{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1886466,
        "msgid": "plans-for-mosque-in-japan-spark-debate-residents-admit-unfamiliarity-with-islam-1785243246",
        "date": "2026-07-28 18:39:20",
        "title": "Plans for Mosque in Japan Spark Debate, Residents Admit Unfamiliarity with Islam",
        "author": "Muhammad Hafil",
        "source": "REPUBLIKA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "A proposal to build the first mosque in Fujisawa, Japan, has ignited local controversy, reflecting broader national anxieties about immigration and social change. The debate highlights the tension between Japan's growing reliance on foreign workers to address labour shortages and the cultural adjustments this entails. Residents have expressed concerns about community transformation while acknowledging a lack of familiarity with Islam.",
        "content": "<p>At the moment, the site is just a patch of grass. But soon, it will\nbecome the location of the first mosque in this Japanese city. \u2018It makes\nme worry about how our community might change,\u2019 said Noriko Izumizawa, a\nlong-time resident. The plan to build an Islamic place of worship in\nFujisawa, a quiet seaside town about an hour\u2019s journey south of Tokyo,\nhas stirred a range of emotions. There has been anger and fear, as well\nas hope and acceptance, highlighting growing anxieties over immigration\nand social change as Japan grapples with labour shortages caused by a\nshrinking and ageing population. Although immigration remains\npolitically sensitive and restrictive, Japan is increasingly dependent\non foreign workers to fill job vacancies. This means an influx of\nimmigrants with different cultures, languages, religions, and ways of\nlife. Thus, the debate unfolding in cities like Fujisawa across the\ncountry strikes at the heart of how Japan sees itself.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/plans-for-mosque-in-japan-spark-debate-residents-admit-unfamiliarity-with-islam-1785243246",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}