A mosque in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, faces possible demolition after city officials deemed it illegally constructed. The 'Ramadan Grand Mosque' was built on a 4,500-square-metre plot in a mountain forest area classified as an urbanisation control zone, where construction is generally prohibited without special permission.
Kawagoe mayor Hatsue Morita stated this week that the city 'cannot tolerate the current situation' and is working to resolve the matter quickly. She said the building is illegal and that officials are considering how to guide the demolition process. The city first became aware of the project in October 2024 after residents reported construction, but by the time inspectors arrived, the exterior was nearly complete.
City officials faced obstacles in identifying those responsible. The landowner, a real estate agent, claimed the property had been sold and refused to name the buyer, citing privacy. Workers at the site, who were foreigners, could not be effectively questioned due to language barriers. A stop-construction order was issued in December 2024, but the land was transferred in March 2025 to a company registered at the same address as the mosque complex.
Despite the order, an opening ceremony was held in April 2025, attended by Pakistan's ambassador to Japan, Abdul Hameed. The ambassador praised the mosque as a symbol of friendship and religious inclusion. However, the Pakistani embassy later clarified that the ambassador attended based on assurances that all permits had been obtained, and urged the Pakistani community to comply with Japanese laws.
The case highlights tensions between Japan's growing Muslim population and strict planning regulations. Japan now has approximately 160 mosques as of 2025, according to Waseda University professor Hirofumi Tanada. City officials said the mosque's representative promised to demolish the building within five years but instead held the opening ceremony.
