​As part of its preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Japan is actively preparing various facilities to welcome international guests from all over the world. One of them is prayer rooms at International Airports.


Less than a year ago I wrote about 17 prayer Rooms In Japan. Since then setting up prayer rooms in public places like, Shopping Centers and Sightseeing Areas is followed by other business sectors including Museums, Ryokans, Hotels and Restaurants. 

The number of prayer rooms is growing in a proper speedy way so Muslim travelers also can explore new places without worrying about prayer times. 

Eager to attract more Muslim tourists, Japan’s Hokkaido Island wants to work with Malaysia’s Halal Industry Development Corporation "HDC" to make its capital Sapporo more "Muslim-friendly".

Nozomi Ota, who heads Sapporo’s Developing Local Cuisines in Observance with the Cultures of Muslim Tourists Project, said the city had begun to make changes to accommodate Muslim travelers by building more prayer rooms and publishing a list of halal restaurants.

"We hope travelers can enjoy our food in Sapporo and feel safe. We will work with the HDC and fly some people to Malaysia to learn about the halal food", she told reporters in Chuo-ku here recently.

Japan is fast becoming a Halal friendly country.  The government as well as the private sector are making conscious efforts to make the concept of Halal nearly a universal phenomenon.  

​Public and private university cafeterias in many campuses are getting Halal certification to satisfy their growing population of Muslim students from many different countries.

Utsunomiya University near Nikko, the famous resort place, started offering Halal recommended menus from Oct, 2015.

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In the same vein, many other campuses not only offer halal food in their cafeterias but also provide designated prayer rooms for their Muslim students. 

As ever greater numbers of Muslim Community tourists and business travelers come to Japan, places that pack in crowds are making efforts to accommodate them, and not just with halal foods.

Perhaps the greatest need for prayer rooms is at airports, the gateway for Muslims entering and leaving Japan. 

Narita Airport, which has offered prayer rooms since 2005, increased their number from two to four in July 2014. 

Muslims departing the country now have a place to pray after they have cleared immigration control. 

Muslim women, who wear the headscarf known as a Hijab, confront a difficult challenge when it’s time for a haircut. 

Male stylists are out, since Muslim women remove their hijabs only around women or around men in their immediate families.

The city of Chiba is seeking to become the center of Muslim culture in Japan, aiming to attract tourists to visit and stay in the city. 

Slowly, as the number of Muslims has grown, things are beginning to change. 

Chiba city recently started offering Muslim or Hijab-friendly beauty services to Muslim women residing in the city.