Biography
Who is Dewi Sukarno?
Early life and real name
Dewi Sukarno was born Naoko Nemoto on February 6, 1940. She grew up in Tokyo as the daughter of Masako and Heishichiro Nemoto. Her mother suffered from constant illness and her father worked as a carpenter. He passed away when she was 15. She had a younger brother named Yasoo. To support herself, she worked at the Copacabana club and later trained as a geisha.
Marriage to President Sukarno
In 1959, she met Sukarno at a hostess bar in the Ginza district of Tokyo. He was the first president of Indonesia and was visiting Japan on a state trip. The pair married in Indonesia in 1962. After converting to Islam, she received the name Ratna Sari Dewi Sukarno, which means the jewel essence of a goddess. Together they had a daughter named Kartika in 1967. Following the overthrow of her husband in 1967, she moved to Europe. Sukarno died three years after his ousting.
Life in Europe and return to Japan
Dewi lived in several different countries for many years. She spent three years in Switzerland and ten years in France. She also resided in the United States for a decade. By 2008, she returned to Japan and settled in the Shibuya area of Tokyo. She lives in a residence filled with memorabilia. She now manages a cosmetics business and cares for 16 dogs.
Career and education
She studied at the Bandung Institute of Technology and was once an arts student. She is a frequent guest on Japanese television shows and works as a tarento and seiyū. In 2005, she served as a judge for the Miss International pageant in Tokyo. She is also a YouTuber and a philanthropist. Her work has included partnerships with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Japanese Red Cross Society. She was recognized as one of Asia's Most Influential in Indonesia.
Public controversies and legal cases
Dewi has faced several public disputes. In 1992, she was detained for 34 days in Aspen after an altercation with Minnie Osmeña. In 1993, a semi-nude photo book featuring her was banned in Indonesia. In 1997, she filed a defamation lawsuit against Kaethe Schuchter. In 2009, she threw plant pots from her balcony at protestors in Minato. In 2012, a court ordered her to pay 1.65 million yen for a blog post about a bullying case. She was also accused of slapping a guest on the show Okusama wa Monster 2 in 2014. In 2017, she drew criticism for her comments regarding Japanese war crimes. In 2020, she apologized for linking abortion to infertility on the show Mune-ippai Summit!. In July 2023, she defended Johnny Kitagawa on Twitter against child sexual abuse allegations. She claimed that the criticism of him brought disgrace to Japan.
Birthday and age
Dewi Sukarno was born on February 6, 1940, which makes Dewi 86 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Dewi shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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