Japanese universities’ interest in Islam: economic reasons or cultural motives?

Japanese interest in Islam is growing on various levels. This is reflected in Japanese universities, which are interested in Islam from two main aspects. The first aspect shows interest in the Muslim students studying there, while the second aspect deals with the study of the Islamic religion itself and the situation in Muslim countries. Several research centers have been established for this purpose.

Creating an atmosphere for Muslim students

Japanese universities that accept international students are taking steps to integrate Muslim students. In 2014, Kanda University of International Studies obtained halal certification to provide halal meals at the university restaurant, with the aim of integrating Asian and Arab students, as well as introducing Japanese students to different cultures through food. Similarly, Sophia University in Tokyo, International University of Japan, and Hiroshima University all added halal food to their campuses in some fashion.

Meanwhile, in April 2017, Rikkyo University opened a special prayer room in which the qiblah, the Islamic prayer direction towards Mecca, is designated. This came as part of its plans to enroll 2,000 foreign students by 2024. The university said in an official statement, "It is a good opportunity for our Japanese students to learn about Islamic culture."

It is clear that Japanese universities seek to provide an environment conducive for Muslim students to practice their religious rituals, whether by providing halal food, which is one of the biggest crises facing Muslims abroad, or by providing suitable prayer spaces.

These steps aim to attract as many international students as possible, as it is extremely profitable to host international students, especially from wealthy Islamic countries, where Japanese universities are seeking to open up new economic markets. This can clearly be seen on the universities’ websites.

Research centers: academic steps to understanding Islam

There are many research centers that Japanese universities have set up to study the Islamic religion specifically and monotheistic religions in general, with the aim of reaching a deeper understanding of these religions through their original texts and trying to find ways of linking Japanese legends and cultural thought with monotheistic concepts.

The number and significance of these centers has increased, including the Graduate School of African and Asian Area Studies at Kyoto University and CISMOR at Doshisha University.

Graduate School of African and Asian Area Studies at Kyoto University

The Graduate School of African and Asian Studies was established at Kyoto University in the second half of 2007. The college aims to create a new model of coexistence between the different global and regional powers.

The university’s interest in this region is due to the fact that it will be a major influence in the global system in the 21st century because of the changes and interactions taking place. It was therefore necessary to study these areas and find a way to push the region’s countries towards sustainable development in line with the global community.

The college has contributed to the development of Middle East studies and has developed a research methodology based on the collection of original texts from the source, including the religious, political, legal, economic and societal aspects. It also publishes its research in the Asian and African Area Studies journal.

These research studies vary in terms of specialization. Among them are those related to Islamic political systems, such as “Implications of Historical Discourses in the Islamic State of Pakistan: School Textbooks in the Urdu Language”, “Islamic Political Parties in Iraq: Institutionalization and Mass Movement”, “Formation of New Islamic Political Party: Reformist Activities of the Da'wa Party”, “Islamic Parties in the Secularist Regime of Turkey” and “The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and Mustafa Al-Siba'i: A Methodological Approach to the Study of the Islamic Movement in Contemporary Syria”.

There are also economic and financial studies, including “The Dubai Approach as a New Resolution System for Islamic Finance Dispute Cases” and “Conceptualising and Locating the Social Failure of Islamic Finance: Aspirations of Islamic Moral Economy vs the Realities of Islamic Finance”.

Sufism is looked at in studies like “Analytical Framework of Sufism” and “A New Logic in the Sufi Organization: The Continuation and the Disintegration of the Tarīqas in Modern Egypt”, while there are also studies of a general Islamic nature, such as “Methodological Approach to the Study of Shakib Arslan: Islamic Thought and the Arab World in the Interwar Period” and “Problems and Resistance for Palestinian Society in the Old City of Jerusalem under Israeli Occupation: A Case Study of Commercial Streets”.

Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Monotheistic Religions (CISMOR) at Doshisha University

The CISMOR center has been affiliated with the Faculty of Theology at Doshisha University since 2003, receiving support from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The center aims to conduct studies on the monotheistic religions that have emerged in the Middle East, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The center sees Japan as the only country capable of hosting such centers because of its tolerant nature, and it disseminates the results of its research on the three religions among Japanese citizens in order to link Japanese traditions with the monotheistic religions. The center publishes its research in Arabic, English and Japanese, with articles available on its website.

While the center has published studies on all three monotheistic religions, significant attention has been given to Shiite thought and the Iranian model of governance. There are also comparative philosophical and political studies, such as a study comparing monotheism and communism. Studies in Islamic movements and Sufism are also represented.