JICA Withdraws 'Africa Hometown' Initiative Amid Social Media Misinformation
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On August 21, 2025, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) announced, to coincide with the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) held in Yokohama, that it would designate Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture as a 'JICA Africa Hometown' for Mozambique, Kisarazu City in Chiba Prefecture for Nigeria, Sanjo City in Niigata Prefecture for Ghana, and Nagai City in Yamagata Prefecture for Tanzania. The stated aim was to promote exchange between the respective countries and municipalities.
However, immediately after the announcement, misinformation claiming that 'immigration would increase' and 'public safety would worsen' spread on social media, triggered in part by some reporting in the partner countries and by an erroneous announcement from the Nigerian government about a special visa. The four designated cities were flooded with anxious and angry phone calls. JICA and the Japanese government repeatedly denied any intent to promote immigration, but the criticism did not subside.
At a press conference on September 25, 2025, JICA's president announced the withdrawal of the 'Africa Hometown' initiative itself. The reason given was that the term 'hometown' had caused misunderstanding and confusion, placing an excessive burden on the four municipalities. Protests continued even after the withdrawal, including in Kisarazu City, drawing attention to the case as an example of local coexistence policy being significantly shaken by misinformation on social media.
The term 'hometown' is said to have contributed to the misunderstanding by evoking associations with accepting immigrants, illustrating the difficulty government bodies and municipalities face in choosing their words when communicating with the public. In the process leading up to the withdrawal, protests against the designated municipalities reportedly reached a level that disrupted normal operations, making this a textbook example of online misinformation directly affecting real-world administration.
Even after the initiative's withdrawal, Nagai City has continued to compile and publish the positions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and JICA (related coverage).