Japan Mosque Plan Draws Local Opposition Amid Immigration Anxiety

A plan to build the first mosque in the coastal city of Fujisawa, about an hour from Tokyo, has triggered opposition from some residents. The project has ignited debate over social change, immigration, and national identity in Japan.

The backlash reflects growing unease among some segments of society as the number of foreign workers coming to Japan increases to address labour shortages caused by a declining and ageing population.

‘It makes me worry about how our community might change. To be honest, I might just be afraid of what I don’t know yet,’ Fujisawa resident Noriko Izumizawa told the BBC. She admitted to feeling anxious as the Muslim community became more visible in her neighbourhood and said debates over immigration in the United States and Europe had influenced her views on changes occurring in Japan.

Opposition to the mosque project sparked protests near the local train station earlier this year. Some residents argued the planned building, which is larger than a nearby Shinto shrine, shows a lack of respect for local traditions.

The opposition has also fuelled a surge of hate speech and disinformation on social media. Several mosques reported receiving abusive phone calls and emails, prompting anti-discrimination groups to stage counter-demonstrations calling for an end to hatred against the Muslim community.

Hiroki Suzuka, a coffee shop owner near the proposed site, urged the community to open a dialogue. He believes understanding Islam and the values held by Muslims is a crucial step to reducing misunderstanding. Sri Lankan-born entrepreneur Mohamed Mohideen, a long-term resident of Japan, echoed this sentiment, stating that more intensive dialogue is needed for mutual understanding between the community and Muslims. ‘On social media, there are so many comments like ’Get out of Japan’ and ‘Go back to your own country’. People have also started coming to mosques and shouting abuse,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Shakeel Mohamed, a representative of Yashio Mosque in Saitama Prefecture, stressed that the Muslim community strives to respect Japanese rules and culture. ‘We make every effort to respect the way of life in Japan and comply with the rules. Politeness is also very important, even for simple things like greeting people,’ he said.

The debate over the mosque comes as the number of foreign residents in Japan rises. Professor Emeritus Hirofumi Tanada of Waseda University noted the Muslim population in Japan reached approximately 420,000 by the end of 2024, up from around 230,000 in 2019. This growth mirrors a national trend where the number of foreign residents—mostly from China, Vietnam, South Korea, and the Philippines—surpassed four million in 2025. Government data shows a record 2.57 million foreign nationals were working in Japan that same year, while the local population shrank by nearly one million.

The Japanese government has long avoided the term ‘immigration country’, instead promoting the use of temporary visas. This system is often criticised as a form of ‘stealth immigration’. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has taken a strongly conservative stance against large-scale immigration. In June 2026, the government decided to raise visa fees for foreign nationals fivefold, the first increase in nearly 50 years. The government is also planning to add around 230 personnel to the Immigration Services Agency to tighten enforcement against overstayers, and officials are even considering quota restrictions to manage the number of foreign nationals in the country.