Japan residents seek binding agreement with mosque developers

FUJISAWA, Japan (MNTV) – Residents near a planned mosque in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, have formed a new group to secure a legally binding “community agreement” with the site’s Sri Lankan developers, marking a shift from outright opposition to orderly coexistence, reports Japan Forward. 

A newly formed association pursuing dialogue and a community agreement in the Goshomi area launched recently at a community center in the city’s Miyahara district. 

Organizers said most people would still prefer the mosque not be built at all, fearing it will alter the character of a neighborhood they have long called home. But with city authorities having already approved the development, the group concluded that establishing enforceable rules was the only realistic path forward.

The new association grew out of the Goshomi District Citizens’ Association, formed by 11 residents last November and now numbering around 100 members. It is calling on residents across Goshomi’s roughly 7,800 households to take part. If completed, organizers believe the agreement would be the first of its kind in Japan tied to mosque construction.

Association chair Koichi Sato said the group initially had little choice but to oppose the project, arguing that no resident briefing had been held before construction plans moved forward. A petition the association submitted to the local neighborhood council in March found that a majority of Miyahara residents opposed the mosque.

No representatives from the Sri Lankan organization behind the mosque, Fujisawa Masjid, or from the local neighborhood association attended the launch event, though organizers said they intend to invite them in the future. 

Mohammad Sadiq, an officer with the Sri Lankan group, said in an interview that his organization would be willing to meet with residents and consult its lawyer. 

Shigeru Nishiyama, head of the Miyahara neighborhood association, said he would “watch how the activity develops.”

According to Fujisawa City’s development division, land preparation at the site was completed in May, finalizing the development permit process under the City Planning Act. However, the city’s building division confirmed that a building confirmation application under the Building Standards Act, the next formal step, has not yet been filed.

Fujisawa Masjid, a general incorporated association led by eight Sri Lankan directors, has pursued the project since around 2019. City statistics show roughly 800 Sri Lankan residents living in Fujisawa. The plan calls for a two-storey Islamic prayer facility topped with a dome on privately owned land along a prefectural road in the city’s north.