History of Japanese Colonization of Indonesia: Historical Date of Japan's Entry into Indonesia to Seize Dutch Power

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As has been recorded in its history, that before the Japanese came to Indonesia, Indonesia was still under Dutch rule or colonization. The Dutch colonial period, it is said to have been the longest colonization of Indonesia, which was 350 years. This has been proven by the content of the Speech from Ir. Soekarno before reading the text of the Proclamation saying "For decades we Indonesian people have struggled.. Even Hundreds of years of wave action.. (Bonet. M, 2021). This statement, according to Anju Nofarof Hasudungan, in his 2021 Journal, Vol. 9 No. 3 Page 131 said, is only to trigger the spirit of the Indonesian people in their struggle.

However, after the period that we think we know is 350 years of Dutch colonization of Indonesia, all of that began to stop when the Japanese came to Indonesia. Japan first landed its boat in East Kalimantan, Tarakan Island, on January 11, 1942. Previously, on December 8, 1941, the Japanese first arrived at Pearl Habour to attack a US Military base. Until then Japan managed to break through parts of Asia, such as Indonesia which was said to have entered on that date. After the Japanese landed, on the next day on January 12, the Japanese succeeded in making the Dutch Army Commander surrender. Until then, on January 24, 1942, Balikpapan as an oil city was occupied by the Japanese. Following other cities in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Japan itself succeeded in occupying Palembang the following month, namely on February 16.

Subsequently, the Japanese forces made plans to attack the island of Java, and around the beginning of March they were able to land in several ports in Java. Another opinion says that at that time the port that the Japanese visited only three places, including the Port of Merak in Banten Bay, which was with Lieutenant General Hitoshi Imamura and his staff members. The second port was Eretan wetan, a northern coast in western Java, with Colonel Shoji and members of the Air Force planning to attack in Subang. Third, at Sragen Port, Central Java, with the Sakaguci Brigade Command Leader. Until March 5, 1942, they succeeded in controlling Batavia. Meanwhile, at that time Tjarda van Starkenbourgh, a Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, at the end of February 1942 had evacuated to Bandung. Then, the Japanese troops attacked Bandung from the north. After the battle ended, until later in Kalijati, Subang, West Java, the Dutch admitted their defeat and surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese. This incident can be known on March 8, 1942, with a handover signed by Lieutenant General Ter Poorter, a Commander of the Dutch Armed Forces, to the Leader of the Japanese Forces, namely Lieutenant General Imamura (Aman, 2015: 1-2).

From this event, with the surrender of the Netherlands to Japan, from then on Indonesia was under Japanese Rule and began to regulate the division of government areas in Indonesia.