Mosque Construction Plan Emerges in Itoshima, Fukuoka, Amid Complaints of Insufficient Advance Notice to Residents
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It has come to light that a plan to build a mosque in Shimamoroyoshi, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is being pursued by the general incorporated association Fukuoka Ito International Cultural Exchange Association. The association has already purchased the planned construction site for ¥120 million and is soliciting donations totaling ¥15,972,000 to obtain building permits, with a fundraising deadline of January 20.
The association opened a school for Muslims in a nearby area in April 2023 and reportedly has a track record of engaging with local residents through activities such as neighborhood cleanups. However, when the mosque construction plan became a topic of discussion on social media, reactions such as "I'm hearing about this for the first time" and "Has the city already granted permission?" poured in, with some pointing out that information was not adequately shared with residents beforehand.
Current status: Details such as whether building permits will be granted, the specific scale of construction, and any plans for resident briefing sessions remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Regarding mosque construction elsewhere, the "Fujisawa Masjid" project in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture, has seen efforts toward dialogue through resident briefing sessions and the launch of an official website (related coverage), even as opponents and supporters have clashed near a train station (related coverage). In Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, the city issued a removal order for an unauthorized "illegal mosque" (related coverage). Similar friction has emerged in communities across the country.
Editorial Perspective
The Technical Intern Training Program is set to be replaced by the new Employment for Skill Development system in April 2027 (related article), and developments like this one can be seen as part of the institutional design process during that transition. Expanding acceptance also requires resolving practical issues such as broker problems in sending countries and building proper oversight systems among accepting employers. For the new system to work as intended rather than merely on paper, it will be important to continue examining how it actually operates once implemented. For a comparison of how mosque construction has played out in different municipalities, see this site's explainer.