Japan denies giving away city to Tanzania after misinformation sparks anti-immigration backlash

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi answers questions at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, on June 16, 2025. (The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Japan’s government would like you to know: no, they’re not giving away a city to Tanzania.

Authorities have been in damage control mode for the last few days after widespread misinformation about a cultural exchange program sparked a public panic – reflecting Japan’s conservative attitudes toward immigration and a recent rise in anti-foreigner sentiment.

The controversy began when Japanese authorities announced a new initiative last week under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which cooperates with global partners on issues including climate change and healthcare.

The new program established four cities across different prefectures as symbolic “hometowns” for partner countries in Africa: Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania.

Through exchange events and overseas volunteers, the program aims to address challenges in Africa while revitalizing local communities in Japan, many of which face their own problems of economic and demographic decline, according to JICA and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But soon, misinformation spread – with some local African media reports giving “the false impression that … Nagai City in Yamagata Prefecture would become part of the country of Tanzania,” said JICA in a statement on Monday.

The Nigerian government itself added to the furor, claiming on Friday in a (now-deleted) announcement that “the Japanese government will create a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to Kisarazu (city) to live and work.”

The backlash was swift and furious.

Social media was awash in viral posts about the issue, with outraged comments voicing concerns about public safety, the burden on resources, and the fear of immigrants overstaying their visas. Some comments seen by CNN were blatantly racist or xenophobic, propagating negative stereotypes about African nations and people.

The four cities involved in the program found themselves overwhelmed with complaints. For instance, in Imabari, officials received about 1,000 emails and 450 phone calls about the issue on Monday, according to public broadcaster NHK. Elsewhere, local mayors were forced to issue public statements trying to reassure the public.

The central government eventually had to step in, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa holding a news conference on Tuesday to dispel rumours. While the program will take in interns through JICA’s training programs, those are temporary and the interns will return to their home countries afterward, he said, according to NHK.

“There are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true,” the foreign ministry said in a Monday statement.

JICA and other authorities urged the partner African governments and corresponding local media to correct the information. Since then, the Nigerian government has removed its original announcement – and reposted a new version on Tuesday, labelled “correction,” with no mention of special visas.

But many social media users aren’t appeased, with some calling to dismantle JICA entirely, or voicing distrust of the organization’s statements.

Xenophobia and racism

The controversy reflects the growing wave of anti-immigration sentiment in Japan – also seen in the rise of the right-wing populist party Sanseito, which saw surprising wins in recent parliamentary elections after campaigning on a Trump-style “Japanese First” message.

Japan has traditionally been strict on immigration, as well as ethnically and culturally homogenous. Those who look different – either being of foreign ethnicity or mixed race – have consistently reported experiencing casual racism, harassment and discrimination, even if they were born in Japan or are Japanese nationals. That’s especially true for those with darker skin.

Years of low immigration, combined with Japan’s plunging birth rate, have left gaping holes in the workforce as the elderly population swells and the younger population shrinks – pushing the government to seek out more international tourists and migrant workers in recent years.

To some extent, it’s worked – Japan’s population of foreign residents has jumped from 2.23 million to 3.77 million over the past decade, though that still only accounts for 3% of the total population of more than 120 million people.

But it’s also caused annoyance and concern among Japanese residents who say they’re already facing a host of problems they fear could get worse – including stagnant wages, high inflation and living costs.

The Sanseito party tapped into these frustrations on the campaign trail – doling out rhetoric that some critics called inflammatory and xenophobic.

“Right now, Japanese people’s lives are getting harder and harder,” said party leader Sohei Kamiya in a speech in July, before the elections.

He claimed foreign workers who couldn’t find good jobs would increase crime, and warned: “More and more foreigners are coming (to Japan).”