Japan’s Muslim population nearly doubled from approximately 230,000 in 2019 to roughly 420,000 by the end of 2024, according to Waseda University professor emeritus Hirofumi Tanada, a specialist in Islam in Japan. This rapid growth—driven largely by labor migration, particularly from Indonesia—is testing local communities and exposing tensions over religious accommodation, especially regarding mosques and burial practices.
The surge reflects Japan’s expanding foreign worker programs, which have drawn Muslims from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Turkey. Indonesians alone account for approximately 200,000 of the Muslim population, many arriving as technical interns or skilled workers under Japan’s Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia, implemented in 2008.
As the Muslim population has grown, disputes over prayer spaces and burial sites have become increasingly visible. In Fukuoka City in June 2025, a mosque’s application to use a public park for prayers during a major Islamic festival drew local controversy when the gathering expanded far beyond its permitted area, with about 600 Muslims ultimately occupying roughly six times the authorized space. In Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, plans to construct a dome-roofed mosque sparked an online petition that gathered more than 30,000 signatures opposing the project, with residents raising concerns about traffic, noise, and the building’s appearance.
Burial remains the most contentious issue. Islamic practice requires ground burial of the dead, yet Japan cremates approximately 99.97% of its deceased, and fewer than a dozen cemeteries nationwide accommodate Muslim burials. In response, the national government began surveying 129 prefectures and major cities in January 2026 about their cemetery regulations and capacity to accommodate burial, according to reporting from May 2026.
Several high-profile burial proposals have stalled. In Hiji, Oita Prefecture, a planned Muslim cemetery became a central election issue in 2024, with a newcomer campaigning against the project ultimately winning the mayoral race. In Miyagi Prefecture, Governor Yoshihiro Murai initially proposed developing burial facilities to attract and retain foreign workers as part of a multicultural coexistence strategy, but he formally withdrew the plan in September 2025 after all local mayors signaled opposition.
Political figures have entered the debate. In December 2025, Sanseito lawmaker Mizuho Umemura argued against expanding burial grounds during a Diet committee session, citing environmental risks and land constraints. The controversy reflects how questions once treated as local administrative matters are now becoming part of broader debates over immigration and national identity.
According to the Sankei Shimbun’s nationwide survey of local government leaders, cultural and customary friction was cited as the primary negative impact of Japan’s growing foreign population by a majority of respondents across 1,741 municipalities. Professor Tanada has argued that the national government should take a more direct role in integration policy, including Japanese-language education and welfare support, rather than leaving such issues entirely to municipalities and local communities.
Sources
- JAPAN Forward — Muslim population growth, tensions over mosques and prayer spaces in Fukuoka and Fujisawa, Waseda University research on mosque numbers and Muslim population
- Lowy Institute — Muslim population figures, burial challenges, Miyagi Prefecture plan withdrawal, mosque construction controversies, political debate over Muslim accommodation
- Unseen Japan — Government survey of 129 prefectures and cities regarding burial accommodation since January 2026, Muslim burial ground challenges
- Muslim Network TV — Government survey details and Muslim burial barriers
- Mainichi — Muslim population doubling from 230,000 in 2019 to 420,000 by end of 2024
- Kyodo News — Growing Muslim population and burial plot demands
