Fujisawa, Kanagawa Pref. – A mosque construction project in Fujisawa, a city of 440,000 about an hour south of Tokyo, has become a focal point for debate over how Japanese communities are adapting to a growing Muslim population.

Sri Lankan businessman Mohamed Khaleel, 54, says the idea of building a mosque in his adopted hometown emerged over a decade ago among the local Muslim community. The closest big mosque to the city center, Ebina Masjid, is 20 kilometers away and has been struggling to serve the increasing Muslim population in the area.

In 2021, Khaleel and other local Muslims settled on the 980-square-meter site of an abandoned factory on the northern outskirts of Fujisawa. Then they set up the Fujisawa Masjid NPO, raised funds, purchased the land and began the slow process of obtaining the various building permissions required.

Adblock test (Why?)