Resistance to new mosques exposes tensions over Japan’s growing Muslim communities

AdvertisementJapanThis Week in AsiaPeopleResistance to new mosques exposes tensions over Japan’s growing Muslim communities

Muslim leaders say local opposition has been fuelled by negative overseas coverage of Islam and claims circulating online

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Julian RyallPublished: 10:31am, 29 Apr 2026Plans to build a mosque in Fujisawa, a city southwest of Tokyo, have become the latest flashpoint for Muslim communities in Japan, as a growing need for places of worship meets resistance from some local residents.

Muslim community leaders and scholars said the opposition in Fujisawa reflected a broader pattern in Japan, where resistance to mosques has increasingly been shaped by negative overseas coverage of Islam and claims spread on social media.

A public meeting in February called to allow local residents in Fujisawa to ask questions of the group seeking to build the mosque turned ugly, according to media reports, with around 200 residents jeering or shouting down comments from the mosque association.

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The association launched a website in January to answer concerns, explaining what a mosque – or masjid – is and the religious and social functions that it performs. The site also addresses concerns over noise and traffic initiatives being taken to minimise the impact on the surrounding community.

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“Many Muslims living in and around Fujisawa City have been living in this area for many years,” the website notes. “They shop at local stores, their children attend local schools and they live their daily lives as members of the community.

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