As Muslim tourism grows, can Japan adapt to travellers’ prayer needs?

As Japan welcomes a growing number of Muslim visitors, a quieter but increasingly visible question is unfolding across airports, shopping centres and sightseeing hubs: where can these travellers pray?

The number of foreign visitors to Japan hit a record last year, including those from Muslim-majority regions, drawn by the country’s food, pop culture and seasonal scenery.

Between January and November last year alone, about 560,000 travellers came from Indonesia, 540,000 from Malaysia and 240,000 from the Middle East, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation. For many, however, navigating daily prayer obligations in a country where dedicated facilities remain unevenly available detracts from an otherwise rich travel experience.

The issue, it seems, is less about building grand mosques than about flexibility. The Japan Tourism Agency has issued a guide for serving Muslim travellers, encouraging hotels, transport hubs and commercial facilities to designate quiet, clean spaces for prayer where possible.

In places where purpose-built rooms are not feasible, experts say that simple accommodation – temporary partitions, clear signage or staff awareness – can make a significant difference, helping Japan project an image of hospitality that extends beyond culture.

At last year’s World Exposition in Osaka, which saw many Muslim visitors and staff members, a prayer room was set up near the Forest of Tranquillity, in the centre of the venue to accommodate worshippers who are required to pray five times a day.