On August 27, 2025, the Japanese government issued a statement denying claims that it had “given” any city to Tanzania. Japanese officials refuted widespread misconceptions circulating online, clarifying that the government was not “transferring” municipal control of a city or opening its doors to large-scale African immigration.
The Japanese government emphasized that this rumor stemmed from a misinterpretation of a new initiative by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project aims to establish symbolic “sister city” relationships between Japanese cities and partner countries in Africa to promote cultural exchanges and economic ties. There is no involvement of land, sovereignty, or population transfers, nor have there been any changes to immigration policies.
The origin of this misinformation lies in a project called the “JICA African Hometown” program, officially presented during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) held in Yokohama in mid-August this year (August 20-23). This initiative pairs four Japanese cities with four African countries for “hometown” partnerships. The cities and countries involved are as follows:
– Nagai City (Yamagata Prefecture) — Tanzania
– Kisarazu City (Chiba Prefecture) — Nigeria
– Sanjo City (Niigata Prefecture) — Ghana
– Imabari City (Ehime Prefecture) — Mozambique
According to the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the purpose of this program is to foster bilateral cooperation in human resources, culture, and technology. Activities include joint cultural festival events, short-term student exchange programs between schools, professional visits, company learning exchanges, and technology sharing. The “hometown program” does not establish any special immigration channels or alter the qualifications of individuals residing or working in Japan.
Over the past few days, false information about this program has circulated widely, sparking public debates and concerns. This reflects Japan’s conservative stance on immigration issues and the growing trend of xenophobia in the country.
Similarly, last Friday, the Nigerian government claimed in a now-deleted statement that the Japanese government would introduce a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians wishing to relocate to Kisarazu City.
This move fueled controversy, prompting strong reactions and numerous complaints to the four cities involved in the program. Imabari City officials reportedly received around 1,000 emails and 450 phone calls on Monday regarding this matter. Mayors in other locations were compelled to issue public statements in an attempt to pacify the public.
Ultimately, the Japanese central government had to intervene. Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi held a press conference on Tuesday to dispel the rumors. According to NHK reports, he clarified that the program would only host trainees through JICA’s training projects, and these arrangements were temporary, with trainees returning to their home countries afterwards.
In a statement released on Monday, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed, “There are currently no plans to implement measures to facilitate immigration or issue special visas to residents of African countries. Reports and statements regarding such measures are unfounded.”
Japanese officials stressed that these symbolic communications aim to enhance civil interactions and business collaborations, emphasizing that they are not immigration projects, do not grant residency rights, and will not alter borders or sovereignty. The government’s statement corrected the misconceptions that intertwined cultural exchange activities with land transfers or attracting large-scale immigration.