When Japanese companies consider Indonesian workers, questions about religion often come up. Will daily prayers interrupt work? What about the fasting month? Can a worker who wears a hijab work safely on the shop floor? These are natural questions, especially for workplaces new to Muslim staff. This article shares basic facts and practical arrangements so that companies and workers can discuss them openly. Practice differs from person to person, so please read it as general background.
Religion and belief in Indonesian life
Indonesia is a diverse country. According to population registration data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (first half of 2024), about 87% of Indonesians are Muslim. About 7% are Protestant Christians and about 3% are Catholics, and there are also Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians and followers of indigenous belief systems. The first principle of Pancasila, the state philosophy, is belief in One God, and each person's religion or belief is recorded on the national identity card (KTP).
For many Indonesians, faith is part of everyday life and is often linked to values such as honesty, discipline, gratitude and care for family. At the same time, it is personal: how strictly and in what way someone practises varies widely. It is best not to assume, and simply to ask each person.
What daily prayer (sholat) involves
Muslims perform five daily prayers, called sholat in Indonesian: at dawn (Subuh), midday (Dzuhur), afternoon (Ashar), sunset (Maghrib) and night (Isya). The times are based on the position of the sun, so they change through the year and from place to place.
- Short: each prayer usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes, including ablution (wudhu), a simple washing of the face, hands, arms and feet.
- Only some fall in working hours: on a typical day shift, usually one or two (midday and afternoon). Dawn and night prayers are normally done at home.
- Flexible time windows: each prayer can be performed within a window, not at one fixed minute. In Tokyo, the midday window starts around 11:30 to 12:00 and lasts a few hours, so it can often be done during a regular break.
- Seasonal change: in winter the sunset prayer may come before the shift ends (around 16:30 to 17:00 in Tokyo in December), which is worth considering when planning breaks.
- Combining prayers: many Muslims understand that in certain situations, such as travel, two prayers may be combined (jamak). How this applies to work is a personal matter.
Does prayer affect work performance?
In most cases the time is short and can be scheduled within breaks. Many Indonesian workers have manufacturing experience at home, including at Japanese-affiliated factories. Indonesian labor law requires employers to give workers adequate opportunity to worship, and factories there commonly have a small prayer room (mushola) and plan breaks around prayer times. Japanese companies in Indonesia have long combined production schedules with prayer, and many workers are used to such rules.
The key is to agree in advance, rather than on the spot, on when, where and for how long. Japan's Labor Standards Act requires a break of at least 45 minutes for more than six working hours and 60 minutes for more than eight, so prayer can often fit into scheduled breaks. Safety comes first: leaving a line or machine without an agreed arrangement is not acceptable, and this is easier to keep when explained clearly from the start.
Common questions and practical answers
Below are questions companies often ask, with arrangements that many workplaces have found workable. The right solution depends on each workplace, so it is worth discussing with the workers themselves.
| Topic | What it involves | Practical arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Prayer space | A clean, quiet place to stand, bow and kneel, about the size of one prayer mat. | A corner of a rest room or a small meeting room is usually enough; no special construction is needed. A mat and a washroom for ablution help. |
| Friday prayer | Men usually attend a congregational prayer at a mosque around midday on Fridays, about an hour including travel. | Options include adjusting shifts, using or extending the lunch break, or deciding case by case. A mosque may be far away, and some workers understand they cannot attend every week. |
| Ramadan fasting | One month a year without food or drink from dawn to sunset. It moves about 11 days earlier each year; in 2027 and 2028 it falls roughly between late January and early March. | Fasting is personal, and many Muslims understand that people who are ill or travelling, for example, may not fast. Watch for fatigue and dehydration in heavy or hot work, consider break timing around sunset, and plan leave for Idul Fitri (Lebaran) at the end of the month early. |
| Food | Many Muslims avoid pork, alcohol and their derivatives, and some eat only meat prepared according to Islamic rules (halal). The level of care differs by person. | Many workers bring their own lunch. In cafeterias and at events, labelling ingredients (pork and alcohol, including in seasonings) helps people choose. |
| Company events | Many Muslims do not drink alcohol, but many still enjoy joining social events. Some may prefer to skip parts of an event, and that is a personal choice. | Workers can join a nomikai with soft drinks. A few non-alcoholic drinks and dishes without pork let everyone take part. |
Hijab at work
The hijab (jilbab in Indonesian), a headscarf covering the hair and neck, is a personal choice: many Indonesian Muslim women wear it and many do not. In Indonesian factories, women wearing a hijab commonly work on production lines, and there are practical ways to meet safety and hygiene rules.
- Machine safety: a close-fitting style with no loose ends, tucked into the uniform, reduces the risk of entanglement. Sports and inner hijabs are made for this.
- Helmets and caps: a thin inner hijab can usually be worn under a safety helmet or work cap.
- Food factories and cleanrooms: a hygiene cap or hood can go over a thin inner hijab, or a hood covering head and neck can serve the same purpose.
- Clothing: long sleeves and trousers usually suit standard uniforms.
- Agree in advance: explain safety and hygiene rules before the person joins, and decide together which styles are acceptable.
How the workplace responds matters just as much. When a hijab is treated as an ordinary part of a colleague's clothing, not a topic for comment, workers tend to feel more settled, which can support longer-term retention.
Respect in both directions
A short explanation at orientation helps Japanese colleagues understand why a co-worker steps away briefly at break time or skips alcohol at a party. Respect goes both ways: Indonesian workers are also expected to follow company rules, safety procedures and Japanese customs, and to raise requests through the agreed channel. When both sides know whom to ask, small questions are less likely to become misunderstandings.
What companies often notice
Every person is different, but companies often mention certain tendencies. Many Indonesians value harmony and mutual help (rukun, gotong royong), politeness and respect for seniors, which tends to fit Japanese workplace culture. For some, faith is also closely linked to honesty and a steady attitude to work.
Interest is growing as well. According to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 228,118 Indonesian nationals were working in Japan at the end of October 2025, up 34.6% from a year earlier, one of the highest growth rates among the main nationalities. Indonesia also has a population of more than 280 million, with a large working-age population.
A checklist before acceptance
- Prayer: which breaks to use, for how long, and where.
- Friday prayer: whether shifts or breaks need adjusting, and how.
- Ramadan: break timing, heavy or hot work, and leave around Idul Fitri.
- Food: cafeteria and lunch arrangements, and ingredient labels.
- Hijab and safety gear: acceptable styles with helmets, caps, hoods and uniforms.
- Company events: non-alcoholic drinks and food choices.
- Contact person: whom workers and Japanese colleagues can ask when unsure.
Closing
The aim is mutual understanding, not special treatment. Most of these points can be handled with small arrangements, and agreeing on them before the worker joins helps both the company and the worker feel at ease and work together over the long term.
Jobagus.id supports matching between Indonesian talent and companies in Japan. Where it is useful, JOBAGUS would be glad to help companies and candidates discuss these points before matching.
Sources: Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration, Ministry of Home Affairs of Indonesia (population by religion, first half of 2024, via databoks.katadata.co.id); Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, report on the employment of foreign nationals as of the end of October 2025 (mhlw.go.jp); Indonesian Law No. 13 of 2003 on Manpower, Article 80; Japan's Labor Standards Act, Article 34; Japan Tourism Agency, Muslim Omotenashi Guidebook (mlit.go.jp/kankocho).
This article gives general information as of October 2026. Religious practice differs by person and community. For specific arrangements, talk with the workers themselves and, where relevant, check official sources and local mosques or Muslim communities.