Muslims in Japan, a complex scene, anonymous donations

In Japan, we often see people working for long hours like machines and maybe even more precise, therefore, finance and business might have a heavier scale than spiritual practices in the Japanese society, increasing chances of success for spiritual and religious calls, such as Islam, which relies on several mechanisms within the Japanese society to spread, especially in light of influences by the Western Islamophobia ideas.

“By the end of this century, Muslims will overtake Christians to become the world’s largest religion in terms of followers. In fact, it is not uncommon to find Muslim community in our surroundings,” says Professor Tanada from the Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University. “It is important for us to first lend a listening ear to better understand them in order for us to live in harmony with the Muslim community,” he added.

It is difficult to say how many Muslims reside in Japan, because the government never asks its citizens to declare a spiritual affinity, however, their ranks seem to be growing.

The total foreign “Muslim” population as of the end of each year is estimated to be about 5,300 in 1984, 30,000 in 1995, 56,300 in 2003, a study by professor Hiroshi Kojima of Waseda University said. Moreover, a 2008 paper from the Seattle-based National Bureau of Asian Research calculated the total number of immigrant Muslims at 70,000 to 80,000.

Based on the data from 2016, there are currently approximately 120,000 overseas Muslims and 10,000 Japanese Muslims living in Japan. Although most Muslims in Japan lives in the three major metropolitan areas, namely Greater Tokyo Area, Chukyo Metropolitan Area and Kinki Region, the Muslim network has never ceased expanding throughout Japan.

The Asian government also adopted policies for Muslim visitors such as a visa exemptions since 2013 for ASEAN countries due to the large numbers of Muslims visiting the country.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), nearly 271,000 Indonesians travelled to Japan in 2016, up from just 63,000 in 2009. Similarly, more than 394,000 Malaysians arrived last year, up from 89,000 seven years ago.

Japan has been backing a movement toward hospitality for Muslims, such as introducing prayer rooms in airports and high tourist traffic areas. Government backed subsidies are also available for businesses with halal certificates.

Growing support for Muslims falls in line with the Olympic hospitality for international tourists. Japan aims to be able to attract over 200,000 Muslim tourists to Japan.

In January 2014, Japan’s first halal-certified food-processing facility opened in the Makuhari area in central Chiba. The operator, Sato Chohachi-Shoji Co., a Tokyo-based food trading firm, said the plant is working on research and development. The efforts by the private sector follow the relocation of the headquarters of the certifying organization Nippon Asia Halal Association from Tokyo to the city.

The Halal Expo 2014, which ran November 26–27, 2014 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, brought together certification agencies, Japanese businesses selling halal-branded products and services, and Muslim residents of Japan.

The expo featured presentations by experts on halal business, but the real highlight was a trade fair of Japanese-made goods, providing visitors with a firsthand experience of Japan’s halal market.

Since the beginning of 1990s, there has been an increasing number of mosques being built across the Japanese archipelago, from Okinawa prefecture all the way to Hokkaido prefecture. Even though there are currently over 90 mosques throughout Japan, most Japanese are unaware of it.

Nevertheless, as there is an increasing number of movements and initiatives that aimed to promote understanding of Islam and Muslims in recent years, more and more mosques are accepting mosque tours and organizing events for Japanese to participate.

In the heart of a quiet residential area in Yoyogi Uehara, just a short distance from the bustling city-center hotspots of Shinjuku and Harajuku, is the Tokyo Camii mosque, the largest mosque in Japan, built in impressive Ottoman style. Camii is a Turkish word derived from the Arabic jami, and refers to a central “congregational mosque”.

In Ramadan, Tokyo Camii provides free “iftar” (evening meals) to 200 visitors, regardless of religion, to introduce residents to Islamic culture.

But even with this, the Japanese government appears the be affected by the negative Islamophobia campaigns; a 2010 leak of 114 police files revealed nationwide surveillance of Japanese Muslims. The files revealed that Muslim places of worship, halal restaurants and Islam-related organizations across the capital, Tokyo, were being monitored. However, the presiding judges did not make a judgment on police profiling and surveillance tactics which a lower court had upheld as "necessary and inevitable" to guard against international terrorism.

1- Japan Islamic Trust

The association was founded in Japan’s Ikebukuro under the supervision of businessman Aqeel Ahmed Siddiqui, who has been living in Japan for 45 years, and currently heads the board with the assistance of Haroon Qureshi, general-secretary of the association.

This association aims at preserving the teachings of Islam in Japan by teaching and translating the Quran and the Sunna and delivering religion classes in Masjid Otsuka.

The idea of the Masjid Otsuka grew out of the concerns of Muslims living in Central Tokyo in the 70s and 80s who wanted to educate their children according to Islamic principles. Masjid Otsuka was completed in December 1999 at a total cost of Yen 68,927,695 Yen. The local donations came to 38,454,323 Yen. Remaining amount came through foreign donations.

The association also aims at establishing other mosques in new areas like Tottori and has managed to receive about 11,000,000 Yen, including 3,500,000 Yen from Muslim students in Tottori University.

The association also collect winter related aid, like blankets, sleeping bags, sweaters, jackets, and warm socks, and ship them to Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Pakistan; it managed to provide food aid to around 7,00 families in Syria in 2016.

2- Hiroshima Islamic Cultural Centre

Hiroshima Islamic Cultural Center (HICC) is the first Islamic cultural center and mosque to be founded in Hiroshima prefecture in May 2012 with an aim to provide “an aromatic seed planted in Japan that Muslims will reap its fine fruits with the necessary care.

The HICC is an extension of the Saijo Muslim Association (SMA) that was founded more than 15 years ago by the Muslims studying in Hiroshima University. In 2011, the Hiroshima Court has formally changed the ownership of center's land and building to Hiroshima Islamic Cultural Center (HICC).

3- Shizuoka Muslim Association

Shizuoka Muslim Association(SMA) has been established in 2010 as a community group of Muslims residing in Shizuoka City and its suburban areas. It aims at improving the living of Muslims and to meet the social needs of holding religious ceremonies and educational events such as Islamic studies, Iftar parties, Zakat & Sadaqa collections, Friday and Eid prayers and Family picnic.

SMA aspires to achieve its “utmost” goal, which is to build a Masjid for this community and SMA manages the fund and operation of “Shizuoka Masjid Project”.

It also seeks to assist and promote education, communication and social welfare for the Muslim community of the central Shizuoka area and the extended areas, and to spread the teachings of Islam and to support cultural and educational events to promote multicultural understanding.

4- Muslim Care Japan

This non-profit organization announced it was created mainly to propagate humanity aid and charity activities throughout the world mainly in Japan.

Its mission is to spread love and peace in this world by propagating humanity aid and charity activities in Japan by collaborating with Muslim Care Malaysia Society and other international NGOs all over the world.

The organization, however, seems vague as it has not launched an official website, as it only operates through a Facebook page, moreover, its views are not that clear; In July 14, the page slammed the Chinese government for the “sufferings of Muslims” there, and in another post in May 15, it declared solidarity with the Palestinian case.

In Nov. 20, the organization posted a controversial eulogy for Pakistan's Tableeghi Jamaat chief Haji Muhammad Abdul Wahab.

5- Japan Muslim Foundation

Founded in 2011, the Japan Muslim Foundation is an officially recognized religious organization in Osaka that spreads Islamic teachings, supports Islamic activities in Japan and to have mutual understanding between Islamic culture and Japanese culture among the society to unify.

Its objectives vary to include the establishment of prayer facilities for Muslims, creating gathering opportunities, supporting social activities and exchanging information and cultures for a better understanding.