaysia is quite similar to Bahasa Indonesia, Nakagawa saw that as an advantage to easily grow a fan base here.
“Not only Malaysia, but the whole Asian region as well. In the near future, I plan to make my way to Thailand and the Philippines as well,” she said.
Nakagawa is looking for opportunities within the local entertainment industry be it acting or hosting.
Although she has built a profile as a singer, her singing career is on hold for the time being as she wants to focus on honing other crafts.
However, should an opportunity present itself to collaborate with Malaysian singers, she would not decline it.
“I would be more than happy to do so,” added Nakagawa, who recently starred in an Indonesian web series called Onigiri.
“I think it’s important for me to master a few languages to make it easier for me to communicate with my fans. I want to be the first Japanese artiste to build a name for herself here in Malaysia, and I believe I can achieve that.”
Does she miss Japan?
“Not really! I love living in Indonesia, and I would only go back to Japan if I have commitments related to work.”