A mosque built in Japan’s Kawagoe city by a Pakistani national without obtaining the required permissions from local authorities, allegedly in violation of local laws, will now be removed, according to a report by The Japan Times.
The mosque’s removal has also caused embarrassment for the Pakistani government, as its inauguration was reportedly attended by Pakistan’s ambassador to Japan, Abdul Hameed.
Pakistan has now distanced itself from the controversy, defending the ambassador’s visit by saying it took place after the organisers assured him that all necessary approvals had been obtained. The Pakistani embassy has also issued guidance to Pakistanis living in Japan, urging them to comply with local laws.
“The Embassy of Pakistan in Japan strongly urges all Pakistanis residing in Japan to comply with Japanese laws in all matters, including the construction of mosques. Any construction must be undertaken only after obtaining the necessary permits from local authorities,” read the statement. “The Embassy of Pakistan in Japan has no involvement whatsoever with any projects that do not comply with the laws and regulations of each local government….the Ambassador accepted the invitation to attend this event after being informed that the building had obtained all necessary permits as stipulated by Japanese law,” it further read.
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Why did Japan flag it as ‘illegal’?
Kawagoe’s urban development division, Kawagoe City, said in a statement that the building was erected without the required applications or permits and that it had instructed the Pakistani company that owns the land to remove the structure. The city added that it could not treat the illegal structure differently simply because it was a mosque, according to The Japan Times.
According to the city authorities, the site is located in an “urbanization control zone,” where development is strictly restricted and construction requires permission under Japan’s City Planning Act.
Construction workers told authorities: ‘They didn’t understand Japanese’
The report further said that authorities became aware of the illegal structure in October 2024 and asked that construction be halted after the exterior had already been completed. However, workers reportedly continued construction, saying they did not understand Japanese.
In March 2025, ownership of the land was transferred from a real estate company in Fujimi City, Saitama Prefecture, to a company headed by a Pakistani national based in Kawagoe City, said the report. That same month, the company submitted a remediation plan stating that it would proceed with removing the structure.
In a telephone interview, the father of the Pakistani owner told The Japan Times in fluent Japanese: “The building was already there before we bought the land. We are discussing plans to demolish it, but demolition also costs money, so it is difficult. Right now, we are talking with the city about what to do.”