Emerging anti-immigration sentiment in Japan obscures a surprising history of strategic engagement with Islam
A false rumor started in the early 20th century that the Japanese emperor would convert to Islam. It helped Japan build alliances with Muslims across Asia.
Japan's Muslim population has nearly doubled over the past five years, from 230,000 in 2019 to 420,000 at the end of 2024. The surge in immigration has coincided with an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment, leading to hate speech and abuse of mosques. This change has been attributed to a larger demographic shift, with the number of mixed-race Japanese children, or "hafu," increasing to 4.66% in 2023, up from 1.3% in 1987.
Despite Japan's long-standing myth of racial purity, the country has a complex history with Islam and Muslims that predates contemporary immigration patterns.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan's Muslim population was largely unknown to the wider public. However, rumors circulated that Japan would soon convert to Islam, inspired by the country's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. These false claims fueled an ideological movement called Pan-Asianism, which sought to promote political, cultural, and economic unity among Asian peoples under Japanese leadership.
Japanese military intelligence capitalized on these rumors, seeking alliances with Muslim communities across Asia to counter European colonial influence.
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