KUALA LUMPUR - Five Indonesian women working in Japan as technical intern trainees rescued an elderly woman who had fallen into a roadside canal in Kumamoto Prefecture, police said.

According to the Kumamoto Minami Police Station, the incident occurred around 8.30 pm on January 15, when three of the trainees were cycling home from work along a road in Kumamoto City’s Minami Ward. 

They noticed a woman in her 80s who had fallen into a canal beside the road and was calling for help.

The canal was about one meter deep, and the three women worked together to pull the woman out and bring her to safety. 

They then contacted two coworkers who speak Japanese and reported the incident to the police.

Speaking to local media, one of the trainees said, “In Indonesia, this is something natural. If someone is in trouble, we should help them.”

The five women work at a vegetable sorting and packaging facility in Kumamoto City, where they select and pack produce. 

They are working in Japan to support their families back home.

Police later presented the five trainees with certificates of appreciation for their actions.

According to Kumamoto Prefecture, the number of foreign residents in the prefecture reached 29,385 as of the end of December 2024, an increase of about 15% from the previous year. 

Vietnamese, Filipino, and Indonesian nationals make up the largest groups, and more than half of foreign residents hold technical intern or specified skilled worker status.

As Japan continues to debate how foreign workers are received and integrated into local communities, the incident highlights the everyday contributions foreign residents make to society.