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(MuslimMatters)Undecided Nation: How A Mosque In Kamagasaki Fills Japan’s Immigration Gap – A Photo Story

Release Date
2026-07-04
Media
MuslimMatters
Summary
Japan officially maintains that it is not a country of immigration, yet it has accepted growing numbers of foreign workers through programs such as the Technical Intern Training Program and international student pathways. By the end of 2023, about 3.4 million foreign residents were living in Japan, many of whom remain in legally and socially precarious positions. Former immigration official Hidenori Sakanaka argues that Japan has effectively become an immigration country while refusing to acknowledge it, leaving religious and ethnic communities to fill the gaps in social support.

The photo essay focuses on Masjid Istiqlal Osaka in Kamagasaki, where Muslims from Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other countries have built a strong mutual support network. The mosque serves not only as a place of worship but also as a center for education, family life, disaster relief, and community assistance. It provided halal food and shelter after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and helped foreign residents access food and COVID-19 vaccinations during the pandemic. The essay concludes that, although Japan has never officially chosen to become an immigration nation, immigrants are already establishing families, raising children, and building lasting communities, gradually transforming Japanese society from within.
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Coexistence

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