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Muslim Cemetery in Miyagi Prefecture Will Proceed Despite Resistance
The prefecture has received 400 objections to the proposed cemetery, which would be the 11th in the country.
Some far-right voices in Japan are objecting to the creation of a new cemetery in Miyagi Prefecture that will cater to Japan’s growing Muslim population. However, the Prefecture’s governor says the project is necessary and will proceed as planned.
With Japan in the grips of population decline and a severe labor shortage, it’s relying on foreign labor more than ever. As a result, the number of people practicing Islam has shot up in the past decade. As of 2023, there are 350,00 Muslims in Japan — over three times the 110,000 Muslims in 2010. 54,000 of those are Japanese converts to the religion.
In 1980, Japan had a total of four mosques in the entire country. Due to increased immigration of workers from countries such as Iran and Pakistan as well as conversion, it has 149 mosques as of June 2024 — a 10-fold increase.
However, Japan — a country where 99.7% of citizens are cremated — still lags in cemeteries that can conduct an Islamic burial. When a practicing Muslim dies, their faith specifies direct burial in the ground (no casket) with their head pointing towards Mecca. There are currently 10 Muslim cemeteries in the entirety of Japan.
