Pakistan Inaugurates Mosque In Japan. Tokyo Says It’s ‘Illegal’

New Delhi ( The Indian View team) : Pakistan’s embassy in Japan has distanced itself from a mosque project in Kawagoe after Japanese authorities said the building was constructed without the approvals required under local laws. The issue has drawn attention because Pakistan’s Ambassador to Japan, Abdul Hameed, attended the mosque’s inauguration earlier this year. Pakistan has distanced itself from the controversy, saying its envoy attended the mosque inauguration only after organisers assured him of approvals.

The mosque, located in Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture, stands on a 4,500-square-metre plot classified as mountain forest land. The site falls within an urbanisation control area, where construction is generally prohibited unless special permission is granted by local authorities.

According to a report by The Asahi Shimbun, property records show the land changed hands in March 2025, moving from a Fujimi-based real estate company to a firm registered at the Kawagoe address. Kawagoe city officials said the mosque was built without the necessary clearance.

The building (mosque) was constructed in an urban development control area where construction is generally prohibited unless specific permissions are secured under the City Planning Act,” the municipal government said in an official statement. “The building in question was constructed without the city’s permission.”

The Asahi Shimbun reported that Yashio Masjid has long worked with local authorities and residents. The mosque began operating in a converted factory in 2000 and was formally registered as a religious corporation in 2007.