Japan tries to tap growing Muslim tourist market

dont need halal, if you visit a place, follow the customs of the residents!I dont ask for pig dish or booze when I go to a muslim country... this whole courtesy thing becoming ridiculous.

Tourism is important but surely part of being a tourist when you travel to any country is having to adapt to some degree the local culture, and to experience something different and new.

Eating slightly different foods or having your schedule somewhat different from home certainly isn't going to hurt you, and if you have a very specific want (especially when not a medically necessary one) you should be organising it yourself.

When visiting countries which have some law based around islam, certain foods and drink aren't available, and people are expected to act and dress within certain boundaries, why would they expect a secular country like Japan to accommodate the specific rituals of theirs.

I wish people to consider very carefully how much they "welcome" islam into their countries, I understand some countries with large numbers of muslims are extremely wealthy but sometimes the ideas of free and equal societies should come before making a buck.

If a tourist company wants to make a islam friendly tour company, thats fine, and part of the freedom of having a business, but I strongly object to any law being made or public money to be spent to support this or any religious ideology.

Perhaps its all seems harmless, but, if the public and law starts getting involved, providing public prayer areas, labelling foods specifically for this group of people, whats next... make women cover themselves, segregate genders, ban certain foods all together, ban alcohol, allow shiria law?

I think Japan is not ready for Muslims, japanese people are too polite to deal with religious extremists. Not all Muslims are the same, there are good and bad elements in every religion or culture, but the examples are there.

It's a big mistake and Sweden can teach us about that big mistake!.

Rahanim still sees room for improvement in making Japan more Muslim-friendly.

This kind of statement always annoys me. Why should Japan change its everyday way of living to accommodate foreigners? You come to the country by choice, Japan has no obligation to make itself 'more muslim friendly'.

“It’s really difficult to find halal products, especially in Japan. Why? Because if I buy some products in Japan and I cannot read kanji (Japanese characters), this is impossible for me to understand what kind of ingredients are inside,” he said.

Again. You have come to Japan which funnily enough uses kanji, katakana & hiragana on everyday packaging. Why should products in a Japanese store be halal or in a language they can understand when the product that is on sale is marketed for Japanese consumers who speak Japanese, aren't muslim and don't eat halal. This kind of statement where foreigners are complaining about being unable to understand what is on packaging annoys me the most. If you have a problem with it learn the language!

Halal product is good! But then why the japanese Government is focusing on muslim countries to enter legally in Japan? How about other countries like Philippines? We Filipinos are hardworking people i hope japan government would consider us too! Thanks and God bless

KariHaruka, you seem to have missed the whole pint of the article. Japan, as you say, has no obligation to make itself more Muslim friendly. I should answer your question about why should Japan change even though the article answers it. Simply, Japan wants more Muslims to come by choice and wants them to spend their money here.

Iluisa, what about halal is good?

Alex: A truly good host will offer the options a person from a different background might be used to (as options) and not force their own customs on them. So, you don't eat pork when you go to Muslim countries. I'm willing to bet you don't complain if cutlery is available in a restaurant where customers use mainly chopsticks.

You don't invite someone to come and then spit on their customs and treat them like potential terrorists just because some equally radical Americans or what have you think all Muslims are terrorists.

There is going to be a global boom of the Muslim tourism industry over the next decade. It will represent a major niche market with probably over 100 billions and will continue to grow at a higher rate compared to the global average. Comparatively this Muslim tourism market as a whole is larger than the largest spending tourist market in the world. Of course for businesses it is all about making money, the God of this World. That is why many businesses are planning and preparing to meet the needs of the Muslim community by making halai food and prayer rooms a top priority to make it compatible with their religious beliefs and lifestyle.

I don't see why so many readers are upset at this trend. Remember, this is about tourism, not immigration. A good host always provides for his/her guests' needs.

I remember in Australia, during the 1990s Japanese tourism boom, shops put signs up in Japanese. Now, the signs are in Chinese. You do whatever is expedient to help the tourism industry grow.

According to the wikipedia, halal slaughter requires that:

the animal must be slaughtered with a sharp knife by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck, causing the animal’s death without cutting the spinal cord

This is a medieval way of slaughtering an animal which causes a lot of suffering. I don't think non-Muslim countries should stock such meat. Only stock vegetarian halal food.

Folks, this is about marketing yourself towards the 1.6 BILLION Muslims in the world and nothing more. That's a LOT of potential tourists.

Nobody's asking to change everything about Japan. It's easy for some places - places who want to make money off Muslim visitors - to have Halal foods available. Seafood is generally halal. Vegetarian cuisine is generally halal.

It's not infringing on you or your values. It's making sure people who have dietary requirements are able to meet those requirements.

I don't see anything wrong with this. I have no time whatsoever for any religion but if people see a chance to make money, good look to them. I've always found it ridiculous and sad that people impose limiting and frankly nonsensical religious rules on themselves about what they can do, particularly when visiting a different culture, but it's their life and their money. The moment people are asked to change their behaviour to accommodate or told not to 'offend' the delicate sensibilities of a particular religious group is when they can shove it firmly up a holy place. Until then, no problem. I've been to quite a few halal restaurants - they were all pretty good.

I'm all for religious tolerance and it is just good business sense to provide extra facilities, like prayer rooms, if the extra income from attracting these guests outweighs the associated costs (plus a generous profit).

However some Muslims like to really push their luck and take advantage of people's ignorance of their religion. For example:

For Rahanim and the school group, simply having menus in English helped them determine whether foods such as fish were acceptable.

Anyone who knows Islamic food laws should hear flashing red lights and sirens on reading this. ALL fish are acceptable. The only real borderline cases are crocodile (it lives on land sometimes and has fangs), otter (it lives on land sometimes) and turtle (again, it can live on land). But all animals that live exclusively in the sea are Halal.

Therefore this reason for wanting English menus to see if the fish are Halal is a clear and undeniable example of a Muslim falsely using their religion as an excuse for getting something they want.

And do you know what the punishment is for lying in Islam?

“Death for the man who indulges in story-telling in order to make some people laugh and for that he relies on falsehood. There is death for him, there is destruction for him.” (Tirmidi)

@Frungy

Not necessarily. A seafood restaurant may have whale, shrimp, octopus etc. which are regarded as "unlawful" by many Muslims. For them, a "fish" is exactly that, not just a sea creature, so a menu would be a big help.

smithinjapan so by your logic all muslim are horrible hosts, because I will be probably put in prison if I drink alcohol on a street or eat pork , more of a reason to NOT welcome them here

smithinjapan, so be your logic all muslim countries are horrible hosts, because they will put me in jail if i dont follow their established traditions , that and a large enough percent of muslim population are in fact supporters or military fanatic islam, that by default is why they are focused on in terms or terrorism , they are the only one who can change that stigma by actively eradicating that within their culture - only then they should be looked on as equal.

Why not? Japanese traditional food uses a few simple ingredients and easily adaptable to many religions/dietary choices.

The commenters who say "when in Rome" don't understand Muslims. I don't know the ins and outs of Islam but as a Christian with strong faith I get where they are coming from. They are trying to follow the laws of "God" and he exists everywhere not just in their own countries. A devout Muslim will not conveniently turn off their faith to go on vacation. You have to understand the gravity of that if you want to understand the behavior and choices of faithful Muslims.

I don't claim to understand that fully because in Christianity the laws have been fulfilled, and teaches that it's not what goes in a man's mouth that makes him unclean, but what comes out (lies, slander, gossip, etc.) that tarnishes a person.

Rahanim still sees room for improvement in making Japan more Muslim-friendly.

I agree with KariHaruka on this.

They always want non-muslim countries to become "more Muslim friendly". Muslims for the most part are not friendly in observing the customs in their adopted non muslim countries. If anything all non muslim countries need to become more Musim-UNfriendly, and not bow down to their primitive and annoying ways.

It's all about money and nothing more. Done! Next article please!!!

Traveling to another country and limiting what you can eat or drink or even where you can visit. Seems like a waste of a holiday for me but it's their money. If people can make money from it, best of luck to them.

Frungy

Anyone who knows Islamic food laws should hear flashing red lights and sirens on reading this. ALL fish are acceptable.

This is not necessarily the case. Muslims cannot eat typical soy sauce, for example, as it is mildly alcoholic. So knowing what the dish is and how it is made goes a long way to helping them decide if they can eat it or not.

Sashimi is OK, sushi is not.

Alex

we can have pork and vodka served in any muslim country

You can as a visitor in most Muslim countries. Or as a non-Muslim. Very few countries where alcohol and pork are outright banned for everyone.

Thank you Japan :)

Bullshit - you will be jailed walking with a beer on a street in most middleeastern countries.. or even beheaded

Lucabrasi - I think you're confusing "kosher" (no shrimp or other scavengers) with "Halal" (all sea creatures are ok).

Pandabelle - Straw man. The person specifically said it was the fish she was concerned about. If she'd said it was the ingredients in general you'd have a good point. But it was the fish.

So many hate in comment, why not halal food, everyone can eat it, it's your choice, There always non-halal shop at Muslim country, why not halal shop at non-Muslim country, Halal definition itself does not concern non-Muslim from eat it,. For example halal ramen can eat by all people. Halal not just simple as dish without pork and booze, for example how the chicken or cow slaughtering process. And if they want to do good, why not ? It is bother you ? Its like asking dont provide necessity for water shop because you love booze. Lastly, Muslim extremist? extremist is danger whether he religious or not :) #my2cents

Fouxdefa.. You strongly believe something different, which is absolutely your right to do so, as its is for a muslim to follow islam.. the issue is.. demanding/requesting other people, or a government should have some duty or responsibility to help you maintain your beliefs.

If not eating a certain thing or having a certain place to pray at a certain time is important to you then it is your own responsibility to arrange that, and as far as turning off faith.. the answer is simple if your not ready to deal with the world as it exists out of your "comfort zone", make compromises and be understanding then I suggest its probably best to just stay home.

Again if a company wants to make an islam, christian, jewish etc friendly tour or hotel or restaurant that is their right to do so, but as soon as any public money, space or time is used on non-secular promotion or facilities I would have to strongly object, and suggesting changes to law like specific food labelling for another language for a religious reason is far too far.

Wonder why so many are against this, yet many tourist destinations internationally already cater for their languages. Dietary habits, etc.

Ever tried reading a menu in Hebrew, Greek, Russian, Finnish, etc writing?

If you make your country friendly to Muslims, you should also make it clear that you welcome friendly Muslims.

This kind of statement always annoys me. Why should Japan change its everyday way of living to accommodate foreigners? You come to the country by choice, Japan has no obligation to make itself 'more muslim friendly'.

I agree with you.

@It's ME.

I haven't seen anyone suggest that there shouldn't or couldn't be signage, even some public signage or menus available in other languages.

This isn't about language, or race, its about a certain ideology expecting and sometimes demanding people who don't follow that ideology to make allowances, accommodations and compromises for it.

NZ2011.

That type thinking is not confined to Islam and its followers, I exists everywhere even among posters here.

Tourism would drop worldwide very fast if those allowances, accommodations and compromises weren't already made for the sake of earning more money. Just a new target group to add to an existing and growing list.

About 23% of the world population is Muslim and follow Islam.

Christianity 31%, Unaffiliated 16%, Hindi 14%, Buddhist 7%, etc.

Nearly a quarter if the worlds population is a huge possible income source for any business.

The comments about a terrorist attacks are absurd and grossly exaggerated, which shows in what type of a society we are living nowadays.

But I have to agree with NZ2011, this is not about refusing muslims its the fact that many of them want special compromises to accommodate their religion. The problem with this is that while not a bad thing persee, now its only halal food and a prayer room, next thing you know we have to implement arabic in street signs, build mosques.

The other fact is that when people go to Arabic country we are not met with equal accommodating standards that are asked in western countries. And we dont make a big fuss about it. That is the difference.

So please stop about the terrorist attacks, it has no place in this topic.

@Frungy

No, it's nothing to do with Judaism. There exists a significantly large population of Muslims who regard sea creatures other than actual fish as haram.

I'd provide a link, but I'm between classes and I don't have time : )

NZ2011, your compartmentalization of religion into the private sphere and secularism for the public sphere, I definitely agree with as it gives me freedom of religion, though from the many thumbs-down on my previous comment you can see the secular and non-religious do not approve of bringing faith into public discussions.

But this kind of modern lens is exactly what you have step outside of to understand Muslims. Our way of thinking is foreign to them and stating our own views is not the way to understand another point of view.

But as some commenters have pointed out, this is a very simple issue. This is about companies like Takashimaya doing what they can to attract tourist ¥¥¥.

I'm shocked at the amount of hatred some people show for muslims in their comments ... and the Lies ! @arcadius Who said that the cow slaughtering is making the cow suffer ? Thats not true .. do some search please @frangy who said that the man who lies his punishment is death ? do some search please .

And people who think that providing halal food and prayer rooms will lead to building lots of mosques and adding arabic language in the streets and maybe leads to terrorism ! I say that's all absurd ! You are exagerating really .

I see most people are affected by what they hear about muslims in the media but muslims have the good people and the bad ones just like any other religion.

I encourage japan in this Alot of Egyptians are a fan of Japan especially for the Anime and Manga i'm learning japanese now and japan is on the top of my List to visit ! And i assure you i will not increase the percentage of a terrorist attack there ;)

A customer has the right to know what he is eating.

KariHarukaNov. 14, 2014 - 08:46AM JST

Why should Japan change its everyday way of living to accommodate foreigners?

Why not. We are talking about hospitality industry.

There is a lot of hostility towards Muslims here. I have no time for any religion, least of all the monotheistic ones, but I wish any businessperson good luck in opening a halal restaurant. However:

'Rahanim still sees room for improvement in making Japan more Muslim-friendly. Muslims should pray five times a day, and prayer rooms are hard to come by. A former student from her school who was their unofficial guide resorted to praying behind a 7-Eleven parking lot.'

'Room for improvement'? Who does he expect to provide and pay for these prayer rooms and how many does he think there ought to be?

Fouxdefa,

I have no interest in looking at the world through the lens of islam or any other religion or ideology, I care about people and universal human rights.

Dina Ashraf

I feel there are there are few hateful comments about muslims themselves, people simply discussing issues of equality and fairness.

@Frungy No, it's nothing to do with Judaism. There exists a significantly large population of Muslims who regard sea creatures other than actual fish as haram.

I'd provide a link, but I'm between classes and I don't have time : )

You're referring to the Hanafi sect.

However again you're attempting a straw man argument. The person was specifically referring to FISH. You admit that FISH are universally acceptable to Muslims, so you don't have a point.

" The largest number from Muslim countries came from Malaysia and Indonesia. "

I wish the press would stop this erroneous labelling of Indonesia as a "muslim country". Indonesia is not a muslim country, it is a muslim majority country -- not the same thing. The state ideology of Indonesia is Pancasila, and not islam (although, alas, the islamic parties are trying to change that).

The province of Aceh is an exception -- Aceh has succeeded to bully the government of Indonesia into allowing it to apply Shariah law, so the statement that Aceh is a muslim province would be correct.

@Frungy

No wish to pick a fight, but I do have a point.

Seafood restaurants serve all kinds of stuff that isn't actually fish. If I order a "seafood platter" i reckon I can count on getting a bit of shrimp or lobster in there.

Surely it's basic manners to let people know what they're eating?

@NZ2011 I respect the people discussing the article regardless if they are with or against it i saw a lot of hatful comments towards muslims on the japan today page Facebook article link .

@arcadius see this link if you are interested, and after all it's up to you to believe what you want ofcourse https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090915191537AAYxe5k

Most of the comments here make no sense, if Japan is willing to allow some changs to acomadate Muslims all around the world, who are you to say otherwise. Unlike other people, Muslims have rules to follow no matter where they are. So good for Japan, for being considerate to a large number of the population.

lucabrasiNov. 14, 2014 - 05:50PM JST No wish to pick a fight, but I do have a point.

Honestly, you don't.

Look at the quote again:

For Rahanim and the school group, simply having menus in English helped them determine whether foods such as fish were acceptable.

This isn't a case of:

Seafood restaurants serve all kinds of stuff that isn't actually fish. If I order a "seafood platter" i reckon I can count on getting a bit of shrimp or lobster in there.

There's no seafood platter here. This is a case of her wanting to know if "foods such as FISH" (caps added for emphasis) are acceptable. Fish is acceptable to all major Muslim sects.

Surely it's basic manners to let people know what they're eating?

By that logic the presence of English menus is an issue of manners, not religion, and because there are many foreign visitors to Japan every year it should have been implemented already.

I don't mind at all if you want to say it is just good manners. Where it gets my goat is when people lie about their religion to justify their demands (reasonable or unreasonable). And this is clearly a lie.

Whether the fish is hake, tuna or blowfish isn't relevant to their religious requirements. It may be necessary information for allergy reasons, for personal reasons, etc, but it is NOT a religious requirement.

And this is my point. That trying to lie to people about what your religion requires is fundamentally dishonest, and I've seen a number of Muslims take the "Islam requires it" argument... until I went and talked to their Imam and the Imam said, "What? No way!".

What we need is a bit more tolerance.

If Muslims require halal food, why not give it to them?

They are not doing any harm by doing this, are they?

I've seen many Americans pour soy sauce into white rice, which could never do, but "One man's meat is another man's poison."

'Unlike other people, Muslims have rules to follow no matter where they are. So good for Japan, for being considerate to a large number of the population.'

Unlike other people? Orthodox Jews? Certain followers of Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism? I could go on. All of them should be equally respected and more importantly, be respectful enough not to expect the kind of facilities or sensibilities when travelling they'd expect in their own cultures.

The criticism in this thread is unjustified. Japan wants more tourists. Near 1/4 of the world is Muslim. So it only makes sense to make things easier for Muslims to visit Japan. No one has demanded anything, there are simply pointers to how things could be made more appealing for Muslims.

Japan has had a lot of English signage added in the past decade, as well as doing things like numbering stations to make the railways easier to navigate. They've added lots of Korean and Chinese signage as well. Yet people only make a fuss when it's moves that benefit Muslims.

Strangerland.

Well said but you will collect minus votes for it.

ZZZ , because they have money

Strangerland.

No-one said don't have signage in other languages at any point anywhere, if there are large amounts of people who for Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean isn't helpful I wouldn't have an issue with having other languages being added here or where I'm from.

It is an issue of an ideology making demands in other cultures.

I do not want this, or any other religiously based ideology to be normalised in anyway, it is a private matter.

I would equally make a fuss if it was christians, jewish people, hindus or anyone else asking for special allowances.

Religion is not a race, it isn't a person or a group of people, it is an idea, ideas are open to question.

Alex: "They always want non-muslim countries to become "more Muslim friendly"."

I KNOW! The gall of people wanting intolerant people who say "profile 'em all before they get here!" to want the nation that person is in to be more friendly! or who say things like this:

"Muslims for the most part are not friendly in observing the customs in their adopted non muslim countries. If anything all non muslim countries need to become more Musim-UNfriendly, and not bow down to their primitive and annoying ways."

Next you'll be saying, "All extremists should be shot!" without the irony getting through. Fortunately, the people in Japan are not generally intolerant or suspicious of things they know nothing about, and seem quite willing here to try and accommodate guests whom they have invited. Who are you to tell them they should not but the very definition of those you loathe?

No need to bend over backwards to accommodate those not ready to explore different cultures, different lands, cuisine. Why would one travel abroad if not prepared to explore a different environment?

'I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad.'

George Bernard Shaw

Clever man.

OPPPSSSS... WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE MUSLIMS. If Japan will tolerate this kind of arrangement to a certain religious sect, this will cause discrimination to others. But if Japan will tolerate this type of arrangement for Musilims, then it will be proper also for Japan to build areas for other religious sect who will come to visit Japan to provide access to their churches and eateries and groceries that these different religious sect can avail according to their beliefs. We as foreign residence in Japan follows what Japan does. If your are in Japan, do what the Japanese do. ;) No more no less.

Guys, Japan is not a unique country that needs to be protected by 'evil' Muslims or foreigners. This is purely a business ploy for TOURISTS because they want their money, nothing else.

Besides, in its strictest sense, many traditional aspects of Japanese culture works in harmony with Muslim ideals when it comes to respect, discipline, respect for parents, elders and authority. Modern Japanese culture won't because it is heavily Westernised.

I've read so many hate/ridiculous/ignorant comments on this article i can't even......??? Here are some reply's to some people but they apply to all peeps that were negative on this thing :)

@Alex Einz

dont need halal, if you visit a place, follow the customs of the residents!I dont ask for pig dish or booze when I go to a muslim country... this whole courtesy thing becoming ridiculous.>

Hi Alex :) Don't need halal? Great! they were doing it for the muslim people anyways. It's not like they will be throwing halal food in your face, or forcing you to work with them to make these things possible. Just live your life. Nobody said they didn't folow their customs. I'm pretty sure most people respect each other and follow whatever custom there is to follow. If Japanese people want to do this thing for muslim people, then let them. You're not going to die of it ;) oh and F.Y.I there are plenty of muslim countries that cater pork dishes and alochol! (e.g. Turkey, Morocco, Dubai..) and if you dont ask for it then thats your problem. it doesnt mean that other people have to follow ''your'' rules. If people want to ask for certain things, they might just get it. Just like in this particular case. Just breath in, breath out and life your life ;)

@Sacris Heilig

I think Japan is not ready for Muslims, japanese people are too polite to deal with religious extremists. Not all Muslims are the same, there are good and bad elements in every religion or culture, but the examples are there. It's a big mistake and Sweden can teach us about that big mistake!.>

Hi Sacris. Japan is not ready for muslims? Muslims are human beings, just like Japanese people are. And secondly, are you mr.Japan in the flesh to know what the country is not ready for?? I'm glad you said that not all muslims are the same, but still. Judging from the above sentences you obiously have not lived with or befriended any muslims. So please refrain from ingnorant comments like that. Nope not all muslims are the same indeed. Cuz if the current over-a-billion muslims were extremists, we'd be in BIG trouble ;) That still brings me to the following question. How does halal food and prayer rooms contribute to extrimist behaviour??

The funniest thing is that most/all commentors are not even Japanese. Therefor why are you breaking your head for something as inevitable as this. Japanese people want to do it, let them do it, And like i said before, you're not going to die or get a disease if theres an extra prayer room in your nearby mall.

BREATH IN AND BREATH OUT people. Just spread peace and love.

I would like to see one single muslim country making special accomodations for non-muslims.... that would be the day.

When in Rome...Enough said.

The foreign commentators here telling Japan how it should be acting - saying that catering to Muslim tourists needs is equivalent to letting Muslims tell Japan how it should be acting. Aren't the foreign commentators disrespecting Japanese culture when in Japan by saying so?

The Philippines does a good job of catering to Muslim visitors, but that was made easy by their indigenous Muslims who now are a large presence in Manila. In any case, what's the big deal about labeling menu items as halal in a restaurant in a touristic area, or putting a small sign in the window? And if you resent tourists wiith money (like Mr. Leach - perfect!) then you shouldn't object to seeing foreigners sleeping on park benches either.

Did the devout muslims reading this article know that you actually CAN eat non-halal meat if you can't find it...?

Surah 2:173: If one is forced because there is no other choice, neither craving nor transgressing, there is no sin on him

and that as long as the animal is not dead (just stunned) then there is no problem with eating that meat..

Halal (in particular non-stunned meat) is a CHOICE. Even for muslims!

And for the person who said that Halal slaughter methods are not cruel I would ask you to watch this video (if you can) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_bZzxep87c (Warning. Graphic.)

In the UK many halal butchers now stun before slaughter. Unfortunately many across the world still don't and millions of animals suffer undue stress and pain. Many of the east asian muslim countries, where animal welfare is basically non-existant, being the worst culprits I'm afraid. These reports should provide enough information for those who are willing to open their eyes to the cruel animal slaughter practice which takes place in these countries.

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/media/3818632/slaughter-factsheet.pdf http://www.rspca.org.au/sites/default/files/website/Campaigns/Live-export/Cattle-to-Indonesia/Live_exports-scientific_report.pdf

Did the devout muslims reading this article know that you actually CAN eat non-halal meat if you can't find it...?

Yeah! An end to anguishing over how our battery hens are dispatched.

SenseNotSoCommon - I actually anguish over the fact we still even have battery hens.. Never buy anything but free range or organic if possible. Just fyi.

Did the devout muslims reading this article know that you actually CAN eat non-halal meat if you can't find it...?

You have got that wrong. If you read the whole context, it says, "if one is FORCED"... meaning life OR death situation. Meat is not mandatory and there are vegetable and seafood options available too. But this is only catering to their delicacies like how Western tourists are catered through McDonalds or KFC.

All kinds of tourists shld be welcomed just be wary.

Die intellectual - Nope.. here's an article from a newspaper written by an imam. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2623879/We-Muslims-appalled-sale-halal-meat-stealth.html

I repeat, muslims do not have to eat halal food, be it life or death or just everyday eating.

Judging from the number of down votes against tolerant comments, the multiculturism has failed in the West.

But if you go for "when in Rome" all the way, you shold also stop speaking English in Japan.

I don't usually agree with you C3PO, but this time I do.

ch3:

" But if you go for "when in Rome" all the way, you shold also stop speaking English in Japan. "

...even when the Romans are addressing you in English all the time?

Food is one thing, but eabling people to pray?

Surely if the prayers are genuine they can be done in the heart 24-7 regardless of place?

Let us hope that if prayer rooms are provided, they are labelled appropriately for anyone of any faith to go there for prayer or meditation, and not just to promote tourism.

it's good plan to attract any kind of tourist to contribute japan's economy.

its a big LoL when i see some of the commenter cant thinking logically due to their hatred

@Chris Ward... you're better off speaking to a proper Imam. The one in the article is dubious.

Why should Japan change its everyday way of living to accommodate foreigners?

So why not? Be friendly to people is a common sense. Didn't you know that?